2022 Gold Standard

• Pro-libertyHB 1022(New Title) permitting pharmacists to dispense the drug Ivermectin by means of a standing order and establishing a commission to study the use of Ivermectin to treat Covid-19.
  Why

  This bill allows pharmacists to dispense ivermectin pursuant to a standing order entered into by licensed health care providers.

  * This bill provides the option for a licensed physician or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) to provide a standing order to a pharmacist to dispense ivermectin under the delegated prescriptive authority of the physician or APRN.
  * Medications should be available to individuals to purchase over-the-counter. While there are risks with allowing individuals choice, freedom is not without risks and the current barriers increase costs and encourage patients to take a passive role in the management of their health.

• Pro-libertyHB 1131relative to facial covering policies for schools.
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, prohibits school boards and other public education agencies from adopting, enforcing, or implementing a policy that requires students or members of the public to wear a facial covering.

  * This bill prevents public schools from adopting broad mandatory masking policies, leaving the choice to parents and students.
  * With or without masks and with or without the current risks of COVID-19, there will always be risks of interacting in public with our own species. It is unreasonable to use the power of the state to dictate masking for normal human interaction. One person's wise cautious behavior is another person's 'germophobe', and inserting the state into these personal decisions within the confines of services provided through taxation will always result in one side or the other being unhappy with the outcome.
  * Expansion of school choice programs that enhance the ability of individuals to associate in the manner in which they desire is likely the only long-term solution. Until we achieve that goal, the state should leave as much choice to the individual as possible.

• Pro-libertyHB 1625repealing the prohibition on entering or remaining on a public way or sidewalk adjacent to a reproductive health care facility.
  Why

  This bill repeals a violation of the First Amendment.

  * Whereas the NHLA has a policy of not taking positions on the issue of abortion in general, this bill's restoration of freedom of expression protected by the First Amendment merits our taking a position in support of this bill.
  * This bill repeals the "buffer zone" created by SB 319 (2014) restoring the right of people to peacefully assemble, as provided by the protections of the First Amendment.
  * This law has been in place for 7 years and appears to be unenforced. Buffer zones are reminiscent of the abhorrent "free speech zones" at presidential events.

• Pro-libertyHB 275(New Title) relative to the declaration of a state of emergency.
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, makes modest revisions to state of emergency powers requiring that the legislature act if it is to be extended beyond 84 days.

  * Under current law, a state of emergency can be renewed indefinitely by the governor, with the legislature only given the option to cancel it. With the proposed committee amendment of this bill, the legislature is forced to go on record to extend the significant expansion of state power inherent in the state of emergency if it continues beyond 84 days.
  * While this is only a modest change, the residents of the state deserve to have their elected officials on record, one way or another. Absent this, it is difficult for voters to hold the legislature accountable, as individual legislators can claim to have held nearly any position that voters would have liked to have seen.

4 bills with no position.

• Anti-libertyDRAFTmaking appropriations to the department of energy for a state emergency fuel assistance program and a supplemental electric assistance program, and relative to the electric low-income program fund.Oppose
  Why

  This draft legislation would increase spending in order to partially offset inflation brought about by government spending.

  * While specific details of this legislation remain potentially in flux, the draft legislation proposes $42 million to offset energy inflation and predicted energy inflation brought about at least partially by government spending. This new "temporary" spending would be limited to those earning between 60 percent to 75 percent of the state median income. This would remove natural market pressures that would normally act to partially reduce demand and thus will add pressure to energy prices for those who are not the beneficiaries of this new handout.
  * While the bill takes the position that this new spending can be undertaken without raising the future tax burden of the state, the new benefit will become the new baseline expectation, and future elimination of this spending will be seen as a cut. If the economic situation further deteriorates next year, resulting in lower revenue, but energy costs continue to rise, there is unlikely to be the political will to eliminate a benefit that households have become dependent upon.
  * <i>Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program.</i> — Milton Friedman, “Tyranny of the Status Quo,” (1984)

• Pro-libertyHB 1022(New Title) permitting pharmacists to dispense the drug Ivermectin by means of a standing order and establishing a commission to study the use of Ivermectin to treat Covid-19.YEA Override
  Why

  This bill allows pharmacists to dispense ivermectin pursuant to a standing order entered into by licensed health care providers.

  * This bill provides the option for a licensed physician or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) to provide a standing order to a pharmacist to dispense ivermectin under the delegated prescriptive authority of the physician or APRN.
  * Medications should be available to individuals to purchase over-the-counter. While there are risks with allowing individuals choice, freedom is not without risks and the current barriers increase costs and encourage patients to take a passive role in the management of their health.

• Pro-libertyHB 1131relative to facial covering policies for schools.YEA Override
  Why

  This bill prohibits school boards and other public education agencies from adopting, enforcing, or implementing a policy that requires students or members of the public to wear a facial covering.

  * This bill prevents public schools from adopting broad mandatory masking policies, leaving the choice to parents and students.
  * With or without masks and with or without the current risks of COVID-19, there will always be risks of interacting in public with our own species. It is unreasonable to use the power of the state to dictate masking for normal human interaction. One person's wise cautious behavior is another person's 'germophobe', and inserting government into these personal decisions within the confines of services provided through taxation will always result in one side or the other being unhappy with the outcome.
  * Expansion of school choice programs that enhance the ability of individuals to associate in the manner in which they desire is likely the only long-term solution. Until we achieve that goal, the state should leave as much choice to the individual as possible.

• Pro-libertyHB 1625repealing the prohibition on entering or remaining on a public way or sidewalk adjacent to a reproductive health care facility.YEA Override
  Why

  This bill repeals a violation of the First Amendment.

  * Whereas the NHLA has a policy of not taking positions on the issue of abortion in general, this bill's restoration of freedom of expression protected by the First Amendment merits our taking a position in support of this bill.
  * This bill repeals the "buffer zone" created by SB 319 (2014) restoring the right of people to peacefully assemble, as provided by the protections of the First Amendment.
  * This law has been in place for 8 years and appears to be unenforced. The governor as much as admits this in his veto message.
  * Buffer zones are reminiscent of the abhorrent "free speech zones" at presidential events.

• Pro-libertyHB 275(New Title) relative to the declaration of a state of emergency.YEA Override
  Why

  This bill makes modest revisions to state of emergency powers requiring that the legislature act if it is to be extended beyond 84 days.

  * Under current law, a state of emergency can be renewed indefinitely by the governor, with the legislature only given the option to cancel it. With the proposed committee amendment of this bill, the legislature is forced to go on record to extend the significant expansion of state power inherent in the state of emergency if it continues beyond 84 days.
  * While this is only a modest change, the residents of the state deserve to have their elected officials on record, one way or another. Absent this, it is difficult for voters to hold the legislature accountable, as individual legislators can claim to have held nearly any position that voters would have liked to have seen.

4 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertyHB 103establishing a dental benefit under the state Medicaid program.NAY Adopt CofC
  Why

  This bill further expands the Medicaid program.

  * This bill expands the size, scope, and cost of Medicaid, adding to the taxpayer burden.
  * This program provides able-bodied adults in New Hampshire with taxpayer-funded dental coverage at taxpayer expense.
  * Expanded state-controlled dental benefits will slowly crowd out private solutions and provide another government-controlled item that can be used as a carrot and stick to force the population to conform to state-dictated behaviors.
  * Further expansion of federal dollars and programs in the state will, as was the case with the CMS vaccine mandates, result in more federal control of New Hampshire citizens.

• Pro-libertyHB 1299relative to the process for the importation of wildlife and creating an appeal process for denials of permits.YEA Adopt CofC
  Why

  This bill streamlines the procedure for obtaining a permit to import or display wildlife and establishes an appeal process for denial of such permits.

  * Under current law, there is no time limit specified for the approval or denial of a permit to import live marine species or wildlife or eggs. This bill requires that the permit be granted within 60 days of the request, unless there is reason to deny it. Having a time period outlined in the law allows businesses and individuals to better understand how government regulations may impact their actions.
  * In addition, the bill specifies an appeal process, which is not a part of the current law. Any individual or organization can make an error, and certainly individuals within the government are not immune to errors; therefore an appeal process provides a modest check on the power of the state to restrict commerce.

• Pro-libertyHB 1466relative to the off-label use of prescription drugs and relative to pharmacy prescriptions.YEA Adopt CofC
  Why

  This bill clarifies circumstances under which a physician, physician assistant, and advanced practice registered nurse may prescribe a drug for an off-label indication. The bill also prohibits disciplinary action against a pharmacist for filling a valid prescription for off-label use.

  * This bill enhances the freedom with which a physician may elect to treat a patient with an off-label prescribed medication.
  * This would enhance the ability for citizens of New Hampshire to obtain effective, recently discovered treatments for potentially life-threatening illnesses.
  * Further, this bill protects pharmacists from the treatment directions made by the prescribing physician.

• Anti-libertyHB 1476(New Title) relative to release of a defendant pending trial.NAY Adopt CofC
  Why

  This bill, as modified by the Committee of Conference, adds a new provision for mandatory detainment of an individual for prior arrests — with no time limit and no consideration of the outcome of prior charges.

  * Granite Staters deserve due process and a presumption of innocence until proven guilty. As modified by the Committee of Conference, this bill would place individuals with two prior arrests 30 years ago for charges that the individual was cleared of in the same category as someone who was arrested, released on bail, and then potentially re-offended.
  * For example, a person could have been falsely charged with two counts of trespassing for being in the proximity of a protest in the 1980s, be cleared of those charges, then get picked up in 2022 for driving on an expired license and now must be detained.
  * This bill disregards our fundamental legal principle of presumed innocence and ignores defendants' rights, creates confusion with conflicting language, and would result in more backlog for our already strained judicial system.

• Pro-libertyHB 1487relative to the procedure for withdrawal from the vaccine registry.YEA Adopt CofC
  Why

  This bill provides that an individual's request to withdraw from the state immunization registry shall have the option of being notarized by an authorized government official instead of requiring a former or current health official.

  * This bill makes a commonsense update to allow for people who would like to be removed from a vaccine registry to do so without having to track down a former healthcare worker or hire one currently.

• Anti-libertySB 420(New Title) establishing an extraordinary need grant for schools and relative to eligibility for the education tax credit.NAY Adopt CofC
  Why

  This bill increases state education spending by forcing state taxpayers to provide additional education subsidies beyond what is required for an adequate education.

  * This bill spends millions more unnecessarily on education at the expense of the taxpayer with no clear benefit or accountability.

24 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

NHLA took no position on any of the 3 bills up for a vote.

• Pro-libertyHB 1022permitting pharmacists to dispense the drug ivermectin by means of a standing order.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill allows pharmacists to dispense ivermectin pursuant to a standing order entered into by licensed health care providers.

  * This bill provides the option for a licensed physician or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) to provide a standing order to a pharmacist to dispense ivermectin under the delegated prescriptive authority of the physician or APRN.
  * Medications should be available to individuals to purchase over-the-counter. While there are risks with allowing individuals choice, freedom is not without risks and the current barriers increase costs and encourage patients to take a passive role in the management of their health.

• Anti-libertyHB 103establishing a dental benefit under the state Medicaid program.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill further greatly expands the Medicaid program.

  * This bill expands the size, scope, and cost of Medicaid, adding to the taxpayer burden.
  * This program provides able-bodied adults in New Hampshire with taxpayer-funded dental coverage at taxpayer expense.
  * Expanded state-controlled dental benefits will slowly crowd out private solutions and provide another government-controlled item that can be used as a carrot and stick to force the population to conform to state-dictated behaviors.
  * Further expansion of federal dollars and programs in the state will, as was the case with the CMS vaccine mandates, result in more federal control of New Hampshire citizens.

• Pro-libertyHB 1099prohibiting the department of health and human services from requiring vaccine passports for services.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill asserts that no person shall be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination in order to receive benefits or services from the Department of Health and Human Services.

  * No taxpayer should be denied services for which they paid.
  * Medical freedom, self-ownership, and bodily integrity are at the heart of liberty and no institution that receives public funding shall deny access based on vaccination status.
  * This bill more explicitly extends the medical freedom that exists in public (government) facilities to also apply to the DHHS, which is a service funded by tax money and should be accessible to all who pay taxes in NH.

• Pro-libertyHB 1101relative to a forfeiture of personal property.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill limits the conditions under which seized property may be transferred to a federal agency. More specifically, state or local police cannot transfer property seized under state law to a federal agency for seizure under the federal Controlled Substances Act.

  * In 2016 NH abandoned civil asset forfeiture in favor of requiring due process protections required in a criminal proceeding.
  * The federal government maintains a program called "Equitable Sharing", which allows law enforcement to circumvent our state's criminal process. Funds forfeited in the federal process return 80% directly to the agency, bypassing normal appropriations (and oversight) of legislative bodies.
  * The vast majority of forfeitures are below $10,000, affecting those with few resources to defend themselves, as opposed to the drug kingpins that are claimed to be the targets of civil asset forfeiture.
  * The appropriate motion for this bill is OTP.

• Pro-libertyHB 1132relative to applications for a charter conversion school.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill removes the requirement for a vote of teachers, superintendent, and principal for conversion of a public school to a chartered public school, and adds the requirement for a majority vote of the school district at a regular annual meeting or special meeting.

  * The purpose of public schools is to meet the educational requirements of the students and the desires of the parents and the public who are paying for the schools through their taxes.
  * The monopoly school district should not get to decide whether to keep the status quo or adopt an educational model that the parents and public believe will better serve the students.

• Pro-libertyHB 1165repealing the Granite State paid family leave plan.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill reduces both spending and the risk of a future tax increase.

  * This bill reduces spending and overhead cost of a portion of the government bureaucracy, thereby reducing risk of a future tax increase.
  * Private insurance carriers have offered to provide this type of insurance in New Hampshire with or without this legislation.
  * The appropriate motion for this bill is OTP.

• Pro-libertyHB 1178prohibiting the state from enforcing any federal statute, regulation, or Presidential Executive Order that restricts or regulates the right of the people to keep and bear arms. YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill adds state protections to the U.S. Second Amendment guarantee that the right to bear arms shall not be infringed.

  * This bill prohibits the state of New Hampshire and its political subdivisions from assisting with enforcement of any federal law or executive order relative to firearms, firearm components, or ammunition that is inconsistent with explicitly-defined law of this state.
  * The bill and proposed committee amendment contain broad exceptions to allow cooperation with federal officials for activites associated with violation of New Hampshire firearm laws as well as violation of federal laws/orders that are unrelated to firearms. While the exceptions are broad and may weaken the bill compared to how it was originally introduced in the House, it provides legislative coverage for New Hampshire officials who attempt to resist unconstitutional federal overreach that is inconsistent with New Hampshire law.

• Pro-libertyHB 1455relative to state enforcement of federal vaccination mandates.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill prohibits state enforcement of any federal law, order, or rule that requires an individual, as a condition of employment or any other activity, to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or to submit more than once per month to COVID-19 testing.

  * Taxpayer money should not provide funding to oppress the taxpayer. The federal government, through executive action not explicity authorized by Congress, has chosen to utilize adminstrative rulemaking authority and the power of the purse over a segment of the economy that it has seized through force to compel behaviors that we now know offer little-to-no third-party protection. The state of New Hampshire should not participate in this overreach.

• Anti-libertyHB 1584establishing a capital improvement grant program for the benefit of state fairs and agricultural fairs.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill establishes a capital improvement grant program and fund for the benefit of state and agricultural fairs.

  * The state should not be picking winners and losers by offering select fairs taxpayer-funded grants.
  * Fairs have multiple revenue streams and can be profitable on their own merit without draining the taxpayers' general fund.

• Pro-libertyHB 1606making the state vaccine registry an opt-in program.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill makes the state immunization registry an opt-in program rather than an opt-out program.

  * Under Article 2-b of the New Hampshire Constitution, it is illegal for the government to collect private medical data in a centralized registry without the consent of the participants.
  * This bill seeks to assist the state government in complying with the law that the NH voters established in 2018.
  * Privacy, particularly medical privacy, is profoundly important to maintaining the liberty of the citizenry.

• Pro-libertyHB 1625repealing the prohibition on entering or remaining on a public way or sidewalk adjacent to a reproductive health care facility.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill repeals a violation of the First Amendment.

  * Whereas the NHLA has a policy of not taking positions on the issue of abortion in general, this bill's restoration of freedom of expression protected by the First Amendment merits our taking a position in support of this bill.
  * This bill repeals the "buffer zone" created by SB 319 (2014) restoring the right of people to peacefully assemble, as provided by the protections of the First Amendment.
  * This law has been in place for 7 years and appears to be unenforced. Buffer zones are reminiscent of the abhorrent "free speech zones" at presidential events.

29 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertySB 274relative to governmental construction contracts.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill removes consideration of labor agreements from the process of selecting contractors, subcontractors, or offerers for government construction projects.

  * This bill supports the right to work by preventing government contracts from being able to include labor agreement requirements.

• Pro-libertySB 318extending the hours in which games of chance may be conducted.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill expands the hours during which games of chance may be conducted.

  * This bill extends the hours in which games of chance may be conducted, lessening an onerous restriction on those businesses that choose to engage in legal gambling.

• Pro-libertySB 329establishing a commission to study barriers to housing development in New Hampshire, including workforce and middle-income housing.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, requires a supermajority vote of the legislative body to override a local tax cap.

  * Current law enables towns to adopt a local tax cap by a 3/5 supermajority of the voters but allows the legislative body to override the tax cap by a simple majority vote. Requiring a 3/5 supermajority, instead of a simple majority vote of the legislative body to override, provides a greater assurance that the public supports the unplanned growth of government.

• Pro-libertySB 345relative to youth employment.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill improves youth worker access to employment.

  * This bill expands the access of minor employees to available work.
  * This is a welcome commonsense update to antiquated employment laws in light of the serious shortage of available workers in the state.

• Anti-libertySB 382(New Title) relative to licensure requirements for telehealth services and relative to licensure of physicians and physicians assistants through reciprocity agreements.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill reduces consumer choice and increases costs in employing the services of a medical professional in New Hampshire.

  * This bill explicitly requires that a medical professional who is providing services to an individual currently within the state of New Hampshire must be licensed, certified, or registered by a New Hampshire licensing board — even if that professional is already licensed in another state.
  * New Hampshire is experiencing a healthcare shortage and requires out-of-state help to meet the demand. This bill seeks to reduce citizens' access to heathcare by prohibiting out-of-state healthcare workers who would be otherwise qualified to assist. We should be allowing <i>more</i> access for our citizens' healthcare needs, not less.
  * As written, an individual visiting New Hampshire may be surprised to find they are denied access to their long-term physician who has a deep understanding of their medical history because the New Hampshire legislature believes they know better who should provide telehealth services.
  * The committee majority expresses concern that without this prohibition on service that providers may face uncertainty with regard to the jurisdiction where malpractice claims would be settled. This is a dubious claim as this bill would replace a risk of multiple civil claims in the cases where a medical provider is asserted to have committed medical malpractice with a criminal charge under RSA 329:24 should the provider provide telehealth without the permission of New Hampshire.

