When a House seat becomes open for any reason, the district affected may decide to hold a special election to fill it. Special elections are decided by who turns out to vote for a single candidate for a single office. The outcome gives that candidate and that party a leg up in the next, full…
Imminent peril is a legal concept meaning “certain danger, threatening, menacingly close at hand.” It seems to suggest that one can have no space for joy; that the situation requires immediate, all-consuming action to avoid disaster. And yet it is summer in New Hampshire, and imminent peril approaches in slow motion. The monster’s footfalls seem distant:…
REDISTRICTING MAPS Every ten years, after the census, every state must redraw its districts to reflect changes in population. In NH, the party in power controls re-districting. The governor twice vetoed attempts to make re-districting a fairer, less-partisan process. Consequences of redistricting in 2010Traditional Republicans controlled redistricting in 2010, which led to their legislative dominance last…
This session, the NH Liberty Alliance and other libertarians comprising the House “Freedom Caucus” drove measures so extreme that they contradict the groups’ own mission. NHLA policies claim to place individual choice before all else, but they banned free speech relating to racism or sexism. They claim to want transparent government, but voted against continuing public remote access…
Fundraising letters from the G.O.P. dropped the instant Governor Sununu signed the budget. Yet the signing happened in private, without the press coverage the governor is usually so fond of. Why? New Hampshire is a purple state. The parties are about evenly split, but more voters prefer to remain undeclared, somewhere between the extremes. Yet…
The G.O.P. budget appears certain to include BET/BPT cuts. This will be their 4th BPT and 3rd BET cut in a decade. BPT cuts go primarily to multinationals. BET cuts help less profitable firms with large payrolls. However, Concord is simultaneously cutting education aid to property-poor towns and revenue sharing and making other changes that increase…
A decade ago, I read a story in The Atlantic about a boy stranded at sea, in a boat that had been carefully crafted and tended by his grandfather, but neglected by his parents. The motor died and the dinghy was beginning to leak, amid tall waves, while he was still far from shore. I see…
Every two years, the Governor submits a budget plan, then the House generates a budget bill, which the Senate amends. The Senate Finance Committee passed its amended bill last week for consideration by the full Senate this Thursday, June 3, followed by reconciliation of the House and Senate versions in Committee of Conference. It both can pass the…
