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Headed down to Bedford for session today. This is stupid. #NHPolitics
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almost lost my water bottle already… I need to put a label on this thing…
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The wi-fi is kinda slow here... I guess that's from everyone using it...
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it got kinda worse after the clerk told us to do a test vote with our clickers... maybe their signal interferes? (I'm switching my phone to go over data until this wi-fi issue clears up)
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we’re kinda near the Manchester Airport, so I can hear planes going overhead occasionally
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ok they're saying not to use the wi-fi; I'm putting away my laptop now...
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(I'll continue using my phone over data though)
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Rep. Fox's resignation is accepted. Looks like we have another special election coming up soon. #NHPolitics
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why is this memorial for Rep. Hinch being done now? Last session would have been more timely. #NHPolitics
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oh yeah give Rep. Hinch all the credit for the tollbooth issue and water issue and completely ignore the work other reps like Wendy Thomas did on the issue, right. Eye roll moment. #NHPolitics
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HB188 (on council in juvenile court proceedings) is tabled despite having made it out of committee unanimously; wtf. #NHPolitics
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Max Abramson opposes a bill to ban paper billing fees (HB76FN); wtf. Rep. Abramson is wrong. Rep. Wazir is right in supporting it. #NHPolitics
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I have gotten paper statement fees myself and they suck, so this issue is personal to me. I will be opposing the motion to ITL HB76FN and would support a motion of OTP it if one is made. #NHPolitics
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motion to ITL HB76FN passes, killing the bill. Boo! Down with paper statement fees! #NHPolitics
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Next up is HB63, the one all the Reopen nutters have been emailing us about. They want to be allowed to violate COVID restrictions. I will be supporting this motion to table it. #NHPolitics
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Motion to table HB63 fails, meaning we're going to continue considering it. Boo. #NHPolitics
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Thank you Rep. Meuse for speaking out about the seriousness of this pandemic! #NHPolitics
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Is this Rep. seriously quoting the "there's a time for..." passage from Ecclesiastes in support of HB63? Ot could just as easily be used against it: "there's a time for emergency orders," etc. etc. #NHPolitics
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HB63 passes; oh well, at least we can count on the governor vetoing it (I hope)... #NHPolitics
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Next up is HB498, on the appointment of bail commissioners. It's to pay them when offenders are indigent. Other Democrats support this bill, but I dunno, we should be trying to get rid of bail, and continuing to pay commissioners seems to run counter to that... #NHPolitics
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Actually never mind, this is having the state make the payment instead of the defendant, so since it reduces the burden on defendants, I'll support it. #NHPolitics
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HB498 passes, so, yay, I guess. Onto HB615 which is the defelonization of drug possession bill that fellow progressives have been pushing... and we adopted it on a voice vote. Wow. That was easy. #NHPolitics
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Now we're onto HB96FN, which would reestablish an office of school counseling and psychology in the state Dept. of Education. Seems reasonable. I'll be supporting it and thus voting against the motion to ITL it. #NHPolitics
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Speaker Packard just said "the ayes have it" on a voice vote where I clearly heard the Nays more loudly; wtf. #NHPolitics
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Now we're onto HB613FN, which would create a risk pool for special education costs. I agree w/the Dem notes: Seems like an interesting idea, but needs more time to be considered. I'll be voting no on it for now. #NHPolitics
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Next up is HB121FN, the independent redistricting commission bill. This is a progressive priority that I support, so I'll be opposing the motion to ITL it. #NHPolitics
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...and the GOP has succeeded ITLed (killed) the independent redistricting commission along party lines. Oh well, we knew that was coming... #NHPolitics
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Now we're going to be voting on HB532FN, which would create an animal records database. I'll trust that the Dept. of Agriculture is correct to want it, and so I'll support it. #NHPolitics
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Next is HB91FN, which would establish a death benefit for first responders who die from suicide. Not too big a fan of giving the police more money, but since this goes to their families rather than the police themselves, I'll support it. #NHPolitics
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Oh, and I'll support this amendment to extend it to dispatchers, too. #NHPolitics