• Anti-libertySB 404establishing a supplemental nutrition assistance program.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill encourages more people to become dependent on federal money rather than seeking help from private charities.

  * This bill seeks to encourage more people to become dependent on federal money rather than empowering themselves to fund their own expenses or to seek assistance from private charities that are more than willing to provide relief in a non-coercive way. While this will not increase state taxes directly, it will cause NH to become more dependent upon the federal government, as well as having an impact on federal tax rates and diverting private funds that could have been better spent directly helping those in need.

• Anti-libertySB 407relative to expanding Medicaid to include certain postpartum health care services and making an appropriation therefor.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill expands Medicaid.

  * This bill is an expansion of entitlement spending. This is an expense that should not be borne by those who made responsible choices; instead those in need should seek the readily available charities for their assistance.
  * This bill creates even more dependency on the state and unnecessarily increases the burden of the already heavily-encumbered and coerced taxpayer.
  * This bill takes by force from the taxpayer and subsidizes individuals who did not plan for or provide for the expenses incurred with having children.
  * This bill is initially expected to accelerate spending by up to $1 million per year in perpetuity.

• Anti-libertySB 420(New Title) establishing an extraordinary need grant for schools and relative to additional adequate education grant amounts for pupils receiving special education services.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill increases state education spending by forcing state taxpayers to provide additional education subsidies beyond what is required for an adequate education.

  * This bill spends millions more unnecessarily on education at the expense of the taxpayer with no clear benefit or accountability.

• Anti-libertySB 422establishing an adult dental benefit under the state Medicaid program.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill further greatly expands the Medicaid program.

  * This bill expands the size, scope, and cost of Medicaid, adding to the taxpayer burden.
  * This program provides able-bodied adults in New Hampshire with taxpayer-funded dental coverage at taxpayer expense.
  * Expanded state-controlled dental benefits will slowly crowd out private solutions and provide another government-controlled item that can be used as a carrot and stick to force the population to conform to state-dictated behaviors.
  * Further expansion of federal dollars and programs in the state will, as was the case with the CMS vaccine mandates, result in more federal control of New Hampshire citizens.

• Pro-libertySB 435relative to the net operating loss carryover under the business profits tax.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill corrects a 'bug' in the business profits tax that currently makes New Hampshire non-competitive with most (or all) other states.

  * Under current law, a business that derives profits from activity both inside and outside of New Hampshire must apportion those profits in a manner that attempts to fairly determine the fraction of profits that are associated with New Hampshire activity and thus subject to the NH business profits tax. Similarly, when a business has a net operating loss, the same apportionment is used to determine the impact of the loss. A portion of the losses may be carried forward to offset profits in future years until the loss is consumed or until 10 years have elapsed. However, under current law, the apportioning calculation gets applied both in the year when the loss occurred, and again in subsequent years as the loss is consumed — potentially dramatically reducing the ability to deduct losses.
  * This bill ensures that the apportioning calculation is only done once, preventing inadvertent reduction in loss calculation and ensuring that taxes are not collected on transient profits that are offset by losses.

• Anti-libertySB 442relative to the suspension of a vehicle registration as a result of evading toll collection systems.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill denies a vehicle owner the right to utilize their property as the result of even a potentially trivial toll collection issue.

  * Under current law, an individual's ability to renew their vehicle registration may be denied if there is an unresolved issue with a toll collecting account associated with the individual. With this bill, it changes from a failure to renew to a mandated suspension of registration within 30 days.
  * Billing disputes should not be handled by invoking the heavy-handed power of the state to deny the right to travel and potentially cause a vehicle owner to lose their job. Collection of unpaid bills is a civil matter and should be handled accordingly.
  * This heavy-handed state action is particularly troubling when reciprocal tolling is used, as there have been a number of high profile cases of E-ZPass improperly billing people (<a href=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/2021/12/10/ri-ez-pass-truck-toll-gantry-system-incorrectly-charged-1800-cars/6460940001/>usatoday.com/story/news/local/2021/12/10/ri-ez-pass-truck-toll-gantry-system-incorrectly-charged-1800-cars/6460940001</a>) as well as instances of improper bills being generated by the pay-by-plate system that is used in multiple states (<a href=https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/despite-reform-instituted-last-year-some-illinois-tollway-users-struggle-to-resolve-incorrect-charges/>cbsnews.com/chicago/news/despite-reform-instituted-last-year-some-illinois-tollway-users-struggle-to-resolve-incorrect-charges/</a>).

• Anti-libertySB 447establishing the electric vehicle and infrastructure fund.Oppose
  Why

  This bill establishes an unfunded legislative gap with an expectation that future funds would be spent on electric vehicle infrastructure.

  * This bill creates an unlimited expectation that New Hampshire taxpayers will fund electric vehicle charging stations.
  * The private market will establish when the time is right to support electric vehicle infrastructure; it should not be mandated or controlled by the state.

66 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertyHB 1099prohibiting the department of health and human services from requiring vaccine passports for services.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill asserts that no person shall be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccination in order to receive benefits or services from the Department of Health and Human Services.

  * No taxpayer should be denied services for which they paid.
  * Medical freedom, self-ownership, and bodily integrity are at the heart of liberty and no institution that receives public funding shall deny access based on vaccination status.
  * This bill more explicitly extends the medical freedom that exists in public (government) facilities to also apply to the DHHS, which is a service funded by tax money and should be accessible to all who pay taxes in NH.

• Pro-libertyHB 1131relative to facial covering policies for schools.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, prohibits school boards and other public education agencies from adopting, enforcing, or implementing a policy that requires students or members of the public to wear a facial covering.

  * This bill prevents public schools from adopting broad mandatory masking policies, leaving the choice to parents and students.
  * With or without masks and with or without the current risks of COVID-19, there will always be risks of interacting in public with our own species. It is unreasonable to use the power of the state to dictate masking for normal human interaction. One person's wise cautious behavior is another person's 'germophobe', and inserting the state into these personal decisions within the confines of services provided through taxation will always result in one side or the other being unhappy with the outcome.
  * Expansion of school choice programs that enhance the ability of individuals to associate in the manner in which they desire is likely the only long-term solution. Until we achieve that goal, the state should leave as much choice to the individual as possible.

• Pro-libertyHB 1296(New Title) relative to the forfeiture of items used in connection with a drug offense.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, establishes a procedure for the forfeiture of items used in connection with a drug
  offense.

  * Under current law, as modified in 2016, a criminal conviction is generally required prior to seeking asset forfeiture. This bill would strengthen the protection against government overreach by linking the forfeiture case with the criminal case, including allowing a public defender who may be representing the accused to represent the individual with regard to the asset forfeiture.
  * In addition, this bill contains provisions that allow a defendant or any other person with an interest in the property the right to a post-seizure hearing where the court may order the property returned if the seizure was invalid or the property is not reasonably required to be held as evidence. This important protection, particularly of third parties with an interest in the property, may prevent the state from ruining the life of someone with no direct tie to the alleged crime.
  * Finally, this bill limits transfer of seized assets to the federal government, which maintains a program called "Equitable Sharing", which allows law enforcement to circumvent our state's criminal process. Funds forfeited in the federal process return 80% directly to the agency, bypassing normal appropriations (and oversight) of legislative bodies.

• Pro-libertyHB 1393relative to the adoption of school district budget caps.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill establishes the requirements and procedure for the adoption of a school district budget cap.

  * This bill allows voters to impose fiscal discipline on school districts by linking budgets to enrollment. Voters can establish the cost per student they wish to support, and district budgets then must not exceed that per-student cost times the number of enrolled students. Voters may also vote for an automatic inflation adjustment.
  * This bill provides an actual budget for school districts and allows for a 3/5 supermajority to override the cap when necessary.

• Anti-libertyHB 1417relative to payment by the state of a portion of retirement system contributions of political subdivision employers.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill provides that the state shall pay 7.5% of contributions of retirement system employers other than the state for group I teachers and group II members.

  * This bill is a massive expansion of the New Hampshire state public retirement fund liability.
  * This would further socialize the cost of public retirement, forcing all citizens of the state to pay for committments made by localities.

• Pro-libertyHB 1606making the state vaccine registry an opt-in program.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill makes the state immunization registry an opt-in program rather than an opt-out program.

  * Under Article 2-b of the New Hampshire Constitution, it is illegal for the government to collect private medical data in a centralized registry without the consent of the participants.
  * This bill seeks to assist the state government in complying with the law that the NH voters established in 2018.
  * Privacy, particularly medical privacy, is profoundly important to maintaining the liberty of the citizenry.

• Pro-libertyHB 1636relative to prohibitions on carrying a loaded firearm on an OHRV or snowmobile.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill is a modest improvement to New Hampshire's existing Constitutional Carry law that corrects an oversight that mandates a permit when carrying a pistol or revolver when operating a snowmobile or Off Highway Recreational Vehicle (OHRV).

  * New Hampshire voters affirmed our inherent right to self-defense in 1982 with the adoption of Article 2-a. of the state Constitution: <i>"All persons have the right to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves, their families, their property and the state."</i>
  * A requirement to have a license to carry a concealed firearm is an infringement on an individual's right to self-defense. This bill removes the infringement of the right of law-abiding citizens to carry protection discretely when operating snowmobiles or OHRVs.

• Pro-libertyHB 629relative to the home cultivation of cannabis plants and the possession of certain cannabis-infused products.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill legalizes adult possession and cultivation of small amounts of cannabis.

  * This bill makes it legal for adults 21 and older to possess up to 3/4 ounce of cannabis, five grams of hashish, and up to 300 mg of cannabis-infused products, and to cultivate up to six plants (including up to three mature plants) in a secure location.
  * The bill does not impose any taxes or create any new bureaucracy.
  * All neighboring jurisdictions have legalized possession and cultivation of cannabis for adults; Granite Staters should not have less freedom with regard to cannabis than adults in Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, and Canada.
  * The proposed floor amendment 2022-1706s strips provisions allowing for personal cultivation while retaining provisions to legalize possession of moderate amounts of cannabis. This leaves individuals in a confusing situation where they may legally possess a substance but have no legal means of obtaining it within the state. Oppose floor amendment 2022-1706s and support final passage of the bill with or without the amendment.

34 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertySB 306relative to the penalties for various motor vehicle violations.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill significantly increases penalties for using electronic devices in running vehicles.

  * The penalties for motor vehicle violations are already more than severe.
  * This bill skyrockets the penalties up to and including class A felonies, similar to murder, with an up to 15 year jail term.
  * People are naturally incentivized not to be distracted while driving as they have an inherent self-interest in their own survival.

• Anti-libertySB 403re-establishing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill re-establishes the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program.

  * The taxpayer should not have to shoulder providing expensive organic fruits and vegetables. This bill seeks to further cripple the taxpayer by instituting another social program that will increase taxes, incentivize poverty, and expand the power of the government, all the while reducing the quality of life of Granite Staters in the process.
  * This also replaces private charitable work with government aid, which will always inevitably result in a decrease in the amount and care given to those who are genuinely disadvantaged.

• Anti-libertySB 407relative to expanding Medicaid to include certain postpartum health care services and making an appropriation therefor.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill expands Medicaid.

  * This bill is a blatant expansion of entitlement spending. It takes by force from the taxpayer and subsidizes individuals who did not plan for or provide for the expenses incurred with having children.
  * This is an expense that should not be borne by those who made responsible choices; instead those in need should seek the readily available charities for their assistance.
  * This bill creates even more dependency on the state and unnecessarily increases the burden of the already heavily-encumbered and coerced taxpayer.
  * This bill is initially expected to accelerate spending by up to $1 million per year in perpetuity.

• Anti-libertySB 420establishing an extraordinary need grant for schools.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill increases state education spending by forcing state taxpayers to provide additional education subsidies beyond what is required for an adequate education.

  * This bill spends millions more unnecessarily on education at the expense of the taxpayer with no clear benefit or accountability.

• Anti-libertySB 442relative to the suspension of a vehicle registration as a result of evading toll collection systems.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill denies a vehicle owner the right to utilize their property as the result of even a potentially trivial toll collection issue.

  * Under current law, an individual's ability to renew their vehicle registration may be denied if there is an unresolved issue with a toll collecting account associated with the individual. With this bill, it changes from a failure to renew to a mandated suspension of registration within 30 days.
  * Billing disputes should not be handled by invoking the heavy-handed power of the state to deny the right to travel and potentially cause a vehicle owner to lose their job. Collection of unpaid bills is a civil matter and should be handled accordingly.
  * This heavy-handed state action is particularly troubling when reciprocal tolling is used, as there have been a number of high profile cases of E-ZPass improperly billing people (<a href=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/2021/12/10/ri-ez-pass-truck-toll-gantry-system-incorrectly-charged-1800-cars/6460940001/>usatoday.com/story/news/local/2021/12/10/ri-ez-pass-truck-toll-gantry-system-incorrectly-charged-1800-cars/6460940001</a>) as well as instances of improper bills being generated by the pay-by-plate system that is used in multiple states (<a href=https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/despite-reform-instituted-last-year-some-illinois-tollway-users-struggle-to-resolve-incorrect-charges/>cbsnews.com/chicago/news/despite-reform-instituted-last-year-some-illinois-tollway-users-struggle-to-resolve-incorrect-charges/</a>).

• Anti-libertySB 459relative to a health care facility workplace violence prevention program.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill requires health care facilities to implement and maintain workplace violence prevention programs and establishes the health care workplace safety commission. This bill also permits law enforcement to arrest an individual without a warrant in certain circumstances related to health care workplaces.

  * Violence in any space is already illegal. This bill adds a large amount of unnecessary bureaucracy and cost to further burden health care facilities.
  * Law enforcement does not require a warrant to arrest someone when they observe or suspect criminal behavior. No further expansion of state powers that would erode the rights of the private citizen is required.

19 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertyHB 103establishing a dental benefit under the state Medicaid program.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill further greatly expands the Medicaid program.

  * This program provides able-bodied adults in New Hampshire with taxpayer-funded dental coverage at taxpayer expense.
  * Expanded state-controlled dental benefits will slowly crowd out private solutions and provide another government-controlled item that can be used as a carrot and stick to force the population to conform to state-dictated behaviors.
  * Further expansion of federal dollars and programs in the state will, as was the case with the CMS vaccine mandates, result in more federal control of New Hampshire citizens.

• Pro-libertyHB 1044(New Title) relative to direct payment and membership-based health care facilities.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill exempts certain health facilities that exclusively provide services to persons making direct payment from requirements on written policies for providing services.

  * This bill reduces constraints on the health care market and opens up the opportunity for lower-cost, high-quality health care providers.
  * The bill offers the possibility for consumers to explore health care without paying the cumbersome and prohibitive insurance industry, which have inserted themselves between the doctor and the patient at great cost to both.
  * The appropriate motion for this bill is OTP.

• Pro-libertyHB 1241prohibiting a school district from mandating a COVID-19 vaccination for school attendance.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill prohibits school districts from mandating that students have a COVID-19 vaccination in order to attend school.

  * Parents, rather than school boards or the Department of Health and Human Services, should be given the decision to make important medical decisions that will impact their children's lives. This is particularly true in cases where the vaccine is shown to offer little protection in the way of third-party infection risk.
  * This bill further cements New Hampshire's commitment to parental rights. If a facility is receiving public funding, there is scant justification to barring otherwise eligible taxpayers from utilizing that state resource.
  * During the public hearing, testimony was provided that DHHS and others believe that school districts already do not have the authority to compel vaccinations; however, it is not unheard of for municipalities or other political subdivisions to overstep their authority when it is not clearly delineated in legislation. This bill would provide that clarity.
  * The appropriate motion for this bill is OTP.

• Pro-libertyHB 1425relative to the taking of real property by eminent domain.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill modifies the power of the governor and council to take private property during states of emergency and modifies the calculation of compensation paid for such takings.

  * This bill seeks to allow for fairer compensation when real property is taken by eminent domain during an emergency. While we generally view such takings as abhorrent, to the extent they occur they should be rare and individuals should be fairly compensated for both the property as well as loss of use and other indirect costs associated with the seizure.
  * This bill gives the owner the right of first refusal to purchase the property back in the event that the property should be put up for sale, helping to reduce the risk of takings during an emergency being used to circumvent the protections in the New Hampshire Constitution Part 1, [Art.] 12-a. <i>"[Power to Take Property Limited.] No part of a person's property shall be taken by eminent domain and transferred, directly or indirectly, to another person if the taking is for the purpose of private development or other private use of the property.</i>"

• Pro-libertyHB 1495(New Title) prohibiting the state from requiring businesses to require vaccine or documentation related to vaccination or immunity status.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill prohibits the state from requiring businesses to require vaccine or documentation
  related to vaccination or immunity status.

  * This bill prohibits the state from imposing backdoor vaccine mandates or vaccine passport systems by seeking to require businesses to impose mandates that might otherwise be unconstitutional if the state were to seek them directly.
  * The state should not have the authority to compel a third-party actor such as a business to enforce an infringement on liberty.

• Anti-libertyHB 1584establishing a capital improvement grant program for the benefit of state fairs and agricultural fairs.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill establishes a capital improvement grant program and fund for the benefit of state and agricultural fairs.

  * The state should not be picking winners and losers by offering select fairs taxpayer-funded grants.
  * Fairs have multiple revenue streams and can be profitable on their own merit without draining the taxpayers' general fund.

• Pro-libertyHB 1613(New Title) relative to certain liquor manufacturers.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill authorizes a liquor manufacturer distilling less than 1,000 cases of liquor per year to sell its liquor at its facility for off-premises consumption.

  * This bill enhances the free market opportunities for purchasing liquor in New Hampshire by allowing businesses to sell their product to willing consumers.

• Pro-libertyHB 629relative to the home cultivation of cannabis plants and the possession of certain cannabis-infused products.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill legalizes adult possession of small amounts of cannabis.

  * This bill makes it legal for adults 21 and older to possess up to 3/4 ounce of cannabis, five grams of hashish, and up to 300 mg of cannabis-infused products, and to cultivate up to six plants (including up to three mature plants) in a secure location.
  * The bill does not impose any taxes or create any new bureaucracy.
  * All neighboring jurisdictions have legalized possession and cultivation of cannabis for adults; Granite Staters should not have less freedom with regard to cannabis than adults in Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, and Canada.

20 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertyHB 1052relative to the number of rounds of ammunition allowed for hunting regardless of firearm capacity.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill removes the restriction on magazine size used for hunting while retaining a limitation on the number of rounds that may be loaded.

  * This is a small commonsense relaxation of restrictions that prevent a hunter from having to purchase a special and often hard-to-find magazine in order to hunt.

