NHLA Policy Discussion

On Saturday, May 8^th, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, the NHLA will hold a special meeting to give all members an opportunity to express their support or objection to the NHLA’s long-standing, informal policy of “Don’t Touch” issues. The criteria for each issue’s inclusion on an official “Don’t Touch” policy list are that valid, principled-based, pro-liberty positions can be made on both sides of the issue. This event will be held at Murphy’s Taproom in Manchester, N.H. Details of the event are listed below.

• Format for this event will be similar to that of public testimony at the State House.
• Members will be called individually to present your thoughts and/or concerns. Only members in good standing will be invited to participate.
• The Board will address each issue separately to give these sensitive issues the proper attention and respect they deserve.
• All members providing testimony are respectfully asked to keep your statements to 3 minutes or less, so that other members who wish to speak have an opportunity to do so.
• The Board requests that all speakers provide a principled-based, pro-liberty position to support either the issue’s inclusion or exclusion from a formal “Don’t Touch” policy list, i.e., “what is the pro-liberty reason for or against inclusion?”
• Members are asked not to repeat previously made points to ensure that this event is conducted in a smooth, speedy, and informative process within the time constraints.
• The order of issues the Board will be addressing are: (1) Abortion, (2) Marriage, (3) Death Penalty, (4) Assisted Suicide, (5) Illegal Immigration, and (6) Right to Work.
• Additional “Don’t Touch” issues may be proposed to the Board through dti@nhliberty.org no later than April 30^th; on a motion of any Board member, and properly seconded. These additions will be added to the final agenda which will be available on the NHLA website for review on May 1^st.
• Chairman Mark Warden will be moderating the event.

After your comments have been collected, the Board will review the information, consider a formal policy, announce it in the next newsletter, and publish it on the website.

Any member who wishes to offer input and suggestions on this matter and hasn’t done so yet, should email us at dti@nhliberty.org by May 5^th.

Board Elections this Month

There are two NHLA Board of Director positions (Treasurer and Membership) that expire on April 30. Elections for these positions are being held April 17-30. Members who are eligible to vote may do so through either the NHLA website (you must log in) or by mailing a written ballot to New Hampshire Liberty Alliance, P.O. Box 4241, Manchester, NH 03108-4241.

All mail-in ballots must be received by April 30 to be counted in this election.

Membership Director – This position is responsible for maintaining the membership database, surveying member feedback, and increasing membership.

Current Membership Director Michelle Levell has decided not to run for re-election.

Keith Ammon has been nominated and has accepted the nomination. Nominations are now closed, but write–in candidates are welcome.

Treasurer – This position is charged with the financial accounting of the organization, filing financial reports with the Secretary of State, and record keeping at fundraisers.

Current Treasurer Steve Villee has been nominated, and accepted, to run for re-election. Nominations are now closed, but write–in candidates are welcome.

Besides the above duties, all directors are expected to attend monthly Board of Directors meetings and all official NHLA events, as well as participate in strategic planning and outreach for the organization.

Remember, in order to vote in NHLA elections, members must have a Full or Lifetime Membership. If you are still a Basic Member and would like to participate in this election, you will need to upgrade your membership right away at http://join.nhliberty.org/. Full Membership is only $20 for 2 years and Lifetime Membership is $100. All membership fees go into the PAC Fund (unless the member directs otherwise).

Candidate Training Session

April’s candidate training session was another great success. There were roughly 20 people in attendance with approximately half being newcomers to the organization. The non-partisan presentation by Rep. Joel Winters (D) and Rep. Carol McGuire (R) was packed with great information on the nuts and bolts of campaigning. A video of the event can be viewed on the NHLA website here.

The next candidate/campaign training session will be Saturday, May 1^st at 1:00pm at Murphy’s Taproom in Manchester. This session will be part of a continuing monthly series presented by former State Representative Don Gorman.

R.S.V.P. to chair@nhliberty.org if interested.

Gold Standard Volunteers

With the first half of the 2010 legislative seesion now behind us, we want to take this opportunity to thank all of the Gold Standard volunteers for your dedicated time and effort in making sure that our representatives are receiving the liberty message every week. The time invested in the Gold Standard preparation and distribution can be overwhelming.

Our many volunteers spend countless hours:

• scanning the state’s calendar for bills to include on the Gold Standard,
• determining which bills to include based on the liberty impact,
• analyzing the pro- or anti-liberty contents of each bill selected for the Gold Standard,
• writing, rewriting, and editing the blurbs for each bill on the Gold Standard, and
• making sure that the Gold Standard is getting into the hands of the legislators every week.

We would like to extend our gratitude to these people who give so much of their energy for the advancement of liberty in N.H.

Special kudos to Research Director Jeremy Olson, who’s usually up until wee hours of the night each week preparing and editing the Gold Standard’s layout and sending the final draft to the printers for that week’s House session the following morning.

Other Activism

As you already know, the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance has a registered Political Action Committee, established for the purpose of supporting pro-liberty candidates in state elections, promoting the philosophy of liberty practiced by our founding fathers, and influencing NH politics for the advancement of liberty in New Hampshire. These sound endeavors are not only the focus of the NHLA, but other Political Action Committees as well. Below is a list of some of the PACs in N.H. who share some of the same goals as the NHLA.

(Disclaimer: This list is provided for informational purposes only. The NHLA does not necessarily endorse these groups. We encourage you to do your own research. If you know of others, please tell us about them.)

• NH Families for Education (NHFFE) – http://www.nhfamiliesforeducation.org/ This new PAC is based out of Windham, N.H. The Chairperson for this committee is Doris Hohensee and Treasurer is outgoing NHLA Membership Director Michelle Levell. Their stated purpose is “NHFFE is a volunteer run, non-partisan political action committee that is dedicated to advocating family involvement in education.” Their email address is NHFamiliesForEducation@gmail.com.
• Citizens for Sensible Legislation (CSLNH) – http://www.cslnh.org/ This committee is based out of Manchester, N.H. The Chairperson of this organization is Andy Demers and Treasurer is James Forsythe. Their stated purpose on the state’s registration form is “To educate the citizens of N.H. about the issues and legislation effecting personal and economic liberties.” More about this committee and their contact information is available through their website.
• Tenth Amendment NH – http://www.tenthamendmentnh.org/ This committee is based out of Milford, N.H. The Chairperson and Treasurer of this organization is Robert Silva. Their stated purpose on the state’s registration form is to “Influence selection, nomination, and election of municipal and state officials in NH that support State Sovereignty as defined by the Tenth Amendment of the US Constitution.” More about this committee and their contact information is available through their website.
• Choice in Health Care Committee – This committee is based out of Bedford, N.H. The Chairperson for this committee is Nicholas Vailas and Treasurer is Judith LaDuke. Their stated purpose on the state’s registration form is “To influence elections to support competition in health care.” Their contact phone number is (603) 622-3760.
• Friends for Freedom – This committee is based out of Sanbornville, N.H. The Chairperson and Treasurer for this committee is William Denhey. Their stated purpose on the state’s registration form is to “Support candidates for the General Court that support the defense of liberty.” Their contact phone number is (603) 892-1999.

Click here for the full list of registered 2010 Political Action Committees in N.H.

Liberty Books

Jim Dodson of Liberty Books in Concord (75 Allison Street) hosts NHLA’s monthly Board meetings. Please visit this treasure-filled store for books on history, economics, and politics, as well as an unrivaled collection of graphic novels and comic books. You may also visit Jim on the web at http://www.libertybooksnh.net/.

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