• Pro-libertyHB 1425relative to the taking of real property by eminent domain.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill modifies the power of the governor and council to take private property during states of emergency and modifies the calculation of compensation paid for such takings.

  * This bill seeks to allow for fairer compensation when real property is taken by eminent domain during an emergency. While we generally view such takings as abhorent, to the extent they occur they should be rare and individuals should be fairly compensated for both the property as well as loss of use and other indirect costs associated with the seizure.
  * This bill gives the owner the right of first refusal to purchase the property back in the event that the property should be put up for sale, helping to reduce the risk of takings during an emergency being used to circumvent the protections in the New Hampshire Constitution Part 1, [Art.] 12-a. <i>"[Power to Take Property Limited.] No part of a person's property shall be taken by eminent domain and transferred, directly or indirectly, to another person if the taking is for the purpose of private development or other private use of the property.</i>"

• Pro-libertyHB 579requiring notice to the public before immigration checkpoints are conducted.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill requires local law enforcement to give public notice when a federal agency intends to conduct an immigration
  checkpoint.

  * Part 1, Article 19 of the New Hampshire Constitution notes the <i>"..right to be secure from all unreasonable searches and seizures of his person, his houses, his papers, and all his possessions."</i> In STATE v. KOPPEL (1985), the NH Supreme Court noted that <i>"Stopping and detaining an automobile and its occupants, whether by roving patrol or roving roadblock, constitutes a seizure within the meaning of article 19 of our State Constitution."</i>
  * In STATE v. HUNT (2007), the Supreme Court found <i>"To justify the search or seizure of a motor vehicle, absent probable cause or even a reasonable suspicion that a criminal offense is being committed, the State must prove that its conduct significantly advances the public interest in a manner that outweighs the accompanying intrusion on individual rights. It must further prove that no less intrusive means are available to accomplish the State's goal."</i>. While the federal government may not be bound by the NH Constitution, our state law enforcement officers are and should take every effort to minimize undesired infringement and seizure.
  * Notification is consistent with the approach New Hampshire uses for sobriety checkpoints.

6 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertyHB 1302relative to the weighing of vehicles.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill limits law enforcement's authority to stop and weigh any vehicle to commercial vehicles only.

  * This bill protects an individual's right to travel without interference from law enforcement for the purpose of verifying a vehicle's weight.
  * This bill enforces one's Fourth Amendment right and the right in Article 19 of the New Hampshire Constitution to be secure from all unreasonable searches of one's possessions.

• Pro-libertyHB 1349decriminalizing the possession and use of psilocybin mushrooms.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill decriminalizes the possession or use of a certain amount of psilocybin mushrooms by a person 18 years of age or older.

  * Individuals own themselves; what they put in their bodies would not be dictated by the state in a free society.
  * Drug laws create criminals where there are none, and waste state and law enforcement resources in doing so.
  * For psilocybin specifically, it tends to be disproportionately utilized by college students and veterans, and is a substance that is neither chemically nor physically addictive to the user (<a href=https://areterecovery.com/psilocybin/>areterecovery.com/psilocybin/</a>). Additionally, the reason why it is disproportionately used by veterans is because it has been demonstrated to be a potent treatment for PTSD (<a href=https://hscweb3.hsc.usf.edu/blog/2013/07/15/low-doses-of-psychedelic-drug-erases-conditioned-fear-in-mice/>hscweb3.hsc.usf.edu/blog/2013/07/15/low-doses-of-psychedelic-drug-erases-conditioned-fear-in-mice</a>).
  * Furthermore, it has been shown that the use of psilocybin has assisted cancer patients in reducing anxiety and depression, and has helped with end of life care (<a href=https://nyulangone.org/news/single-dose-hallucinogenic-drug-psilocybin-relieves-anxiety-depression-patients-advanced-cancer>nyulangone.org/news/single-dose-hallucinogenic-drug-psilocybin-relieves-anxiety-depression-patients-advanced-cancer</a>).
  * Decriminalizing the act of using psilocybin will not harm anyone, and in some cases will improve the quality of life of those who use it. This bill protects the liberty, health, and autonomy of Granite Staters.

• Pro-libertyHB 1401prohibiting the disclosure of the number of miles driven by a specific driver licensed by the state or vehicle registered in the state.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, prohibits sharing vehicle mileage information with public authority not associated with the State of New Hampshire without the consent of the vehicle's owner.

  * This bill protects our citizens' individually-identifiable vehicle mileage data from being sent to taxing authorities external to New Hampshire without their consent.
  * How much we use our vehicles and how much we travel should be protected private information.
  * With data breaches increasing every year, any information that is shared and stored is a liability to those storing it, and a potential risk to those whose information is stored.

• Anti-libertyHB 1417relative to payment by the state of a portion of retirement system contributions of political subdivision employers.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill provides that the state shall pay 7.5% of contributions of retirement system employers other than the state for group I teachers and group II members.

  * This bill is a massive expansion of the New Hampshire state public retirement fund liability.
  * This would further socialize the cost of public retirement, forcing all citizens of the state to pay for committments made by localities.

• Pro-libertyHB 1424relative to the speed limit for watercraft on Lake Winnipesaukee.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill eliminates an arbitrary speed limit of 45 miles per hour for boats on Lake Winnipesaukee.

  * Existing law limits speed at dawn and dusk and requires that operators manage their speed so that the operator will be able to avoid endangering or colliding with any person, vessel, object, or shore. In addition, existing law limits maximum speed to 45 miles per hour.
  * This bill removes the 45 mph limit while retaining the requirement that the speed must be reasonable to avoid endangering or colliding with any person, vessel, object, or shore.
  * The arbitrary limit is inappropriately low on open calm and uncrowded water that often exists.

• Pro-libertyHB 1462relative to motorcycle learner's permits.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill requires the Department of Safety to issue a 45-day extension to the expiration of a motorcycle learner's permit, upon application of the permit holder.

  * This bill creates an extended opportunity for those learning to ride a motorcycle to practice and prepare for passing their motorcycle licensing examination.
  * While this extension is definitely a step in the right direction, it would be improved if there were no limits on the number of renewals.

• Anti-libertyHB 1478relative to the business profits tax applicable to certain large, low-wage employers.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill utilizes an increase in the business profits tax as a weapon to force businesses with 100 or more employees to impose a de facto minimum wage.

  * By focusing only on wages, this bill would have unintended consequences, potentially causing employers to drop other benefits in lieu of direct salary to optimize their total costs — possibly resulting in lower total compensation for employees.
  * A de facto state-set minimum wage prevents individuals from freely agreeing to a lower rate while they prove their productivity or learn on the job. People who are willing to work for less cash but higher benefits should be able to express this preference in the marketplace.
  * The very idea of a minimum wage is patronizing and demeaning, as it implies that citizens don't know how much they're worth and are incapable of negotiating with an employer.

• Anti-libertyHB 1524establishing a national service alumni attraction and retention fund.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill creates a new taxpayer-funded handout designed to subsidize individuals who are considering pursuing postsecondary education or employment in New Hampshire after completion of AmeriCorps or Peace Corps service.

  * While the spending is initially small, this bill would require a new state position to administer the fund. Ultimately, this would become a state-funded lobbying group that would see to increase spending and outreach for distribution of taxpayer money.
  * We can encourage people to move to the state by reducing spending and barriers to private property use that currently may make New Hampshire unaffordable for both returning volunteers and existing residents.

• Anti-libertyHB 1642relative to lead testing in children.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill forces parents to have their children's blood lead-level tested before they are allowed to send them to any day care or public school.

  * This bill adds an unnecessary expense and barrier for families trying to educate and care for their children.
  * This bill intrudes on the privacy and autonomy of parents and their children.
  * There is no communicable condition related to someone with high lead-levels in their system; therefore there is no reason for the state to be forcing the drawing of blood from small children.

• Pro-libertyHB 1682establishing the law enforcement conduct review committee in the New Hampshire police standards and training council and making an appropriation therefor.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill establishes the law enforcement conduct review committee in the New Hampshire police standards and training council.

  * Police accountability is paramount in a society that values rule of law, accountability, and preventing abuses of power. This bill seeks to create a review committee of police standards to ensure just that. Further, it is vital that police conform to high standards of moral character, integrity, knowledge, and trust if they wish to operate in NH communities.

27 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertySB 382relative to licensure requirements for telehealth services.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill reduces consumer choice and increases costs in employing the services of a medical professional in New Hampshire.

  * This bill explicitly requires that a medical professional who is providing services to an individual currently within the state of New Hampshire must be licensed, certified, or registered by a New Hampshire licensing board — even if that professional is already licensed in another state.
  * New Hampshire is experiencing a healthcare shortage and requires out-of-state help to meet the demand. This bill seeks to reduce citizens' access to heathcare by prohibiting out-of-state healthcare workers who would be otherwise qualified to assist. We should be allowing <i>more</i> access for our citizens' healthcare needs, not less.
  * As written, an individual visiting New Hampshire may be surprised to find they are denied access to their long-term physician who has a deep understanding of their medical history because the New Hampshire legislature believes they know better who should provide telehealth services.

• Anti-libertySB 403re-establishing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill re-establishes the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program.

  * The taxpayer should not have to shoulder providing expensive organic fruits and vegetables. This bill seeks to further cripple the taxpayer by instituting another social program that will increase taxes, incentivize poverty, and expand the power of the government, all the while reducing the quality of life of Granite Staters in the process.
  * This also replaces private charitable work with government aid, which will always inevitably result in a decrease in the amount and care given to those who are genuinely disadvantaged.
  * While the appropriate motion for this bill is ITL, referral to Interim Study is acceptable.

• Anti-libertySB 415making an appropriation to the department of health and human services for the purpose of increasing rates paid to homeless shelters.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill makes an appropriation to the Department of Health and Human Services for the purpose of increasing rates paid to homeless shelters.

  * Privately funded charity always works best, and crippling the taxpayer should not be the solution to solve poverty. The appropriation will be $9 million in 2022 and the same amount in 2023, and would likely set a new baseline that would be increased in future budgets.

• Anti-libertySB 442relative to the suspension of a vehicle registration as a result of evading toll collection systems.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, denies a vehicle owner the right to utilize their property as the result of even a potentially trivial toll collection issue.

  * Under current law, an individual's ability to renew their vehicle registration may be denied if there is an unresolved issue with a toll collecting account associated with the individual. With this bill, it changes from a failure to renew to a mandated suspension of registration within 30 days.
  * Billing disputes should not be handled by invoking the heavy-handed power of the state to deny the right to travel and potentially cause a vehicle owner to lose their job. Collection of unpaid bills is a civil matter and should be handled accordingly.
  * This heavy-handed state action is particularly troubling when reciprocal tolling is used, as there have been a number of high profile cases of E-ZPass improperly billing people (<a href=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/2021/12/10/ri-ez-pass-truck-toll-gantry-system-incorrectly-charged-1800-cars/6460940001/>usatoday.com/story/news/local/2021/12/10/ri-ez-pass-truck-toll-gantry-system-incorrectly-charged-1800-cars/6460940001</a>) as well as instances of improper bills being generated by the pay-by-plate system that is used in multiple states (<a href=https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/despite-reform-instituted-last-year-some-illinois-tollway-users-struggle-to-resolve-incorrect-charges/>cbsnews.com/chicago/news/despite-reform-instituted-last-year-some-illinois-tollway-users-struggle-to-resolve-incorrect-charges/</a>).

• Anti-libertySB 446establishing a child care workforce fund and grant program and making an appropriation therefor.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, directs a state agency to develop and submit a chlidcare plan with a stated purpose that includes taxpayer subsidy.

  * Parents have a right and a responsibility to care for their children. This bill presumes that it is the responsibility of the state to provide child care.
  * Though the amendment is an improvement over the bill as introduced, it puts New Hampshire on a path to expanding state control of private industry.
  * Government programs create dependency and perverse incentives that often do far more harm than good. Effective social assistance is based on sincere care for a person and most often occurs in the context of a genuine personal relationship. Voluntary charities are the ideal way to address these problems, and foster these kinds of relationships.

• Anti-libertySB 459relative to a health care facility workplace violence prevention program.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill requires health care facilities to implement and maintain workplace violence prevention programs and establishes the health care workplace safety commission. This bill also permits law enforcement to arrest an individual without a warrant in certain circumstances related to health care workplaces.

  * Violence in any space is already illegal. This bill adds a large amount of unnecessary bureaucracy and cost to further burden health care facilities.
  * Law enforcement does not require a warrant to arrest someone when they observe or suspect criminal behavior. No further expansion of state powers that would erode the rights of the private citizen is required.

20 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertySB 382relative to licensure requirements for telehealth services.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill reduces consumer choice and increases costs in employing the services of a medical professional in New Hampshire.

  * This bill explicitly requires that a medical professional who is providing services to an individual currently within the state of New Hampshire must be licensed, certified, or registered by a New Hampshire licensing board — even if that professional is already licensed in another state.
  * New Hampshire is experiencing a healthcare shortage and requires out-of-state help to meet the demand. This bill seeks to reduce citizens' access to heathcare by prohibiting out-of-state healthcare workers who would be otherwise qualified to assist. We should be allowing <i>more</i> access for our citizens' healthcare needs, not less.
  * As written, an individual visiting New Hampshire may be surprised to find they are denied access to their long-term physician who has a deep understanding of their medical history because the New Hampshire legislature believes they know better who should provide telehealth services.

• Anti-libertySB 403re-establishing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill re-establishes the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program.

  * The taxpayer should not have to shoulder providing expensive organic fruits and vegetables. This bill seeks to further cripple the taxpayer by instituting another social program that will increase taxes, incentivize poverty, and expand the power of the government, all the while reducing the quality of life of Granite Staters in the process.
  * This also replaces private charitable work with government aid, which will always inevitably result in a decrease in the amount and care given to those who are genuinely disadvantaged.
  * While the appropriate motion for this bill is ITL, referral to Interim Study is acceptable.

• Anti-libertySB 415making an appropriation to the department of health and human services for the purpose of increasing rates paid to homeless shelters.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill makes an appropriation to the Department of Health and Human Services for the purpose of increasing rates paid to homeless shelters.

  * Privately funded charity always works best, and crippling the taxpayer should not be the solution to solve poverty. The appropriation will be $9 million in 2022 and the same amount in 2023, and would likely set a new baseline that would be increased in future budgets.

• Anti-libertySB 420establishing an extraordinary need grant for schools.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill increases state education spending by forcing state taxpayers to provide additional education subsidies beyond what is required for an adequate education.

  * This bill would spend millions more unnecessarily on education at the expense of the taxpayer with no clear benefit or accountability.

• Anti-libertySB 426relative to the adequate education grants for fiscal year 2023.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill changes the formula for calculating state grants to school districts to be based on the highest average daily membership in residence for the past three years.

  * This bill is a backdoor tactic for appropriating more than $30 million of taxpayers' money for school districts to compensate for their losses from the voluntary withdrawal of students from the public school system.
  * Education funding should be based on the number of individual students enrolled in the current year, not a past year that saw a different number of students enrolled.

• Anti-libertySB 446establishing a child care workforce fund and grant program and making an appropriation therefor.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, directs a state agency to develop and submit a plan with a stated purpose that includes taxpayer subsidy.

  * Parents have a right and a responsibility to care for their children. This bill presumes that it is the responsibility of the state to provide child care.
  * Though the amendment is an improvement over the bill as introduced, it puts New Hampshire on a path to expanding state control of private industry.
  * Government programs create dependency and perverse incentives that often do far more harm than good. Effective social assistance is based on sincere care for a person and most often occurs in the context of a genuine personal relationship. Voluntary charities are the ideal way to address these problems, and foster these kinds of relationships.

• Anti-libertySB 449relative to the retention of social security numbers by the division of motor vehicles.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill requires the DMV to violate the privacy of citizens by storing full or partial social security numbers of NH citizens.

  * Under current law, individuals who choose to obtain a non-"REAL ID" drivers license may request that the state not store their social security number in the motor vehicle databases. This bill would dramatically weaken that privacy protection by requiring that the state retain either the full social security number or the last 5 digits of their social security number.
  * This bill violates Part 1, Article 2-b of the New Hampshire Constitution and puts NH citizens at risk of identity theft and fraud.
  * This bill also makes the Department of Safety's database a larger target for malicious cyber attacks. In the age of data breaches, the State of NH should be looking for opportunities to store less data that could be used against citizens if it falls into the wrong hands.

• Anti-libertySB 453relative to statewide pre-kindergarten funding.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill expands taxpayer-funded childcare.

  * Let the private sector establish preschool programs, not the state.
  * The federal Health and Human Services (HHS) admits in a 2012 report (<a href=https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/third-grade-follow-head-start-impact-study-final-report>acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/third-grade-follow-head-start-impact-study-final-report</a>) that the longest running federal preschool program, Head Start, did not produce long-term gains for our youngest learners. The preschool programs that showed success were exorbitantly expensive and in small studies that do not scale to a statewide program.
  * While the appropriate motion for this bill is ITL, referral to Interim Study is acceptable.

17 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertySB 324establishing a condominium, homeowners' association, and cooperative dispute resolution board and relative to the authority of homeowners' associations.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill creates state-mandated dispute resolution procedures for homeowners' associations.

  * This bill seeks to insert the state into contracts present and future that are between private parties conducting business with homeowners' associations.
  * The state is attempting to mandate the 'due dilligence' that is expected of any person considering investment in a property under contractual obligation with a condo or homeowners' association.

• Pro-libertySB 340relative to the direct to consumer shipment of alcohol to New Hampshire residents.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill removes arbitrary regulations on to direct-to-consumer shipments of alcohol to New Hampshire residents.

  * This bill removes the arbitrary cap that limits the quantity of liquor and wine that may be shipped to a consumer's address.
  * It also removes the requirements placed on micro breweries, pubs, etc. regarding the quantity of beer that they are allowed to ship to a consumer's address.
  * Additionally, it eliminates the state-mandated invasion of privacy that requires beverage manufacturers to keep records of the names and addresses of the purchasers to whom alcoholic beverages were shipped.
  * Consumers who purchase alcohol at physical stores, including state liquor stores, are not subject to limits or invasive recordkeeping. The New Hampshire Constitution Part 1, [Art.] 2-b. states <i>"[Right of Privacy.] An individual's right to live free from governmental intrusion in private or personal information is natural, essential, and inherent."</i>. The government mandate to create these records is a governmental intrusion in private or personal information.
  * Reject the committee recommendation of Interim Study and move for Ought to Pass.

• Anti-libertySB 369relative to organic farming.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill creates a new government program subsidizing the purchasing preferences of consumers of organic products.

  * Consumers have a wide variety of preferences for the foods they choose. Establishing a state-run organic certification program crowds out private certification programs, limiting consumer choice.
  * Single certification authorities run by the government run a significant risk of regulatory capture where the industry that is funding the 'self-sustaining' monopoly government program exercises undo influence on the certification process. During the public hearing, Robert Johnson from the NH Farm Bureau as much as admitted to this possibility by indicating that NH Farm Bureau producers support the State handling the certification because they believe that when they have an issue and bring it to the State, they have recourse. They believe the private entities will not hear their concerns like the State would.

• Anti-libertySB 400relative to training and procedures for zoning and planning boards and relative to financial investments and incentives for affordable housing development.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill changes statutes such that instead of land use boards being authorized to provide <i>voluntary</i> incentives to certain property owners to develop "affordable housing", land use boards will now be authorized to <i>require</i> certain property owners developing their property to produce "affordable housing".

  * Under current law, the state defines "inclusionary zoning" to include land use/regulatory powers that provide "a voluntary incentive or benefit to a property owner in order to induce the property owner to produce housing units which are affordable to persons or families of low and moderate income". This bill would shift to more coercive language by enabling land use boards to "require a property owner to produce, as part of a development which meets certain characteristics, housing units which are affordable to persons or families of low and moderate income".
  * While the portions of this bill that reduce regulatory burden on property owners to allow them to build with increased density, reduced lot size, and expedited approval enhance private property rights, the expanded coercive provisions are an encroachment on private property rights.

• Anti-libertySB 426relative to the adequate education grants for fiscal year 2023.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill changes the formula for calculating state grants to school districts to be based on the highest average daily membership in residence for the past three years.

  * This bill is a backdoor tactic for appropriating more than $30 million of taxpayers' money for school districts to compensate for their losses from the voluntary withdrawal of students from the public school system.
  * Education funding should be based on the number of individual students enrolled in the current year, not a past year that saw a different number of students enrolled.

• Anti-libertySB 437relative to the additional municipal fee for transportation improvements.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill increases the maximum tax that a municipality may charge for municipal transportation improvement purposes.

  * NH drivers continue to get excessively taxed. This bill increases the tax to register a vehicle in NH. With gas prices at an all-time high and rising inflation, the legislature should be looking for ways to reduce the cost of living in NH rather than further increasing taxes.
  * Municipalities already have multiple ways to increase revenue without increasing vehicle registration taxes.

• Anti-libertySB 459relative to a health care facility workplace violence prevention program.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill requires health care facilities to implement and maintain workplace violence prevention programs and establishes the health care workplace safety commission. This bill also permits law enforcement to arrest an individual without a warrant in certain circumstances related to health care workplaces.

  * Violence in any space is already illegal. This bill adds a large amount of unnecessary bureaucracy and cost to further burden health care facilities.
  * Law enforcement does not require a warrant to arrest someone when they observe or suspect criminal behavior. No further expansion of state powers that would erode the rights of the private citizen is required.

17 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Pro-libertyCACR 20relating to personal liberty. Providing that adults shall have the right to possess cannabis for personal consumption.NAY ITL
  Why

  This proposed constitutional amendment establishes the right for all adults to possess cannabis for personal consumption.

  * People have a right of self-ownership. The government has no business telling people what they can and cannot put in their bodies.

• Pro-libertyCACR 34relating to the use, sale, or cultivation of cannabis. Providing that the state shall make no law prohibiting the use, sale, or cultivation of cannabis for persons over 18 years of age.NAY ITL
  Why

  This proposed constitutional amendment prohibits the legislature from making laws that prohibit the use, sale, or cultivation of cannabis for adults.

  * For too long, New Hampshire has been an island of cannabis prohibition in a sea of legalization. This constitutional amendment is a firm step in the right direction, allowing for a substance that is nearly harmless and certainly less harmful than alcohol and tobacco to be used by the general public without incurring a fine for doing so. This should receive bi-partisan support as it increases personal liberty and reduces state power, as well as reducing the number of interactions that people will have with law enforcement over a victimless "crime".

• Pro-libertyCACR 35relating to cannabis. Providing that all adults have the right to possess, use, and cultivate cannabis, subject to regulation by the legislature.NAY ITL
  Why

  This proposed constitutional amendment establishes the right for all adults to possess, use, and cultivate cannabis, subject to further regulation by the legislature.

  * This CACR is a step in the right direction toward the right of a person to consume whatever they choose.
  * CACR 34 is superior to CACR 35 as it eliminates all state interference with regard to cannabis.

• Anti-libertyHB 1007relative to qualifications for office.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill would establish a politically-charged procedure for removal of members of the general court without a criminal conviction.

  * This bill would allow a party with a slim majority in the house or senate to remove one or all members of the opposing party by a majority vote that finds that the member engaged in insurrection or rebellion, or has given aid or comfort to "the enemies of the state".
  * This bill's inclusion of "enemy of the state" is a dangerous escalation of rhetoric from simple ill-advised public accusations of individuals, to explicit enabling of political oppression of minorities not seen since the early bloody days of Soviet Stalinist communism. Even the Soviets eventually rejected use of such language when Nikita Khrushchev in his 1956 speech stated "It made possible the use of the cruelest repression, violating all norms of [...] legality, against anyone who in any way disagreed with Stalin, against those who were only suspected of hostile intent, against those who had bad reputations ... The formula ‘enemy of the people’ was specifically introduced for the purpose of physically annihilating such individuals."
  * Removal of political enemies would be enabled even for individuals who engage in peaceful and lawful actions.

• Anti-libertyHB 1014allowing public meetings to be conducted virtually.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill establishes requirements for remote access to public meetings under RSA 91-A, the right-to-know law.

  * Freedom of speech is inextricably tied to having the physical space to express that speech.
  * This bill allows for public officials to have the ability to dodge public accountability and not allow for in person confrontation and debate to take place. It also sets a dangerous precedent moving forward that will continue to hinder the ability of citizens to engage with their government in a public way.
  * It was observed that the government was less accountable when people have been barred from physically attending public meetings due to the coronavirus situation.
  * This bill will have the downstream affect of denying attendance of public meetings to citizens who do not have access to a reliable Internet connection or sufficient hardware or the expertise necessary to successfully use the software, or who choose not to use such software due to privacy concerns.

• Anti-libertyHB 1017establishing criminal penalties for harming or threatening to harm an essential worker.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill establishes additional criminal penalties for causing or threatening harm to an essential worker.

  * This bill would dramatically change the penalties for crimes against a small subset of the population. While an assault against anyone is a serious crime, it is not clear that assaulting a liquor store worker should be considered more serious than assaulting a librarian.
  * The provisions that make it a Class B felony for 'any' crime against an essential worker are also exceedingly vague and would almost certainly have unintended consequences.
  * A Class A felony conviction will result in incarceration of at least 7 ½ years, to a maximum sentence of 15 years.
  * A Class B felony conviction will result in incarceration of at least 3 ½ years, to a maximum sentence of 7 years.

• Pro-libertyHB 1022permitting pharmacists to dispense the drug ivermectin by means of a standing order.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill allows pharmacists to dispense ivermectin pursuant to a standing order entered into by licensed health care providers.

  * This bill provides the option for a licensed physician or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) to provide a standing order to a pharmacist to dispense ivermectin under the delegated prescriptive authority of the physician or APRN.
  * Medications should be available to individuals to purchase over-the-counter. While there are risks with allowing individuals choice, freedom is not without risks and the current barriers increase costs and encourage patients to take a passive role in the management of their health.

• Anti-libertyHB 103establishing a dental benefit under the state Medicaid program.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, will increase state spending by providing adults in the Medicaid program with dental coverage.

  * This program provides able-bodied adults in New Hampshire with taxpayer-funded dental coverage at taxpayer expense.
  * Expanded state-controlled dental benefits will slowly crowd out private solutions and provide another government-controlled item that can be used as a carrot and stick to force the population to conform to state-dictated behaviors.
  * Further expansion of federal dollars and programs in the state will, as was the case with the CMS vaccine mandates, result in more federal control of New Hampshire citizens.

• Pro-libertyHB 1033prohibiting recipients of state or local grants or appropriations from using such funds for lobbying.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, prohibits counties, municipalities, and school districts from using state or local property taxes for lobbying.

  * Taxpayers should not be forced to pay for lobbyists that they may oppose.
  * The local towns and city employees have the same opportunity to contact legislators as citizens do. County and municipal employees or professional lobbyists should not be allowed to use taxpayer funds for activism. It's a clear conflict of interest.

• Anti-libertyHB 1041extending the public employees labor relations act to employees of the general court and relative to the duties of the joint committee on legislative facilities.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill would make the legislature less able to respond to the will of the people.

  * This bill establishes the legislature as a public employer under the public employee labor relations act and provides procedures for collective bargaining by a defined group of legislative employees. The legislative branch is a political body and the leadership of both chambers and all political parties must have the option of having the people around them who support representing the positions of the voters who elected them.
  * The legislature would be required to negotiate "terms and conditions" of employment for these employees, which would potentially place restrictions on staff changes for future legislatures.
  * Expanded public sector collective bargaining is more harmful than private sector collective bargaining because taxpayers are not directly represented in negotiations. “It is impossible to bargain collectively with the government,” said Franklin D. Roosevelt, who opposed public sector unions.

• Pro-libertyHB 1044relative to policies required for health facilities and special health care service licenses.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill exempts certain health facilities that exclusively provide services to persons making direct payment, from requirements on written policies for providing services.

  * This bill reduces constraints on the health care market and opens up the opportunity for lower-cost, high quality health care providers.
  * The bill offers the possiblility for consumers to explore health care without paying the cumbersome and prohibitive insurance industry, which have inserted themselves between the doctor and the patient at great cost to both.

• Anti-libertyHB 1053relative to the hourly rate paid to an employee for hours worked but not previously scheduled.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill requires an employer to pay an hourly rate of time and a half for hours worked by an employee who chooses to go in to work upon request to work hours that were not previously scheduled.

  * This bill interferes with the employee's ability to negotiate their own employment terms. This bill assumes that New Hampshire residents are not educated enough to handle their own employment terms and conditions.
  * This is an unnecessary cost increase to New Hampshire businesses that will ultimately hurt customers by passing on these expenses to them.
  * This bill may have unintended consequences such as encouraging an employee who feels ill to feel pressure to go into work to prevent placing a financial burden on the employer whom they respect.

• Anti-libertyHB 1065relative to the regulation of art therapists.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill creates a new license.

  * Occupational licensing decreases competition and favors those willing to endure the bureaucratic cost and obstruction from being able to engage in business.
  * The free market naturally controls to better outcomes as customers gravitate to providers of higher demonstrable products and services.
  * Licensing is a bureaucratic inefficiency which is dragging down the economy of New Hampshire.

• Pro-libertyHB 1070relative to the default budget in official ballot jurisdictions.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill requires the default budget in an official ballot town or district to be reduced by any reduction to an appropriation the governing body made in the proposed operating budget.

  * This bill prevents any proposed budget to be artificially higher than it should be because the default budget includes expenses that no longer exist. This prevents backdoor spending where the proposed budget is rejected due to voters not wanting to pay for a new spending item contained within it, only to find that money remains allocated for a purpose that is no longer valid in the current year.

• Anti-libertyHB 1076relative to illegal productivity quotas.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, imposes burdensome regulations on New Hampshire businesses to address problems that are better dealt with by the market.

  * The New Hampshire unemployment rate currently and historically sits below 3%. Our workers enjoy unparalleled ability to leave a job where they are treated poorly to find other employment. The state should not be inserting itself into the employer/employee relationship.

• Pro-libertyHB 1081relative to the dissolution of a village district.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill allows for the dissolution of a village district by a simple majority vote at an annual district meeting.

  This bill makes it easier to dissolve a village district, moving from a 2/3 to a simple majority vote of its legal residents to do so. This is pro-liberty as it lets people decide their own form of government and because village districts tend to add costs and regulations on top of regular municipality taxes and regulations. Making it easier to dissolve the village district will tend to result in lower taxes and regulations.

• Anti-libertyHB 1082 prohibiting certain state officers from forming political action committees.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill limits political speech by prohibiting candidates for Secretary of State and State Treasurer or current office holders of these positions from forming a political committee or political advocacy organization or soliciting contributions for such organizations.

  * Part 1, [Art.] 22. of the New Hampshire Constitution states <i>"[Free Speech; Liberty of the Press.] Free speech and Liberty of the press are essential to the security of Freedom in a State: They ought, therefore, to be inviolably preserved."</i> — limits on all speech and particularly political speech may be a <i>tempting</i> solution to a perceived problem but it is not a <i>proper</i> solution.

• Pro-libertyHB 1087relative to zoning for single family housing lots.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill limits the authority of local land use planning boards to control private property by prohibiting government restrictions that require more than a 10,000 square foot lot size for single family housing.

  * This bill reduces regulations that would otherwise require large lots, wherever the municipality offers water and sewer. As such, it protects private property rights.
  * The bill seeks to balance property owner rights with those in the community by still allowing restrictions in cases where the new lots would exceed the existing municipal or community water and sewer infrastructure capacity.

• Anti-libertyHB 1088relative to employee protections from COVID-19 in the workplace.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill adds the right to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to use personal protective equipment such as face masks and face shields while employed in the workplace.

  * This bill would establish a positive right to vaccination for COVID-19. Based on its placement within RSA 275 a potential implication of this right could be paid time off to get vaccinated or employers being forced to pay for vaccinations once the current state of emergency ends.
  * In addition, this bill provides for the right to use personal protective equipment such as face masks and face shields while employed in the workplace, while making no provisions for cases where such equipment may be incompatible with the role the person is employed under.

• Pro-libertyHB 1089relative to the unenforceability of noncompete agreements upon termination of an employee for noncompliance with a vaccination mandate.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, would render noncompete agreements unenforceable if an employee was terminated resulting from the material change in terms of
  employment or the failure to agree to a new employment contract or new noncompete contract.

  * This bill provides for modest clarification of the existing non-compete agreement scope.
  * Parties should be able to freely contract without the involvement of the state; however, when one party unilaterally changes the condition of the contract or violates the contract, external parties such as the state or arbitors are ultimately required to help resolve the differences. In most jurisdictions, ambiguous contracts are resolved <i>against</i> the party that drafted the contract. This bill would establish some clarity that in New Hampshire, a <b>new</b> requirement for vaccination, medical testing, or intervention would be considered a material change.
  * In the long term, businesses that find this problematic may simply choose to draft broad language that indicates that such interventions may be a normal part of employment and, should this occur, prospective employees who find such terms problematic are free to seek alternate employment. However, this bill would ensure that there is clarity interpreting existing agreements that were previously created in an ambigious manner that would likely be resolved against the business anyway. The legislative certainty may ultimately reduce costs for disputes.

• Anti-libertyHB 1094relative to employee work schedules and rest periods.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill requires employers with 10 or more employees in this state or 2 or more locations in this state to schedule a rest period between certain employment shifts and to provide employees with 7 days advance notice of the work schedule.

  * This bill interferes in private interactions between individuals by mandating a one-size-fits-all approach to work schedules that fails to take into account the unique circumstances of the business, the employees, and the work that they are performing.
  * In order to comply with this new state mandate, employers would likely need to mandate that employees request specific days off two weeks or more in advance to allow for determination of a work schedule. This reduces flexibility for both the employer and the employees.
  * It's unclear how a business that needs to operate on an on-call basis such as winter snow-plowing could possibly comply with the provisions of this bill and still service its customers.

• Anti-libertyHB 1096prohibiting open carrying or display of a deadly weapon within 100 feet of a polling place.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill prohibits the open carrying or display of a deadly weapon within 100 feet of a polling place.

  * The right to defense of one's self and property is paramount in a free society. This bill not only places a substantial burden on those who do not wish to compromise their safety in public areas, it also inhibits their right to vote in federal and state elections. No one should have to compromise their safety or liberty to take part in the civic process of voting.
  * Additionally, the absence of armed civilians puts everyone in the polling place at risk. 94-97% of all mass shootings happen in gun free zones (<a href=https://crimeresearch.org/2018/06/more-misleading-information-from-bloombergs-everytown-for-gun-safety-on-guns-analysis-of-recent-mass-shootings/>crimeresearch.org/2018/06/more-misleading-information-from-bloombergs-everytown-for-gun-safety-on-guns-analysis-of-recent-mass-shootings/</a>).
  * By not allowing for open carry in polling locations, voters are left susceptible to increased, unnecessary risk in a way that also demeans civil rights.

• Pro-libertyHB 1101relative to a forfeiture of personal property.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill limits the conditions under which seized property may be transferred to a federal agency. More specifically, state or local police cannot transfer property seized under state law to a federal agency for seizure under the federal Controlled Substances Act.

  * In 2016 NH abandoned civil asset forfeiture in favor of requiring due process protections required in a criminal proceeding.
  * The federal government maintains a program called Equitable Sharing which allows law enforcement to circumvent our state's criminal process. Funds forfeited in the federal process return 80% directly to the agency, bypassing normal appropriations (and oversight) of legislative bodies.
  * The vast majority of forfeitures are below $10,000, affecting those with few resources to defend themselves, as opposed to the drug kingpins that are claimed to be the targets of civil asset forfeiture.

• Anti-libertyHB 1114relative to education service providers under the education freedom account program.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill requires Education Freedom Account program scholarship organizations to compile a directory of public profiles for education service providers.

  * This bill seeks to make Education Freedom Accounts more bureaucratic with the intention of putting additional barriers to entry as a way of disincentivizing parents/scholarship organizations from using them.
  * Additionally, this bill seeks to obtain invasive data such as the curriculum, school performance data, teaching philosophy, and other information that the state has no justifiable reason for obtaining.
  * It is a parent's unalienable right to rear and educate their children as they see fit.
  * Education Freedom Accounts put the choice of education in the rightful hands of the parents and this bill seeks to dismantle that by creating ineffective and unnecessary bureaucratic red tape.

• Anti-libertyHB 1115relative to record of educational attainment under the educational freedom account program.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill requires the statewide student assessment tests for the record of educational attainment under the Education Freedom Account program.

  * This bill seeks to undermine the advancement of education quality by requiring that a failing measure of assessment be used by parents using Education Freedom Accounts.
  * One benefit of Education Freedom Accounts is to allow parents to find innovative, efficient, and highly effective alternate means of educating their children. These outcomes are the primary concern and purview of the parents and should not be constrained further, as this bill seeks.

• Anti-libertyHB 1117relative to the circumstances constituting criminal threatening.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill redundantly adds specific people to the criminal threatening statute.

  * Current law identifies the protected as 'any person'. As a result, this includes any person. That person can be alone or in a group.
  * This bill is entirely superfluous, worthless, and unnecessary.

• Anti-libertyHB 1119relative to the regulation of single-use bags.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill allows towns to regulate single-use plastic bags and paper bags.

  * Prohibiting retailers from providing plastic or paper bags to customers is a violation of the rights of both retailers and their customers.
  * Local control is generally preferable to state or national mandates. We do believe that there is a higher principle, however: the principle of individual liberty. Indeed, the most “local” governance of all is the governance of an individual over his or her own life and property. For this reason, we oppose state laws that allow local governments to abridge the personal or property rights of individuals.

• Anti-libertyHB 1120relative to education service providers under the education freedom accounts program.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill adds compliance requirements for education service providers requesting payment from Education Freedom Account funds.

  * This bill attempts to disadvantage and harm children by thwarting and undermining heroic parents who choose to work extra hard and adopt alternatives to enfeebled public education.
  * Education Freedom Accounts are designed to support innovation and free choice in education. As such, they should not be transformed into becoming public schools.

• Pro-libertyHB 1131relative to facial covering policies for schools.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, prohibits school boards and other public education agencies from adopting, enforcing, or implementing a policy that requires students or members of the public to wear a facial covering.

  * This bill prevents public schools from adopting broad mandatory masking policies, leaving the choice to parents and students.
  * With or without masks and with or without the current risks of COVID-19, there will always be risks of interacting in public ways with our own species. It is unreasonable to use the power of the state to dictate masking for normal human interaction. One person's wise cautious behavior is another person's 'germophobe', and inserting the state into these personal decisions within the confines of services provided through taxation will always result in one side or the other being unhappy with the outcome.
  * Expansion of school choice programs that enhance the ability of indiviuals to associate in the manner in which they desire is likely the only long-term solution. Until we achieve that goal, the state should leave as much choice to the individual as possible.

• Pro-libertyHB 1132relative to applications for a charter conversion school.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill removes the requirement for a vote of teachers, superintendent, and principal for conversion of a public school to a chartered public school, and adds the requirement for a majority vote of the school district at a regular annual meeting or special meeting.

  * The purpose of public schools is to meet the educational requirements of the students and the desires of the parents and the public who are paying for the schools through their taxes.
  * The monopoly school district should not get to decide whether to keep the status quo or adopt an educational model that the parents and public believe will better serve the students.

• Pro-libertyHB 1165repealing the Granite State paid family leave plan.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill repeals the Granite State paid family leave plan.

  * This bill will reduce spending and overhead cost of a portion of the government bueauracracy, thereby reducing risk of a future tax increase.
  * Private insurance carriers have offered to provide this type of insurance in New Hampshire with or without this legislation.

• Pro-libertyHB 1171exempting certain niche beauty services from licensure requirements.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill exempts niche beauty services from occupational and shop license requirements.

  * By further limiting the licensing of services, New Hampshire increases its ability to develop its economy.
  * Eliminating licensing allows the free market to naturally and effectively differentiate providers based on performance and value.

• Anti-libertyHB 1172requiring composting and waste recycling to be made available to residents of public housing.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill requires towns to ensure that residents of public housing have access to a composting and waste recycling facility.

  * This bill mandates expansion of existing programs for towns in violation of Article 28-a of the New Hampshire Constitution.
  * Private and quasi-private options are already growing without this state mandate. For example, Nashua (<a href=https://www.grownashua.org/composting>www.grownashua.org/composting</a>) already provides low cost options for composting for a fraction of the cost of a cable TV bill.
  * Mandating expanded recycling pickup also likely has little-to-no positive environmental benefit, as recycled items often still end up in landfills (<a href=https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/recycling-china-landfills-cost-waste-environment-global-warming/>www.investors.com/politics/editorials/recycling-china-landfills-cost-waste-environment-global-warming/</a>).
  * While the appropriate motion for this bill is ITL, IS is acceptable.

• Pro-libertyHB 1177relative to permissible residential units in a residential zone.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill would preempt local zoning regulations to the extent necessary to allow private property owners to build up to four housing units on any lot served by municipal water and sewer.

  * This would be a high-impact, statewide change to legalize home-building and use of private property.
  * Excessively strict zoning regulations have contributed to a severe housing shortage in New Hampshire.
  * Local control is generally preferable to state or national mandates. We do believe that there is a higher principle, however: the principle of individual liberty. Indeed, the most “local” governance of all is the governance of an individual over his or her own life and property. For this reason, we support state laws that prevent local governments from abridging the personal or property rights of individuals.

• Pro-libertyHB 1178prohibiting the state from enforcing any federal statute, regulation, or Presidential Executive Order that restricts or regulates the right of the people to keep and bear arms. YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill adds state protections to the U.S. Second Amendment guarantee that the right to bear arms shall not be infringed.

  * The bill, prior to the proposed committee amendment, protected against the enforcement of federal acts designed to infringe upon the citizen's right to bear arms.
  * We encourage the general court to pass the bill <b>without amendment 2022-0479h</b>.
  * The right to self-defense and to bear arms is fundamental to the citizens of the United States and the state of New Hampshire and those rights shall not be infringed upon.

• Pro-libertyHB 1194relative to the procedure for overriding a local tax cap.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill requires a supermajority vote of the legislative body to override a local tax cap.

  * Current law enables towns to adopt a local tax cap by a 3/5 super majority of the voters but allows the legislative body to override the tax cap by a simple majority vote. Requiring a 3/5 super majority, instead of a simple majority vote of the legislative body to override, provides a greater assurance that the public supports the unplanned growth of government.

• Pro-libertyHB 1221relative to the rates of the business profits tax and the business enterprise tax.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, reduces the Business Profits Tax from 7.6% to 7.5%.

  * As introduced, this bill would have reduced both the Business Profits Tax (from 7.6% to 7.5%) and the Business Enterprise Tax (from 0.55% from 0.5%). While the amendment still offers a modest improvement, the original text would ensure New Hampshire maintains our economic advantage and better positions us to survive any downturn in the national or global economy.
  * It would be preferable to pass the bill in its original form.

• Anti-libertyHB 1227relative to the definition of prime wetland.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill expands infringement of private property rights by expanding the definition of prime wetlands.

  * This bill expands the definition of prime wetlands to include potentially extremely narrow regions that only meet four of twelve characteristics of prime wetlands required by existing law.
  * Expansion of the prime wetlands designation proposed by this bill will have a negative effect on land owners who will be subject to new stringent permitting on usable land presently not under such requirements.

• Pro-libertyHB 1241prohibiting a school district from mandating a COVID-19 vaccination for school attendance.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill prohibits school districts from mandating that students have a COVID-19 vaccination in order to attend school.

  * Parents, rather than school boards or the Department of Health and Human Services, should be given the decision to make important medical decisions that will impact their children's lives. This is particularly true in cases where the vaccine is shown to offer little protection in the way of third-party infection risk.
  * This bill will further cement New Hampshire's commitment to parental rights. If a facility is receiving public funding, there is scant justification to barring otherwise eligible taxpayers from utilizing that state resource.

• Anti-libertyHB 1251prohibiting payment of subminimum wages.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill would set the minimum wage for tipped employees to the federal minimum wage for untipped employees.

  * Minimum wage laws decrease the number of entry-level jobs and make it harder for people of low skill to get their start in the workforce.
  * Higher wages for everyone are better accomplished through job creation — more jobs means more competition to hire all workers.
  * Employers and employees should be free to negotiate the terms of employment without interference.
  * The very idea of a minimum wage is patronizing and demeaning as it implies that individuals don't know how much they're worth and are incapable of negotiating with an employer.

• Anti-libertyHB 1266relative to restrictions on enforcement of federal immigration laws.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill prohibits state, county, municipal, or judicial officials from adopting or enforcing policies restricting enforcement of federal immigration laws.

  * The 10th Amendment and state nullification of federal laws are the greatest check on federal power. This bill seeks to undermine allowing the state of NH not to follow federal law even if the federal law is repugnant.
  * This bill attempts to defer almost all power of the state to the federal government's "immigration laws".
  * While the sponsors and supporters of this bill might like the current legal framework, there is nothing that would stop the federal government from imposing immigration laws that these same sponsors and supporters find distasteful.
  * This bill is an example of unnecessary water carrying for the feds that undermines NH's sovereignty in this and similar matters.

• Pro-libertyHB 1268limiting the authority for city council bylaws and ordinances.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, limits the authority of city councils to make bylaws and ordinances to those they are specifically empowered to make.

  * New Hampshire is typically said to be a Dillon's Rule state, in that municipal governments have the authority to act only when the power is granted in the express words of the statute, private act, or charter creating the municipal corporation. Existing RSA 47:17, XV is largely compatible with this by enumerating specific topics that city councils may regulate; however, the phrasing of "They may make any other bylaws and regulations which may seem for the well-being of the city...", which when interpreted broadly, would eliminate the need for the enumerated powers earlier in the paragraph.
  * This bill would clarify that the power of city councils is limited to the enumerated areas including "for the abatement of nuisances that interfere with the use or enjoyment of property".
  * This change would modestly curtail the power of city councils to infringe on the rights of inhabitants of the city.

• Pro-libertyHB 1280prohibiting a parent's refusal to vaccinate a child pursuant to an order of the state or federal government to be used as a basis for terminating parental rights.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill prohibits the state from terminating parental rights because of a parent's decision not to have their child vaccinated.

  * Parents have the right, as stewards of their children, to make medical decisions for their children, not the state. This bill seeks to affirm that basic notion.

• Anti-libertyHB 1283relative to liability as taxable income of education freedom account payments.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill repeals the statement that Education Freedom Account funds shall not constitute taxable income to the parent of the Education Freedom Account student.

  * While the ultimate decision of what the federal government may choose to tax may be out of the control of the New Hampshire legislature, the inclusion of the existing language clearly specifies legislative intent and offers at least some protection against adminstrative rulemaking authorities in the IRS choosing to deem Education Freedom Accounts as taxable income.

• Anti-libertyHB 1291prohibiting discrimination against tenants holding certain vouchers for purposes of renting dwellings.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill prohibits a property owner from refusing to rent to any prospective tenant on the basis that the prospective tenant will receive housing subsidy under the Housing Choice Voucher Program.

  * Property owners should be free to screen prospective tenants to determine if they represent a risk to the property or to other tenants. The Housing Authority does not screen tenants. While this bill would not necessarily preclude a property owner from screening a tenant for other reasons, predisclosure of participation would provide potential grounds to at least initiate legal action, increasing costs to property owners that would ultimately be passed to renters.
  * Property owners may be conscientious objectors to the acceptance of public funds that are obtained through threats of violence (taxes), and this bill would infringe upon the property owner's right to avoid acceptance of these funds.

• Pro-libertyHB 1296relative to money, coin, or currency which may be forfeited in connection with a drug offense.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, establishes a procedure for the forfeiture of items used in connection with a drug
  offense.

  * Under current law, as modified in 2016, a criminal conviction is generally required prior to seeking asset forfeiture. This bill would strengthen the protection against government overreach by linking the forfeiture case with the criminal case, including allowing a public defender that may be representing the accused to represent the individual with regard to the asset forfeiture.
  * In addition, this bill contains provisions that allow a defendant or any other person with an interest in the property the right to a post-seizure hearing where the court may order the property returned if the seizure was invalid or property is not reasonably required to be held as evidence. This important protection, particularly of third parties with an interest in the property, may prevent the state from ruining the life of someone with no direct tie to the alledged crime.
  * Finally, this bill limits transfer of seized assets to the federal government, which maintains a program called Equitable Sharing, which allows law enforcement to circumvent our state's criminal process. Funds forfeited in the federal process return 80% directly to the agency, bypassing normal appropriations (and oversight) of legislative bodies.

• Pro-libertyHB 1302relative to the weighing of vehicles.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill limits law enforcement's authority to stop and weigh any vehicle to commercial vehicles only.

  * This bill will protect an individual's right to travel without interference from law enforcement for the purpose of verifying a vehicle's weight.
  * This bill enforces one's Fourth Amendment right and the right in the New Hampshire Constitution's Article 19 to be secure from all unreasonable searches of one's possessions.

• Anti-libertyHB 1317requiring the director of the state police in consultation with the bureau of marine patrol to report annually to the legislature regarding new developments in electric and gasoline powered recreational watercraft.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill requires the director of the state police in consultation with the bureau of marine patrol to report annually to the legislature regarding new developments in electric and gasoline powered recreational watercraft.

  * This bill would increase the workload of the state police and bureau of marine patrol — requiring them to create a report that may ultimately not be read by anyone.
  * We are living in the information age, where legislators have easier access to information than at any other time in history. Creating a standing requirement of a research paper with a stated desired outcome of recommendations for rulemaking or new legislation is a solution looking for a problem and would bias the state toward expanding new restrictions on inhabitants and visitors to the state.

• Pro-libertyHB 1330relative to the board of registration of medical technicians.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill repeals the requirements for the certification and regulation of medical technicians by
  the office of professional licensure and certification.

  * This bill reduces the barrier to entry for medical technicians providing quality services to the New Hampshire medical provider industry and the people, its customers.
  * By further limiting the licensing of services, New Hampshire increases its ability to develop its economy.

• Anti-libertyHB 1332excepting public universities and colleges from requirements under medical freedom in immunizations.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill excepts the state university system and the community college system from the statute pertaining to medical freedom in immunizations.

  * Per RSA 141-C:1-a, every person has the natural, essential, and inherent right to bodily integrity, free from any threat or compulsion by government to accept an immunization.
  * Even under current law, there are no state restrictions on the rights of students and faculty to receive a vaccine should they choose to do so. The state and its political subdivisions should not be compelling behavior that should be accepted or rejected voluntarily.

• Pro-libertyHB 1347relative to licensing requirements for health care facilities that operate on a membership-based business model.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, exempts nursing homes and rehabilitation centers that accept direct payment or operate on a membership-based business model from the moratorium on new facilities and from the requirement for them to accept all forms of payment.

  *During the global pandemic, the impacts of government restirctions on the building of hospitals and residential care facilities became immediately apparent. This bill would provide a modest relaxation of one of New Hamphire's remaining market-distorting laws that limits the licensing (and thus creation) of nursing home, skilled nursing facility, intermediate care facility, or rehabilitation facilities. Under this bill, new facilities that operate on a membership-based business model or exclusively provide services to persons who make direct payment for services would not be subject to the market-distorting moratorium that is still present in our laws.
  * This bill fosters competition and innovation in the nursing and rehabilitation facility market and offers potential employment options for those who were impacted by federal control over healthcare.

• Anti-libertyHB 1361establishing a penalty for any person who transports a controlled drug into New Hampshire with the intent to distribute.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill establishes an additional penalty for transportation of a controlled drug into New Hampshire with the intent to distribute.

  * The draconian war on drugs has torn families apart and destroyed lives while doing little to reduce drug use or end gang violence. This bill seeks to make the problem even worse by mandating additional mandatory minimums, which have been demonstrated not to work in the long and arduous war on drugs.
  * The current laws on drugs do not reflect our nation's or state's values of personal autonomy, freedom, and self determination, and this bill seeks to erode those values even further.

• Anti-libertyHB 1380relative to installation of solar photovoltaic energy systems by owners subject to deed restrictions in a homeowners association.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill prohibits deed restrictions of homeowners' associations from prohibiting or restricting the installation and use of a solar photovoltaic energy system.

  * This bill violates the rights of private parties to enter into mutually agreed upon and/or enforceable contracts.

• Pro-libertyHB 1393relative to the adoption of school district budget caps.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill establishes the requirements and procedure for the adoption of a school district budget cap.

  * This bill allows voters to impose fiscal discipline on school districts by linking budgets to enrollment. Voters can establish the cost per student they wish to support and district budgets then must not exceed that per-student cost times the number of enrolled students. Voters may also vote for an automatic inflation adjustment.
  * This bill provides an actual budget for school districts and allows for a 3/5 supermajority to override the cap when nesessary.

• Pro-libertyHB 1401prohibiting the disclosure of the number of miles driven by a specific driver licensed by the state or vehicle registered in the state.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, prohibits sharing vehicle mileage information with public authority not associated with the State of New Hampshire without the consent of the vehicle's owner.

  * This bill protects our citizens' individually identifiable vehicle mileage data from being sent to taxing authorities external to New Hampshire without their consent.
  * How much we use our vehicles and how much we travel should be protected private information. With data breaches increasing every year, any information that is shared and stored is a liability for those storing it, and a potential risk to those whose information is stored.

• Anti-libertyHB 1413relative to privacy of online customer information.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill prohibits a provider of broadband Internet access service from using, disclosing, selling, or permitting access to customer personal information unless the customer expressly consents to that use, disclosure, sale, or access.

  * This bill attempts to insert the state into the business of two private parties who should remain free to engage in contractual agreements of their consent.
  * This choice is best left to the free market to pick a desirable behavior instead of interference from the state.
  * Many of the items that this bill seeks to protect are better handled via technology or services such as virtual private networks (VPNs).

• Pro-libertyHB 1424relative to the speed limit for watercraft on Lake Winnipesaukee.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill eliminates an arbitrary speed limit of 45 miles per hour for boats on Lake Winnipesaukee.

  * Existing law limits speed at dawn and dusk and requires that operators manage their speed so that the operator will be able to avoid endangering or colliding with any person, vessel, object, or shore. In addition existing law limits maximum speed to 45 miles per hour.
  * This bill removes the 45 mph limit while retaining the requirement that the speed must be reasonable to avoid endangering or colliding with any person, vessel, object, or shore.
  * The arbitrary limit is inappropriately low on open calm and uncrowded water that often exists.

• Pro-libertyHB 1425relative to the taking of real property by eminent domain.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill modifies the power of the governor and council to take private property during states of emergency and modifies the calculation of compensation paid for such takings.

  * This bill seeks to allow for fairer compensation when real property is taken by eminent domain during an emergency. While we generally view such takings as abhorent, to the extent they occur, it should be rare and individuals should be fairly compensated for both the property as well as loss of use and other indirect costs associated with the seizure.
  * This bill gives the owner the right of first refusal to purchase the property back in the event that the property should be put up for sale, helping to reduce the risk of takings during an emergency being used to circumvent the protections in the New Hampshire Constitution Part 1, [Art.] 12-a. <i>"[Power to Take Property Limited.] No part of a person's property shall be taken by eminent domain and transferred, directly or indirectly, to another person if the taking is for the purpose of private development or other private use of the property.</i>"

• Pro-libertyHB 1432prohibiting the use of state funds for new passenger rail projects.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill would prohibit state funds from being used for the planning, construction, operation, or management of passenger rail projects in New Hampshire.

  * If passenger rail is economically viable, it will be pursued by private actors — particularly if New Hampshire's regulatory and licensing environment is improved.
  * Using taxpayer dollars to fund passenger rail as we move into a 21st century era of increased remote work and autonomously-operated vehicles is solving the problems of the 20th century with the technology of the 19th century.

• Pro-libertyHB 1434relative to the availability of school curriculum materials.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, requires that curriculum course materials taught to pupils in public schools and public academies be available to the public.

  * Parents and the people paying for government schooling should have access to curriculum course materials since they are developed or procured using tax dollars.
  * Existing RSA 91-A preamble states "Openness in the conduct of public business is essential to a democratic society. The purpose of this chapter is to ensure both the greatest possible public access to the actions, discussions and records of all public bodies, and their accountability to the people".
  * Posting curriculum materials on the school administrative unit's website may ultimately reduce costs as it may support fewer right-to-know requests and potential legal battles over the applicability of existing right-to-know law to public school curriculum.

• Pro-libertyHB 1455relative to state enforcement of federal vaccination mandates.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill prohibits state enforcement of any federal law, order, or rule that requires an individual, as a condition of employment or any other activity, to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or to submit more than once per month to COVID-19 testing.

  * Taxpayer money should not provide funding to oppress the taxpayer. The federal government, through executive action not explicity authorized by Congress, has chosen to utilize adminstrative rule making authority and the power of the purse over a segment of the economy that it has seized through force to compel behaviors that we now know offer little-to-no third-party protection. The state of New Hampshire should not participate in this overreach.

• Anti-libertyHB 1472prohibiting anti-union activities by employers.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill uses state power to interfere in employer and employee relations.

  * Employees should be free to organize and collectively bargain without interference from the state, and by the same token, businesses should be free to reject association with these groups.
  * This bill would prohibit a business from replacing employees who strike, while recognizing an exception for cases where the state has mandated that employees shall not be allowed to strike.

• Anti-libertyHB 1476relative to persons arrested while out on bail.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill provides that a person who commits an offense while on bail shall be detained without bail pending a hearing before a judge.

  * Granite Staters deserve due process and a presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
  * This bill disregards our fundamental legal principle of presumed innocence and ignores defendants' rights, creates confusion with conflicting language, and would result in more backlog for our already strained judicial system.

• Anti-libertyHB 1478relative to the business profits tax applicable to certain large, low-wage employers.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill utilizes an increase in the business profits tax as a weapon to force businesses with 100 or more employees to impose a de facto minimum wage.

  * By focusing only on wages, this bill would have unintended consequences, potentially causing employers to drop other benefits in lieu of direct salary to optimize their total costs — potentially resulting in lower total compensation for employees.
  * A de facto state-set minimum wage prevents individuals from freely agreeing to a lower rate while they prove their productivity or learn on the job. People who are willing to work for less cash but higher benefits should be able to express this preference in the marketplace.
  * The very idea of a minimum wage is patronizing and demeaning, as it implies that citizens don't know how much they're worth and are incapable of negotiating with an employer.

• Anti-libertyHB 1481repealing the statute relative to medical freedom in immunizations.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill repeals the statute pertaining to medical freedom in immunizations.

  * This bill repeals RSA 141-C:1-a, which states that no person may be compelled to receive an immunization for COVID-19 in order to secure, receive, or access any public facility, any public benefit, or any public service from the state of New Hampshire, or any political subdivision thereof, including but not limited to counties, cities, towns, precincts, water districts, school districts, school administrative units, or quasi-public entities.
  * The state and its political subdivisions extort money from individuals with a threat of violence. Denying individuals access to the services paid for by this extortion adds further insult to the theft.

• Anti-libertyHB 1490relative to equal access to places of public accommodation regardless of vaccination status.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill prohibits business owners from having a policy that requires vaccination or wearing of masks (medical devices).

  * Public accommodation laws insert the state directly into interactions between private citizens and should therefore be looked at with significant scrutiny. While a private business that chooses to require vaccination or masks (medical devices) may be repugnant, the state should not be forcing individuals to accept risks to themselves, their employees, or customers in order to operate a business.
  * None of the other categories of public accommodation includes categories where there is plausible increased risk of interacting with the public. While mask mandates appear to have at most marginal impact on the spread of COVID-19 or variants, business owners who believe they offer a benefit should be free to associate only with customers that wear shirts, shoes, or even masks and suffer the consequences of their decision. Similarly, a day care center, private school, or other public accommodation that would like to cater to individuals who have chosen to be vaccinated for measles, COVID, or polio should also be free to do so and again to suffer the consequences of their decision.

• Pro-libertyHB 1495relative to vaccine mandates for government contractors.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, prohibits the state from requiring businesses to require vaccine or documentation
  related to vaccination or immunity status.

  * This bill prohibits the state from imposing back door vaccine mandates or vaccine passport systems by seeking to require businesses to impose mandates that might otherwise be unconstitutional if the state were to seek them directly.
  * The state should not have the authority to compel a third-party actor such as a business to enforce an infringement on liberty.

• Anti-libertyHB 1508prohibiting discharge of volunteer firefighters or volunteer emergency medical technicians from other employment.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill prohibits an employer from discharging or disciplining an employee who is a volunteer firefighter or emergency medical technician and whose failure to report for work was due to the employee responding to an emergency.

  * While the bill is well intentioned, it places a mandatory 'volunteer' burden on small businesses who now need to absorb impacts of volunteer service without having chosen or agreeing to do so.
  * This may have unintended consequences of causing an small employer to avoid hiring a volunteer for certain positions, knowing that regardless of the level of impact to the business of repeated failure to appear, the state will prohibit the employer from taking action necessary to prevent the business from failing as a result of repeated no-shows.

• Anti-libertyHB 1514relative to an employee's unused earned time.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill, even with the proposed committee minority amendment, is an incremental encroachment on interactions between private individuals.

  * The freedom to contract is paramount in a free society, particularly between an employee and employer. This bill seeks to restrict the freedom to contract by forcing employers to pay an employee for unused earned time under certain conditions.

• Anti-libertyHB 1524establishing a national service alumni attraction and retention fund.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill creates a new taxpayer-funded subsidy designed to subsidize individuals who are considering pursuing postsecondary education or employment in the state of New Hampshire after completion of AmeriCorps or Peace Corps service.

  * While the spending is initially small, this bill would require a new state position to administer the fund. Ultimately, this would become a state-funded lobbying group that would see to increase spending and outreach for distribution of taxpayer money.
  * We can encourage people to move to the state by reducing spending and barriers to private property use that currently may make New Hampshire unaffordable for both returning volunteers and existing residents.

• Pro-libertyHB 1560relative to nonresident licensure by the board of barbering, cosmetology, and esthetics.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill modifies the requirements for nonresident licensure by the Board of Barbering, Cosmetology, and Esthetics to eliminate subjective requirements for reciprocal licenses.

  * This bill provides for a simple reciprocal agreement with those licensed out of state in the fields of barbering, cosmetology, and esthetics.
  * Reducing licensing and associated complexities increases economic and competitive growth.

• Anti-libertyHB 1564requiring school districts to provide breakfast for students.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill mandates a new program that will require additional local expenditures by the political subdivision in violation of the New Hampshire Constitution.

  * This bill would allow those qualifying for reduced-price meals to receive breakfast at the expense of taxpayers — some of whom may be just over the income limit and who would now be forced to subsidize the children of other families.
  * The sponsors of this bill have violated their oath of office by proposing legislation that is directly violating the New Hampshire Constitution Part 1, [Art.] 28-a. <i>"[Mandated Programs.] The state shall not mandate or assign any new, expanded or modified programs or responsibilities to any political subdivision in such a way as to necessitate additional local expenditures by the political subdivision unless such programs or responsibilities are fully funded by the state or unless such programs or responsibilities are approved for funding by a vote of the local legislative body of the political subdivision."</i>

• Pro-libertyHB 1625repealing the prohibition on entering or remaining on a public way or sidewalk adjacent to a reproductive health care facility.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill repeals a violation of the First Amendment.

  * Whereas the NHLA has a policy of not taking positions on the issue of abortion in general, this bill's restoration of freedom of expression protected by the First Amendment merits our taking a position in support of this bill.
  * This bill repeals the "buffer zone" created by SB 319 (2014) restoring the right of people to peacefully assemble, as provided by the protections of the First Amendment.
  * This law has been in place for 7 years and appears to be unenforced. Buffer zones are reminiscent of the abhorrent "free speech zones" at presidential events.

• Pro-libertyHB 1639relative to the youth risk behavior survey in schools.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, would make the Youth Risk Behavior Survey as opt-in (v.s. opt-out), aligning it with other non-academic survey requirements in New Hampshire Schools.

  * Requiring districts to have parents opt-in to non-academic surveys is respectful of parental rights and helps address student privacy concerns by ensuring explicit consent is given prior to completion of the survey.

• Anti-libertyHB 1668requiring a background check prior to any commercial firearm sale.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill replicates aspects of federal firearm laws limiting transfers and adds new requirements not present in the federal restrictions.

  * Under federal law (28 CFR Part 25, Section 25.6(c)(1)(iv)(B)), a federal firearms licensee may choose to transfer a firearm to an individual if the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background check is delayed for more than 3 days. While many dealers opt not to exercise this option, particularly for unknown customers, it is an important protection that reduces the risk of a de facto firearms ban through administrative delay. This bill would remove that protection through the provisions of proposed RSA 159-E:3 which states that "No firearm shall be delivered to an individual pursuant to a commercial sale until NICS has issued a “proceed” response"
  * Although the bill claims to make an exception for non-commercial transfers, it adds new requirements not present in federal law that would effectively ban private transfers. Specifically under federal law, a person may transfer a firearm to an unlicensed resident of their state, provided the transferor does not know or have reasonable cause to believe the transferee is prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms under federal law. Under this bill, while there is an exception, it requires that if the status of either party’s eligibility to own or possess a firearm cannot be ascertained, the transaction shall be completed through a licensed firearm dealer. This shifts the burden significantly such that the exclusion would carry little to no weight.

• Anti-libertyHB 1683repealing the education freedom account program.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill would repeal Education Freedom Accounts for children, destroying the option for parents to use existing adequate education grant funding to support education opportunities outside of the student's geographically assigned school.

  * Education Freedom Accounts are funds that children receive to a designated account, administered by a scholarship organization, that are used for specified educational purposes. This bill will repeal the Education Freedom Account program and force nearly 2,000 students back to government-run schools that might not have been working for them and did not work for them during the goverment's response to the global pandemic.
  * Giving education consumers (parents) more options gets us away from the one-size-fits-all mentality of traditional public schools.

128 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertyCACR 14relating to unions. Providing that all workers have the right to join a union.YEA ITL
  Why

  This proposed constitutional amendment would potentially provide a positive right to join a union that goes beyond what is required to meet freedom of association.

  * The federal National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) contains several coercive mechanisms that infringe upon the rights of workers and business owners. Among these are section 9a, which mandates exclusive representation by a single union and mandates that the union representative is given opportunity to be present at grievance adjustment between employers and employees even if the employee does not wish that the representative is present. In addition, it forces employers to recognize and bargain collectively with unions following a majority vote of their workforces. While this proposed amendment would seek to establish a right to join a union, it would do nothing to protect the right of workers to <b>not</b> join a union and therefore it strengthens federal corersion and would potentially further infringe upon the rights of individuals to choose the manner in which they negotiate with employers.

• Anti-libertyHB 1011relative to the penalty for criminal mischief.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill increases the penalty from a violation to a Class A misdemeanor (punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine up to $2,000) for acts such as drawing a hopscotch board on a public sidewalk with chalk or attempting to clean graffiti from public property.

  * Under current law, an individual who has vandalized, defaced, destroyed, tampered with, or made any other unauthorized alteration, whether permanent or temporary, on public property is guilty of a violation and must make restitution for any damage they have caused. This bill would increase that penalty to a Class A misdemeanor.
  * Criminal penalties for items such as temporary defacement of public property is a significant overreach that will eventually have unintended consequences. Providing the state with this new criminal tool will eventually result in it being used to silence political dissent.
  * Existing law already provides for a Class A misdemeanor in cases where the property damage is in excess of $100 (per RSA 634:2 II-a.) and this applies both to private and public property (per RSA 634:2 I). Increasing the penalty to a class A misdemeanor for incidental items such as chalking or unauthorized cleanup of graffiti is a significant overreach.

• Pro-libertyHB 1021prohibiting regulation of religious land use based on the religious nature of the assembly or speech taking place on the land or in the structure.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill would provide for modest protections of private property rights that are used for religious purposes.

  * This bill would prohibit zoning ordinances or site plan review regulations that restrict the use of land or structures for religious purposes that are more restrictive than restrictions placed on non-religions property use.
  * Per the New Hampshire Constitution Article 5: "<I>Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience, and reason; and no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his person, liberty, or estate, for worshipping God in the manner and season most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience; or for his religious profession, sentiments, or persuasion; provided he doth not disturb the public peace or disturb others in their religious worship.</I>"

• Pro-libertyHB 1031prohibiting law enforcement from encrypting public frequencies.NAY ITL
  Why

  This act prohibits law enforcement from encrypting public frequencies, except when necessary to ensure the safety of law enforcement and the public.

  * This bill would provide modest protection of the public's right to know by prohibiting encryption of public frequencies except when necessary to ensure the safety of law enforcement and the public. While the included 'loophole' to encryption may essentially allow agencies to regularly still encrypt communications, the bill would provide some check on agencies by at least making the position of the legislature on open government clear.
  * The committee majority opinion includes the scare phrase of "We should be grateful that New Hampshire is the safest state and should not jeopardize our unique position by not practicing common sense." — it is worth noting that encryption of public frequencies is a relatively new occurrence in New Hampshire and that part of the reason we have the safety we have is the relative level of trust between the inhabitants and the state. Encryption of law enforcement communications undermines that trust.

• Anti-libertyHB 1059clarifying limits on licensure by operation of law.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill would remove default grant of applications for a licensed profession in cases where the state fails to approve/deny an application within a reasonable time period.

  * Under current law, if a state agency fails to take any required action on an application within 60 days, the application is granted by default. This important protection was put in place to provide a strong incentive for the state to complete review and take action in a timely manner. This bill would effectively remove this protection entirely by requiring that the application only be approved by the executive director if the application otherwise meets the requirements for licensure established in law or administrative rule. The absense of a time limit for this review/approval process by the executive director could mean that applicants are denied their right to work in the chosen profession essentially forever while waiting for the decision of the executive director.
  * The minority committee report wrote <i>"...the underlying problem is that New Hampshire requires licenses for too many professions. We require more professions to be licensed than many other states which do not appear to have significant public safety problems caused by that lack of licensure. If there are not enough people either willing to serve on a licensure board or who are willing to meet in order to perform their duties the requirement for a license for such professions should be repealed."</I>

• Pro-libertyHB 1138exempting the display of a front license plate on certain vehicles.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill provides a modest improvement by providing a process through which individuals may petition the state for permission to operate certain vehicles with only a single license plate.

  * Many vehicle types do not include mounting brackets for front plates, which requires owners to damage/drill into the bumper to install a mount. The state should not require owners to damage their vehicles.
  * Twenty states in the US and ten (of thirteen) Canadian jurisdictions do not require front license plates. Operators of vehicles from these states travel upon our roadways without front plates and enjoy greater freedom than we provide to our own citizens.
  * Current law provides a pretext for greater interaction between citizens and police, which may result in unacceptable outcomes. Other states have waited until the situation in which an individual was killed by a police officer after a stop that was initiated solely for a missing front plate, prior to reforming their laws. While broad elimination of this requirement would be preferable to this modest improvement, this bill would potentially prevent New Hampshire from being the next state to wait for loss of life before taking action.

• Anti-libertyHB 1151prohibiting the display of a deadly weapon at a parade, funeral procession, picket line, march, rally, vigil, or demonstration.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill prohibits the open carry or display of a firearm, knife, or other deadly weapon at a parade, funeral procession, picket line, march, rally, vigil, demonstration, or other similar event.

  * This bill would criminalize even incidental witnessing of a parade, picket line, or demonstration as a spectator while open carrying a firearm. Free people should not be forced to turn and flee if a march is approaching them.
  * This bill could force citizens to store firearms in cars parked off site and potentially lead to a rise in firearm theft from vehicles.
  * Possession crimes by their very nature make law-abiding citizens criminals where no actual crime has been committed.

• Pro-libertyHB 1175relative to recording interactions with public officials.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill allows for a person to record interactions with public officials during the performance of their duties.

  * This bill is an opportunity to dramatically enhance transparency in government, as well as public trust in it and its works.
  * While this bill would offer the opportunity to record all public officials, it does not preclude the right of private citizens to remain unrecorded.

• Anti-libertyHB 1216repealing the housing appeals board.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill eliminates a low cost way for property owners to secure justice when local governments violate their right to build housing.

  * The Housing Appeals Board (HAB) reduces the cost of legal disputes between municipalities and landowners by providing an alternative to the court system.
  * The HAB helps discourage land use boards from unlawfully delaying development approvals.
  * HAB works just like other appeals boards that the state has used successfully.

• Pro-libertyHB 1282relative to the records of communication common carriers.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill requires that customer information in records of communications common carriers only be provided pursuant to a search warrant or a judicially-recognized exception to the warrant requirement.

  * Under current law, otherwise-private information held by communication common carriers must be provided to the state upon written demand of the attorney general. This is incompatible with the spirit and potentially the letter of the New Hampshire Constitution which states that "<i>[Art.] 2-b. [Right of Privacy.] An individual's right to live free from governmental intrusion in private or personal information is natural, essential, and inherent.</i>".
  * Inhabitants' private information should be protected and require judicial review of the requests of agents of the executive branch to reduce the risk of abuse.

• Pro-libertyHB 1299relative to the process for the importation of wildlife and creating an appeal process for denials of permits.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill streamlines the procedure for obtaining a permit to import or display wildlife and establishes an appeal process for denial of such permits.

  * Under current law, there is no time limit specified for the approval or denial of a permit to import live marine species or wildlife or eggs. This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, requires that the permit be granted within 60 days of the request, unless there is reason to deny it. Having a time period outlined in the law allows businesses and individuals to better understand how government regulations may impact their actions.
  * In addition, the bill specifies an appeals process, which is not a part of the current law. Any individual or organization can make an error, and certainly individuals within the government are not immune to errors; therefore an appeals process provides a modest check on the power of the state to restrict commerce.

• Anti-libertyHB 1385prohibiting the use of credit history in employment decisions.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill prohibits an employer from using an employee's or prospective employee's credit history as a criterion for making certain employment decisions.

  * Government should not be dictating hiring practices for businesses.
  * This would increase the risks involved in hiring, making firms more reluctant to bring on new employees. Like many other well-intentioned measures, this could have a detrimental effect on the people it seeks to help.
  * Credit reports are less-subjective criteria for evaluating the potential of new employees. Without the use of a pre-employment credit check, many employers will likely use other more arbitrary means in making a selection.
  * The bill contains exclusions for cases where the employer is required by state or federal law to use individual credit history. This implies that the state recognizes that there are times when credit history provides information that is meaningful. Employers should be free to determine whether credit history is a meaningful factor in potential employee performance without the state playing a role.

• Anti-libertyHB 1408requiring the refund of residential tenancy application fees.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill shifts the costs of residential tenancy application fees from those who don't qualify for a rental due to poor credit or a criminal record to those who do qualify.

  * While the bill allows property owners to itemize and deduct out-of-pocket expenses for service incurred in connection with consideration of an application, this bill would specifically prohibit consideration of time and effort that a property owner or agent spends processing the application. Some may argue that the property owner simply needs to 'absorb' the cost of doing business, but ultimately these incremental costs end up being paid for tenants.

• Pro-libertyHB 1411relative to transparency of federal agency operations within New Hampshire.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill requires the attorney general to request information from federal agencies operating in New Hampshire and to compile and display such information on a website.

  * This bill is another opportunity to enhance government transparency and accountability to the public.
  * Trust is a vital outcome of enhanced government transparency.

• Pro-libertyHB 1636relative to prohibitions on carrying a loaded firearm on an OHRV or snowmobile.YEA OTP
  Why

  This a modest improvement to New Hampshire's existing constitutional carry law which corrects an oversight that mandates a permit when carrying a pistol or revolver when operating a snowmobile or Off Highway Recreational Vehicle (OHRV).

  * New Hampshire voters affirmed our inherent right to self-defense in 1982 with the adoption of Article 2-a. of the state Constitution: <i>"All persons have the right to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves, their families, their property and the state."</i>
  * A requirement to have a license to carry a concealed firearm is an infringement on an individual's right to self-defense. This bill removes the infringement of the right of law-abiding citizens to carry protection discreetly when operating snowmobiles or OHRVs.

16 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertySB 298repealing the law relative to certain discrimination in public workplaces and education.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill repeals the legislation restricting certain discrimination in public workplaces and education.

  * Government employees should not promote discrimination, particularly in the public schools. This bill seeks to repeal the legislation that was passed in RSA 354A:29-34 and RSA 193:40 which basically holds public schools to the same standards that public employers are held to in relation to discrimination. Namely, that you cannot teach material that is designed to make students feel inferior on the basis of their race, especially utilizing taxpayer money to do so. The current legislation is even tailored to ensure that intellectual freedom is still preserved in the public schools while also ensuring that children are not made to feel inferior with state-sponsored support.

• Anti-libertySB 304relative to discrimination in public workplaces and education.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill would enable government employees to teach that it is acceptable to discriminate based on race.

  * This bill would would repeal this statute [RSA 193:40 I. (b)] "No pupil in any public school in this state shall be taught, instructed, inculcated or compelled to express belief in, or support for . . . That an individual, by virtue of his or her age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, marital status, familial status, mental or physical disability, religion, or national origin, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously."
  * "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." — The Declaration of Independence

• Pro-libertySB 410relative to school district transparency.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, would require that public school board meetings include at least 30 minutes for public comment.

  *Part 1, Article 8 of the New Hampshire Constitution states in part "All power residing originally in, and being derived from, the people, all the magistrates and officers of government are their substitutes and agents, and at all times accountable to them. Government, therefore, should be open, accessible, accountable and responsive."
  * This bill would take a modest step toward ensuring accountability and responsiveness of school boards by requiring a public comment period in meetings.

• Anti-libertySB 426relative to the adequate education grants for fiscal year 2023.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill changes the formula for calculating state grants to school districts to be based on the highest average daily membership in residence for the past three years.

  * This bill is a back door tactic for appropriating more than $30 million of taxpayers' money for school districts to compensate for their losses from the voluntary withdrawal of students from the public school system.
  * Education funding should be based on the number of individual students enrolled in the current year, not a past year which saw a different number of students enrolled.

16 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertyHB 1207requiring an employer to provide paid time off for an employee to vote.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill mandates that an employer grant an employee who would be working during the time polls are open get at least 3 hours paid time off in order to vote.

  * The negotiation of terms of employment is between employee and employer, not employer and state.
  * There is a finite amount of resources that employers (particularly small businesses) have access to. This change either will require that employers raise prices or cut pay/employees to compensate for this change.
  * RSA 657:1 already provides for absentee ballot access for individuals who will be unable to appear live at the polls due to employment commitments.

• Pro-libertyHB 1208relative to driver education.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill authorizes a waiver of the driver education requirement if a father, mother, guardian, or other responsible adult provides equivalent classroom instruction and behind the wheel training.

  * Parents are ultimately in charge of their children's education (including behind the wheel) and have the responsibility to ensure they are safe drivers. This bill does not eliminate driver education programs but allows for choice for parents on the best way to educate their children, and removes a barrier to entry for lower income families.
  * This bill would remove a barrier to entry for lower-income families who may be unable to afford driver education.
  * Mandating driving schools is a racket that benefits rent-seeking instructors and companies at the expense of parents.

• Anti-libertyHB 1417relative to payment by the state of a portion of retirement system contributions of political subdivision employers.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill provides that the state shall pay 7.5% of contributions of retirement system employers other than the state for group I teachers and group II members.

  * This bill is a massive expansion of the New Hampshire state public retirement fund liability.
  * This would further socialize the cost of public retirement, forcing all citizens of the state to pay for committments made by localities.

• Anti-libertyHB 1419relative to establishing a New Hampshire civilian climate corps advisory commission.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill establishes a civilian climate corps advisory commission. This is intended to be a constant voice to advocate for more government under the guise of environmental protection.

  * This bill attempts to install an unfunded organization to grow government and its control.
  * As an example of the superfluous nature of this legislation: despite 84% of the state of New Hampshire being forested, this bill in part claims to seek "increasing reforestation".

• Pro-libertyHB 1468relative to the legalization of cannabis.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill removes cannabis as a controlled substance.

  * This bill ends one of the most socially destructive components of the 'War on Drugs' by rescinding government control of cannabis.
  * This pro-liberty bill will reduce costs to society by preventing loss of life, liberty, and treasure of the citizens.
  * Passing of this bill will allow police to no longer be distracted by enforcement of cannabis-related infractions.

• Anti-libertyHB 1506establishing a revolving clean energy accelerator fund in the department of energy.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill creates a clean energy accelerator fund, administered by the NH Department of Energy, to finance goods and services producing low or zero greenhouse gas emissions and use other financial tools to mitigate climate change.

  * This bill creates potentially extremely large and unlimited fiscal liabilities to the state taxpayers with no realistic or obtainable goals.
  * The free market will naturally, without state intervention, decide to use machinery without fossil fuels when it makes practical, economic, or personal sense to do so.

• Anti-libertyHB 1516relative to the source of funds for education freedom accounts.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill requires that the education trust funds used for funding education freedom account grants or transfers exclude any revenues collected and locally retained from the state education tax or local school taxes.

  * This bill increases taxes by forcing additional funding above the present educational tax.
  * Education freedom accounts are established to extract a portion of the funding from education taxes and give the parents control as to how and where it is spent.
  * Parents should be the ultimate authority as to how and where their children are educated, not a government.

• Anti-libertyHB 1538requiring prevailing wages on state-funded public works projects.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill mandates federally-determined prevailing minimum wages on state-funded public works projects.

  * This bill mirrors similar federal legislation (Davis Bacon Act) which was passed with the deliberate intent to prevent non-unionized, less established, minority laborers from competing with established, unionized, white workers during the Depression. While times have changed and the intent of this bill may be somewhat different, the effect will still be to dramatically increase the risk and/or cost of employing workers with potential for growth but with lower demonstrated skill level.
  * This bill would impose significant additional recordkeeping and weekly reporting requirements for contractors supporting state projects. These increased overhead costs, which are not directly represented by the fiscal note, would ultimately be borne as additional costs to the taxpayer.
  * Small firms may not have the personnel to absorb compliance overhead costs. This bill would have the effect of biasing state contracts toward larger/established firms.

• Anti-libertyHB 1587relative to determination of average final compensation under the retirement system and making an appropriation therefor.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill modifies the calculation of compensation paid in excess of the full base rate of compensation under the definition of average final compensation in the retirement system for persons hired after July 1, 2011.

  * This bill expands pension costs thereby perpetually increasing taxpayer burden.
  * Instead of spending more, New Hampshire may return excess funds to the taxpayer who may then invest as they see fit.

• Anti-libertyHB 1601relative to funding of the NHsaves programYEA ITL
  Why

  By reducing the existing rebate to electricity ratepayers, this bill increases a stealthy tax on New Hampshire electricity consumers.

  * This bill reduces long-standing rebates to electricity rate payers thereby raising effective energy rates.
  * Electric rates are already high in New Hampshire. Efficiency projects that are truly fiscally responsible can and will be funded by electricity consumers themselves. It is unfair to force all ratepayers to fund projects for specific consumers, whether private or governmental.
  * Rather than putting more money into the hands of government in order to pick winners and losers, the money should remain with the ratepayers where it belongs.

• Anti-libertyHB 1621relative to reducing the rebates distributed by the energy efficiency fund.YEA ITL
  Why

  By eliminating the existing rebate to electricity ratepayers, this bill increases a stealthy tax on New Hampshire electricity consumers.

  * This bill removes long-standing rebates to electricity rate payers thereby raising effective energy rates.
  * Electric rates are already high in New Hampshire. Efficiency projects that are truly fiscally responsible can and will be funded by electricity consumers themselves. It is unfair to force all ratepayers to fund projects for specific consumers, whether private or governmental.
  * Rather than putting more money into the hands of government in order to pick winners and losers, the money should remain with the ratepayers where it belongs.

• Anti-libertyHB 1657establishing a New Hampshire farm to school reimbursement program.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill establishes a New Hampshire farm-to-school reimbursement program and makes an appropriation therefor.

  * This bill increases costs of education unnecessarily.
  * There is already a free school lunch program. Present funding should be used for the purchase of food served in schools.
  * Schools may already choose to source some of their food from New Hampshire farms without increasing expenses.

• Anti-libertyHB 1660relative to school lunches and establishing the meals for students fund.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill requires schools to make free or reduced-cost breakfast and lunch available to children who meet federal eligibility guidelines and provides for reimbursement to schools for offering meals at no cost to eligible students.

  * This bill increases costs of education unnecessarily.
  * There is already a free school lunch program. Present funding should be used for the purchase of food served in schools.
  * This bill would increase dependency on government institutions.

• Anti-libertyHB 1684limiting education freedom account funding to budgeted amounts.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill limits the amounts of funds appropriated from the education trust fund to the education freedom account program to budgeted sums.

  * This bill is another attempt to perpetuate the funding of public schools despite the possibility of parents not wanting to send their children to them.
  * This bill would prevent almost all New Hampshire parents from choosing how and where to educate their children, which is directly contrary to the intent of educational freedom.

28 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertySB 230relative to the practice of body art.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill seeks to increase regulation of body art establishments and practices.

  * Licenses for industries such as "body art" are not meant to protect consumers. They do however entrench established players in the industry by burdening those trying to create new small businesses. They also unnecessarily grow govenment and thereby discourage competition and innovation.
  * Fewer occupational licensing laws will enhance entreprenureal enterprise creation, spur growth, and strengthen the free market's ability to judge value.

• Anti-libertySB 237relative to participation in the education freedom account program.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill attempts to disincentivize productive growth when participating in the Education Freedom program.

  * This bill seeks by force of law to disincentivize families from growing their income if they choose to participate in the Education Freedom program.
  * All taxpaying parents should have the freedom to apply their tax dollars to the educational programs and facilities of their choice with their own tax dollars.

• Pro-libertySB 249prohibiting planning and zoning ordinances that prohibit short-term rentals.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill prohibits municipalities from adopting ordinances that ban short-term rentals.

  * This bill protects rights of private property and entrepreneurship from undue local government interference.
  * Banning short-term rentals does not increase the supply of affordable housing, it simply discourages new housing from being built.

• Anti-libertySB 298repealing the law relative to certain discrimination in public workplaces and education.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill repeals the legislation restricting certain discrimination in public workplaces and education.

  * Government employees should not promote discrimination, particularly in the public schools. This bill seeks to repeal the legislation that was passed in RSA 354A:29-34 and RSA 193:40 which basically holds public schools to the same standards that public employers are held to in relation to discrimination. Namely, that you cannot teach material that is designed to make students feel inferior on the basis of their race, especially utilizing taxpayer money to do so. The current legislation is even tailored to ensure that intellectual freedom is still preserved in the public schools while also ensuring that children are not made to feel inferior with state sponsored support.

• Anti-libertySB 304relative to discrimination in public workplaces and education.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill would enable government employees to teach that it is acceptable to discriminate based on race.

  * This bill would would repeal this statute [RSA 193:40-I-b] "That an individual, by virtue of his or her age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, marital status, familial status, mental or physical disability, religion, or national origin, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously."
  * "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." — The Declaration of Independence

• Pro-libertySB 318extending the hours in which games of chance may be conducted.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill expands the hours during which games of chance may be conducted.

  * This bill extends the hours in which games of chance may be conducted, lessening an onerous restriction on those businesses that choose to engage in legal gambling.

• Anti-libertySB 319relative to vaccination status and wellness incentives.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill encourages insurance companies to offer financial incentives to members who comply with government vaccine mandates.

  * This bill attempts to force those unwilling to get a Covid vaccine to subsidize a financial reward for people who submit to government vaccine mandates.
  * If a provably safe, effective, and affordable vaccine is available, it is reasonable to presume that the citizens will avail themselves of it without the coercion of the state.

• Anti-libertySB 338enabling municipalities to adopt a municipal occupancy fee.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill allows municipalities to add a new local occupancy tax.

  * This bill adds yet another tax to NH visitors, and will deter tourism in NH and hurt small businesses statewide that benefit from increased tourism.
  * This bill will tax visitors for services that they will likely not use. Municipalities already have the ability to tax for the services they provide and do not need the ability to create new taxes.

• Anti-libertySB 422establishing an adult dental benefit under the state Medicaid program.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill seeks to expand Medicaid entitlement benefits.

  * This bill would expand the size, scope, and cost of Medicaid, adding to the taxpayer burden.

• Anti-libertySB 428establishing a scholarship fund for certain small businesses applying for loans from the capital access program administered by the New Hampshire business finance authority.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill establishes a scholarship fund to cover costs for certain individual small business owners.

  * This bill is a $1 million annual 'social justice' giveaway to be paid for by the New Hampshire taxpayer.
  * To be fair to all the taxpayers, reducing taxation and government interference in the creation of businesses in New Hampshire would be far more productive in encouraging small business creation and accelerating economic growth.

• Anti-libertySB 432repealing the education freedom account program.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill would end the Education Freedom program.

  * The Education Freedom program was designed to give parents the power to choose where and how to educate their children and to assign those parents' tax dollars toward that effort.
  * Ending the Education Freedom program would be a blow to free choice, representative taxation, and liberty in New Hampshire.

• Pro-libertySB 435relative to the net operating loss carryover under the business profits tax.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, would correct a 'bug' in the business profits tax that currently makes New Hampshire non-competitive with most (or all) other states.

  * Under current law, a business that derives profits from activity both inside and outside of New Hampshire must apportion those profits in a manner that attempts to fairly determine the fraction of profits that are associated with New Hampshire activity and thus subject to the NH business profits tax. Similarly, when a business has a net operating loss, the same apportionment is used to determine the impact of the loss. A portion of the losses may be carried forward to offset profits in future years until the loss is consumed or until 10 years have elapsed. However, under current law, the apportioning calculation gets applied both in the year when the loss occurred, and again in subsequent years as the loss is consumed — potentially dramatically reducing the ability to deduct losses.
  * This bill would ensure that the apportioning calculation is only done once, preventing inadvertent reduction in loss calculation and ensuring that taxes are not collected on transient profits that are offset by losses.

• Anti-libertySB 451establishing a New Hampshire innovation program in the department of business and economic affairs and making an annual appropriation therefor.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill establishes a fund to increase government subsidies for certain companies located in New Hampshire.

  * This bill creates a perennial $5 million spending burden to the taxpayer with little guidance for how and to whom it is allocated.

29 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertySB 273relative to broadband infrastructure funding.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, elevates the urgency of financing broadband infrastructure bonds to the same level as spending on public defense or any military purpose in time of war.

  * This bill makes the accrual of new debts to taxpayers far less obvious by including broadband infrastructure bonds in the list of expenses that a simple special town meeting may enact. For context, the only other expenses enjoying this privilege are the public defense or any military purpose in time of war.

• Pro-libertySB 274relative to governmental construction contracts.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill removes consideration of labor agreements from the process of selecting contractors, subcontractors, or offerers for government construction projects.

  * This bill supports the right to work by preventing government contracts from being able to include labor agreement requirements.

• Anti-libertySB 280relative to meetings of the state health assessment and health improvement plan advisory council and the therapeutic cannabis medical oversight board.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill allows the state health assessment and health improvement plan advisory council and the therapeutic cannabis medical oversight board to meet remotely.

  * Freedom of speech is inextricably tied to having the physical space to express that speech. This bill allows for public officials to have the ability to dodge public accountability and not allow for in-person confrontation and debate to take place. It also sets a dangerous precedent moving forward that will continue to hinder the ability of citizens to engage with their government in a public way. It is not a secret that the government was less accountable when people have been barred from physically attending public meetings due to the coronavirus situation.
  * Additionally, this will likely have the downstream affect of denying attendance at public meetings to citizens who do not have access to a reliable Internet connection or sufficient hardware. It will also impact those who chose not to interact with these modes of communication and are therefore not "tech savvy". If this bill encouraged public meetings to have the option for people to have a virtual option in addition to meeting in a physical space, that would expand freedom of speech and expression. This bill, however, restricts the options that people have to attend public meetings and is therefore anti-free speech and anti-liberty in orientation.

• Pro-libertySB 318extending the hours in which games of chance may be conducted.YEA OTP
  Why

  This bill expands the hours during which games of chance may be conducted.

  * This bill extends the hours in which games of chance may be conducted, lessening an onerous restriction on those businesses that choose to engage in legal gambling.

• Anti-libertySB 338enabling municipalities to adopt a municipal occupancy fee.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill allows municipalities to add a new local occupancy tax.

  * This bill adds yet another tax to NH visitors, and will deter tourism in NH and hurt small businesses statewide that benefit from increased tourism.
  * This bill will tax visitors for services that they will likely not use. Municipalities already have the ability to tax for the services they provide and do not need the ability to create new taxes.

• Pro-libertySB 393relative to the use of restraints on pregnant women in the custody of a state or county correctional facility.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, establishes procedures for the use of restraints on pregnant women in county or state correctional custody.

  * This bill seeks to affirm the concept that a stressful environment can have negative effects on a child when they are in the womb and that a child's life should not be jeopardized because of the mistakes of the mother. It also affirms the basic human dignity that should be granted to a woman when she is in that state. Even criminals deserve basic human decency including measures such as these.

• Anti-libertySB 404establishing a supplemental nutrition assistance program.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill establishes a supplemental nutrition assistance program outreach program.

  * This bill seeks to encourage more people to become dependent on federal money rather than empowering themselves to fund their own expenses or to seek assistance from private charities that are more than willing to provide relief in a non-coercive way. While this will not increase state taxes directly, it will still have an impact on federal tax rates and will funnel private funds that could have been better spent directly helping those in need.

• Anti-libertySB 407relative to expanding Medicaid to include certain postpartum health care services and making an appropriation therefor.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill expands Medicaid.

  * This bill is a blatant expansion of entitlement spending. It takes by force from the taxpayer and subsidizes individuals who did not plan for or provide for the expenses incurred with having children.
  * This is an expense that should not be borne by those who made responsible choices; instead those in need should seek the readily available charities for their assistance.
  * This bill creates even more dependency on the state and unnecessarily increases the burden of the already heavily encumbered and coerced taxpayer.
  * This bill is initially expected to accelerate spending by up to $1 million per year in perpetuity.

• Anti-libertySB 420establishing an extraordinary need grant for schools.NAY OTP
  Why

  This bill increases state education spending by forcing state taxpayers to provide additional education subsidies beyond what is required for an adequate education.

  * This bill would spend millions more unnecessarily on education at the expense of the taxpayer with no clear benefit or acccountability.

• Pro-libertySB 435relative to the net operating loss carryover under the business profits tax.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, would correct a 'bug' in the business profits tax that currently makes New Hampshire non-competitive with most (or all) other states.

  * Under current law, a business that derives profits from activity both inside and outside of New Hampshire must apportion those profits in a manner that attempts to fairly determine the fraction of profits that are associated with New Hampshire activity and thus subject to the NH business profits tax. Similarly, when a business has a net operating loss, the same apportionment is used to determine the impact of the loss. A portion of the losses may be carried forward to offset profits in future years until the loss is consumed or until 10 years have elapsed. However, under current law, the apportioning calculation gets applied both in the year when the loss occurred, and again in subsequent years as the loss is consumed — potentially dramatically reducing the ability to deduct losses.
  * This bill would ensure that the apportioning calculation is only done once, preventing inadvertent reduction in loss calculation and ensuring that taxes are not collected on transient profits that are offset by losses.

31 bills with no position.

Read the full Gold Standard

• Anti-libertyHB 103establishing a dental benefit under the state Medicaid program.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, will increase state spending by providing adults in the Medicaid program with dental coverage.

  * This program provides able-bodied adults in New Hampshire with taxpayer-funded dental coverage at taxpayer expense.
  * This bill would cost state taxpayers initially $2 million per year and more when state and federal spending are considered.
  * Expanded state-controlled dental benefits will slowly crowd out private solutions and provide another government-controlled item that can be used as a carrot and stick to force the population to conform to state-dictated behaviors.

• Anti-libertyHB 147relative to assault against an elderly person.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, continues a dangerous trend of seeking to elevate punishment for all crimes to higher levels of punishment.

  * Assault is a serious crime and already treated that way under currently law. Adding a special status for certain categories of victims is a never-ending spiral of enhanced victimhood that allows for prosecutorial 'charge stacking' that increases the risk of an innocent party accepting a plea deal in order to avoid significant punishment for a crime they did not commit.

• Anti-libertyHB 166relative to safety requirements for pools on foreclosed residential property.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill requires that any pool, spa, or other water feature structure (excluding surface waters like ponds, lakes, etc.) on the premises of a foreclosed residential property have an approved cover or net.

  * This bill would require a potentially expensive cover on foreclosed property pools without consideration of other safety features that may be present (e.g. tall fences, locked gates, etc.).
  * The state could reduce the risk of foreclosed property hazards by cutting spending, allowing property taxes to be reduced and thus reducing the risk of foreclosure.

• Anti-libertyHB 167relative to net energy metering limits for customer generators and the purchase of output of limited electrical energy producers.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill would increase costs for New Hampshire ratepayers.

  * This bill subsidizes businesses and municipalities that choose to operate large-scale energy generation facilities by increasing the subsidized net metering cap from the current 1 megawatt limit up to 5 megawatts.
  * The recipients of these subsidies will get millions more at the expense of others without providing any substantial benefits to the grid, as the energy from these systems is often intermittent.
  * Net metering subsidies for renewables may no longer make sense as studies claim that solar energy is cheaper than fossil fuels. If this is true, then operators of these facilities already have a significant competitive advantage and would not require subsidy to be profitable.
  * This bill has essentially no impact on individual homeowner use of net metering as the existing threshold of 1 megawatt is already approximately 100 times larger (as compared to a 10 kilowatt system) than what a typical homeowner is capable of generating via rooftop solar (<a href=https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/10kw-solar-systems-are-becoming-very-popular-here-is-why>www.solarreviews.com/blog/10kw-solar-systems-are-becoming-very-popular-here-is-why</a>).

• Anti-libertyHB 172establishing greenhouse gas emission reduction goals for the state and establishing a climate action plan.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill sets onerous emissions goals on New Hampshire businesses, residents, and government.

  * This bill would increase the already-high energy costs for individuals and businesses in the State of New Hampshire.
  * It would require the state to adopt policies to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions to at least 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2025, at least 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2035, and net zero by 2050. Further, it would discourage adoption of carbon sequestration technology that would allow net negative carbon emissions by capping emissions to be no greater than a level that is 85 percent below the 1990 level.
  * By setting goals irrespective of population, this bill would encourage future anti-immigration policies — potentially resulting in individuals being discouraged from moving to NH and therefore at a planetary level may result in increased emissions in other geographic regions that have less efficient energy production than New Hampshire.

• Pro-libertyHB 237relative to the legalization and regulation of cannabis and making appropriations therefor.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill eliminates penalties for limited personal possession and home cultivation of cannabis for adults 21 and older.

  * This bill would increase personal freedom by allowing adults 21 and older to possess and give away (but not sell) up to one ounce of cannabis, five grams of concentrated cannabis, and infused products with 500 milligrams of THC outside of their homes; and securely cultivate up to six plants, three of which could be mature (with a household limit of 12 total, six mature), and possess the cannabis produced by their plants at home.
  * Further, the bill would enable the establishment of retail cannabis stores.
  * Legalization would not only prevent innocent people from having their lives significantly impacted by minor possession arrests, but would also reduce the expense of the criminal justice system, allowing police and prosecutors to focus on serious crimes where innocent people have been victimized.
  * Polls have shown 2/3 of Granite Staters and 2/3 of Americans support legalizing cannabis.
  * While the bill creates new taxes and regulatory infrastructure, this compromise is a substantial improvement over current law, which subjects people to criminal penalty and potential destruction of their livelihood for victimless behavior.

• Anti-libertyHB 255relative to limited liability for institutions of higher education and businesses.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, effectively bans private entities from requiring COVID-19 vaccines as a condition of employment.

  * This well-intentioned bill attempts to respond to federal overreach of COVID mandates by requiring that businesses, clubs, and religious organizations unconditionally accept employees' objections on the basis of personal conscience, a religious belief, or medical reasons. Underlying this bill is an assumption that individuals have a right to be employed by a specific organization and therefore that inclusion of a vaccine requirement is compelling the individual in a manner similar to the power of the state. New Hampshire generally remains an at-will employment state and this bill would erode that.
  * The bill infringes on freedom of association by requiring employers to remain associated with employees who exercise their right not to receive vaccination.
  * While it’s tempting to view all employers as large multinational crony actors, this bill does not limit state response only to large employers. It would apply even to a two-employee home healthcare agency that would like to offer services of vaccinated employees based on a belief that there is a market demand for this service as part of pursuing a strategy of 'focused protection', as suggested by the signers of the Great Barrington Declaration and others.
  * This bill protects employers from the negative consequences of the market by prohibiting them from taking actions that may ultimately cost them employees and customers.
  * The State of New Hampshire is exercising its proper role of protecting citizens from federal overreach by joining lawsuits that are in opposition to these federal mandates. The state should not pursue its own attempt at mandating behavior of private actors in the market.
  * This bill may have unintended consequences. Under the OSHA rules employers must evaluate requests for accomodation, granting or denying. While this puts employers in a difficult position, and some employers may not seriously consider their responsibility, there is a significant risk that the outcome of this bill would be additional federal meddling that looks to supplant the judgment of all employers. According to OSHA (<a href=http://www.osha.gov/coronavirus/ets2/faqs>www.osha.gov/coronavirus/ets2/faqs</a>), <I>"In particular, OSHA intends for the ETS to preempt and invalidate any State or local requirements that ban or limit an employer’s authority to require vaccination, face covering, or testing. State and local requirements that prohibit employers from implementing employee vaccination mandates, or from requiring face coverings in workplaces, serve as a barrier to OSHA’s implementation of this ETS, and to the protection of America’s workforce from COVID-19."</I> While we support state efforts to nullify federal laws that exceed federal authority, the existing employer exemption process coupled with the risk of even greater federal involvement provides substantial risk of an outcome that is worse than the current situation.

• Pro-libertyHB 275relative to the governor's power to initiate a state of emergency and various emergency powers.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, makes modest revisions to state of emergency powers requiring that the legislature act if it is to be extended beyond 84 days.

  * Under current law, a state of emergency can be renewed indefinitely by the governor, with the legislature only given the option to cancel it. With the proposed committee amendment of this bill, the legislature is forced to go on record to extend the significant expansion of state power inherent in the state of emergency if it continues beyond 84 days.
  * While this is only a modest change, the residents of the state deserve to have their elected officials on record, one way or another. Absent this, it is difficult for voters to hold the legislature accountable, as individual legislators can claim to have held nearly any position that voters would have liked to have seen.

• Pro-libertyHB 355relative to Keno.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, allows retail locations that are allowed to sell lottery tickets to sell Keno tickets in jurisdictions that have voted to allow Keno.

  * This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, opens up new revenue streams for struggling small businesses in NH.
  * Keno is an extension of the NH Lotto and should not be restricted to a select few business types. Any business competent to sell NH Lotto tickets can also operate a Keno game with very little instructions and training. This bill is a natural extension to the already abundant NH Lottery system.
  * NH residents often cross the border to play Keno in MA. This bill will help keep that money within the state.
  * While a less restrictive approach than the current government monopoly would be preferable, this bill offers a modest improvement by reducing a state restriction and allowing a wider range of actors to operate in the market.

• Pro-libertyHB 414relative to evacuations under a state of emergency.NAY ITL
  Why

  This bill permits the governor to recommend but not compel an evacuation and stipulates that emergency services shall not be required for those who have chosen not to evacuate.

  * Even during an emergency or natural disaster, individuals must be free to decide how best to protect themselves and their families. An individual's right to their own life doesn't end during an emergency.
  * People are primarily responsible for their own personal safety, and they should never give up that responsibility, especially to government officials.

• Anti-libertyHB 517relative to the state minimum hourly rate.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill establishes a state-dictated minimum wage that automatically elevates each year.

  * Minimum wage laws decrease the number of entry-level jobs and make it harder for people of low skill to get their start in the workforce.
  * Higher wages for everyone are better accomplished through job creation — more jobs mean more competition to hire all workers.
  * Employers and employees should be free to negotiate the terms of employment without interference.
  * Economic conditions and cost of living vary dramatically across the state. A "one-size-fits-all" approach to a minimum wage will put unreasonable pressure on areas of the state with limited employment opportunities and lower costs of living.
  * The very idea of a minimum wage is patronizing and demeaning as it implies that individuals don't know how much they're worth and are incapable of negotiating with an employer.

• Pro-libertyHB 579requiring notice to the public before immigration checkpoints are conducted.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill requires local law enforcement give public notice when a federal agency intends to conduct an immigration
  checkpoint.

  * Part 1, Article 19 of the New Hampshire Constitution notes the "..right to be secure from all unreasonable searches and seizures of his person, his houses, his papers, and all his possessions." In STATE v. KOPPEL (1985), the NH Supreme Court noted that <i>"Stopping and detaining an automobile and its occupants, whether by roving patrol or roving roadblock, constitutes a seizure within the meaning of article 19 of our State Constitution."</i>
  * In STATE v. HUNT (2007), the Supreme Court found <i>"To justify the search or seizure of a motor vehicle, absent probable cause or even a reasonable suspicion that a criminal offense is being committed, the State must prove that its conduct significantly advances the public interest in a manner that outweighs the accompanying intrusion on individual rights. It must further prove that no less intrusive means are available to accomplish the State's goal."</i>. Checkpoints at the border are clearly less intrusive than random stops of people traveling within the state. While the federal government may not be bound by the NH Constitution, our state law enforcement officers are and should take every effort to minimize undesired infringement and seizure.
  * Notification is consistent with the approach New Hampshire uses for sobriety checkpoints.

• Anti-libertyHB 592requiring bond from pharmaceutical companies providing vaccines.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill would deprive New Hampshire residents of the choice to receive vaccinations for COVID-19.

  * This bill uses a poorly-thought-out approach to assign responsibility to a vaccine manufacturer for injury to a party. As written, an individual who falls ill due to food poisoning 5 days after receipt of a vaccine and has a single doctor that asserts it was due to the vaccine would likely be due monetary compensation.
  * Requiring compensation for lost work time from modest and known side effects would be an unprecedented level of interference in health care. Nearly all medications and treatments have risks of side effects.
  * The burden of proof and level of inconvenience mandated by this bill is so low that it would likely have the effect of forcing NH residents to travel out of state in order to choose treatment.
  * While the appropriate motion for this bill is ITL, IS is acceptable.

• Pro-libertyHB 597relative to the expectation of privacy.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, provides for accountability for some instances of government intrusion of privacy.

  * In 2019, over 80% of New Hampshire voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the State Constitution enshrining an explicit "right to privacy", adding Part 1, Article 2-b "An individual's right to live free from governmental intrusion in private or personal information is natural, essential, and inherent.". This bill is a small first step at providing for accountability for invasion of privacy.
  * This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, would prohibit the government or government contractor from acquiring, collecting, retaining, or using personal information with broad exclusions for emergencies, warrants signed by a judge, and activities explicitly called for by law. This prohibition is backed by the hazard of misdemeanor charges for corporations/non-natural persons and a violation for natural persons. In addition, a person who suffers injury as a result of invasions of privacy is entitled to a civil remedy under this bill.

• Pro-libertyHB 607establishing local education savings accounts for students.YEA OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, with the proposed committee amendment, establishes an option for local school districts to adopt "local education freedom accounts"
  to establish locally funded accounts for students seeking other education options.

  * This is enabling legislation that allows a super majority (60%) of voters in a district to adopt an education funding option that will allow 80% of the local per-student costs (minus special education funding) to follow the student to an alternate education environment.
  * The local education freedom account is a mutually-exclusive alternate program to the existing state-funded education freedom account that allows local districts the option to have local funds follow the student instead of state funds.
  * This new option will further shift the locus of control from government bureaucrats to families — allowing parents additional options for their children based on their individual education needs. It uses funds that the school district has already dedicated for education on a per-pupil basis.
  * The current education system has failed to keep pace with the evolving improvements that are happening around the world. Shifting power from a government monopoly to families choosing options in a market will spur innovation (e.g. online education, competency-based education, etc.). Having accountability rest directly on those who bear the consequences of a school's performance is superior to top-down regulatory accountability.

• Pro-libertyHB 629relative to the home cultivation of cannabis plants and the possession of certain cannabis-infused products.NAY IS
  Why

  This bill legalizes adult possession of small amounts of cannabis.

  * This bill would make it legal for adults 21 and older to possess up to 3/4 ounce of cannabis, five grams of hashish, and up to 300 mg of cannabis-infused products, and to cultivate up to six plants (including up to 3 mature plants) in a secure location.
  * The bill does not impose any taxes or create any new bureaucracy.
  * All neighboring jurisdictions have legalized possession and cultivation of cannabis for adults; Granite Staters should not have less freedom with regard to cannabis than adults in Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, and Canada.

• Anti-libertyHB 65requiring food service establishments to establish food allergy awareness procedures.YEA IS
  Why

  This bill requires that all food service establishments must have a certified food protection manager available at all hours.

  * Many restaurants are already choosing to cater to the needs of customers with food allergies and sensitivities, both to improve business, and to protect against liability. General mandates, like this one, have unintended consequences and are often poorly suited to situations in which they are applied.
  * The position of food production manager was added by HHS to regulations in 2019, and is not codified into current law.
  * Current New Hampshire law exempts locally-licensed food service establishments and food retail stores from state licensure. This bill overrides that longstanding policy, and local control, by directly imposing HHS regulations on locally-licensed establishments.
  * If a person is allergic, informing the restaurant before ordering is common sense. To mandate that private parties place signs explaining common sense is an unlimited and unending task, and not an appropriate role of the state.
  * While the ideal motion for this bill is ITL, IS is acceptable.

• Anti-libertyHB 92establishing a committee to study best practices for companion animal groomers.YEA ITL
  Why

  This study committee has a stated purpose of studying licensure of companion animal groomers.

  * Barriers like these make it harder for people to find jobs and build new businesses that create jobs, particularly those of lesser means.
  * The only certainty about licensure is that it manufactures political patronage jobs in the regulatory bureaucracy and reduces competition by restricting free entry into an occupation — thereby bestowing unearned profits upon those who are already licensed.

• Anti-libertySB 44(New Title) establishing the New Hampshire workforce pathway program.YEA ITL
  Why

  This bill grows the scope of the existing government-sponsored job training program and will result in additional demand for taxpayer funds for centrally-planned job training.

  * While government-sponsored job training programs are effective at spending taxpayer money, there is little evidence that they have any lasting impacts. Taxpayers have been funding jobs programs since the 1960s, yet federal auditors can find little evidence that they are effective: Government Accountability Office, "Multiple Employment and Training Programs," GAO-11-92, January 2011, p. 11 (<a href=https://www.gao.gov/new.items/d1192.pdf>www.gao.gov/new.items/d1192.pdf</a>).
  * The state should not have a role in determining the training that businesses will require.
  * While the bill does not appropriate any new funds, it grows the constituency and argument for additional spending on the fund.

• Anti-libertySB 92relative to increasing the penalty for criminal mischief, the release of a defendant pending trial, and requiring law enforcement candidate background checks.NAY OTP/A
  Why

  This bill, even with the proposed committee amendment, rolls back critical protections to due process rights in New Hampshire.

  * This bill further encroaches on the fundamental principle that all defendants are innocent until <i>proven</i> guilty. This means the judicial behavior must be heavily biased in favor of freedom of the defendant to defend themselves, not in the convenience of the state.
  * Under this bill (proposed 572:2 (1)), an individual who is accused of a felony while in possession of a firearm, even if that possession was incidental and unrelated to the crime, would be denied access to the speedy bail commissioner process and would instead be held for up to 36 hours waiting for a formal arraignment.
  * This legislation puts the burden of proof on the defendant and not the state in proving why the accused should be held pre-trial. The state should have to prove why a defendant should be held, not the other way around.
  * Presumption of innocence is violated throughout this bill. Broadly declaring that a defendant “shall” be held takes away judicial discretion in assessing the individual case. This treats all accused as equal threats to communities and takes a top-down approach when a more targeted response may be appropriate.

69 bills with no position.

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