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Amendment fails but entire bill passes. Onto HB274FN now, which is on some fiddly details about the NH Retirement System. I need to listen on this one. #NHPolitics
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what's this about the phrase "going Dutch" being offensive? I haven't ever heard it before. #NHPolitics
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OTP-ing 274 fails; now a separate motion to ITL it... seems redundant... #NHPolitics
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Next up is HB425FN, which would create a chief information security officer in the department of information technology. Passes on voice vote. Lunchtime now! #NHPolitics
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Ok we're back, now onto some amendments to the House rules. Sounds like Rep. Prout is trying to overturn the governor's state of emergency that's declared for COVID. #NHPolitics
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"some people are so far away" well gee Speaker Packard, whose fault is that? #NHPolitics
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yay we defeated Rep. Prout's amendment. #NHPolitics
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Now we're voting on an amendment to rule 110 for better remote access rules for committee hearings. #NHPolitics
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Oh well, it failed. Now onto an amendment to rule 67 to allow remote access for people with documented medical conditions. Being presented as a compromise since we can't go full hybrid. #NHPolitics
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...and not even this compromise could pass! Wow, Republicans really want to disenfranchise people, don't they. #NHPolitics
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Someone wants to reconsider HB274, the retirement system bill we already voted on twice. Maybe because people are leaving? I dunno... I'm confused. #NHPolitics
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Now onto HB591FN, which is about liquor license fees. Or, an amendment about it, I guess? I'm not really clear on what the amendment does. #NHPolitics
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ok I swear I heard a call for a division vote before Speaker Packard gavelled this one. #NHPolitics
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Well we're getting a motion to reconsider at least, so there's that. #NHPolitics
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HB187 (a Health and Human Services one) passes 333-6; biggest margin I've seen on a roll call vote yet (we've probably had voice votes that were more controversial). #NHPolitics
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Next up is is HB246, on establishing protective orders for vulnerable adults. GOP wants to indefinitely postpone it. I'll be voting against their motion to indefinitely postpone it. #NHPolitics
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we ALREADY removed the gun portions of this bill, Rep. Burt, stop spreading FUD about it. #NHPolitics
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ugh, just ugh. #NHPolitics
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I have a headache. #NHPolitics
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Next up is HB420, relative to the use of funds in the drug forfeiture fund. I thought forfeiture was bad? Why are we being asked to vote ITL on this? #NHPolitics
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oh ok it's just about what forfeiture funds can be used for; I guess if we're going to have forfeiture, it's better to use money from it for prevention/treatment programs than for incarceration. #NHPolitics
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oh wait Tim Smith is having us reconsider this? I trust him and do think we could use a bit more time to discuss this one. #NHPolitics
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Oh wait apparently he didn't actually want to reconsider it, but rather just wanted to prevent it from coming back? Oops, I didn't quite pick up on that. Oh well, whatever, the motion to reconsider failed anyways, so it's a moot point. #NHPolitics
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ugh, I always hate abortion debates. They always drag on so long, and I have a short attention span. #NHPolitics
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motion to ITL HB625 fails; now onto the motion to OTP it. #NHPolitics
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Motion to OTP it succeeds, and the motion to reconsider it fails. Onto HB590FN, this term's paid sick time bill. You'd think COVID would awaken the GOP to the need for paid sick time, but unfortunately I doubt it. #NHPolitics
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Paid sick time bill is ITL-ed. Sigh. I need to remember to bring ibuprofen in the future. #NHPolitics
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Now we're onto the bills that came from my committee, Municipal & County Government! First up is HB459, the bill to punish local officials for mistakes in their accounting. It's a bad bill; I've already votes against it once and will do so again. #NHPolitics
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Thank you Rep. Stavis for the good explainer on why HB459 is bad. She's right, it IS mean-spirited! #NHPolitics
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Yay, we killed HB459 now! Onto HB586, the housing bill that generated all the interest among people emailing us. I support this bill; let's pass it. #NHPolitics
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...uh... we might be doing it tomorrow though? "Because some members are getting their COVID vaccine"... why can't we ALL put off votes we might miss due to getting vaccinated? #NHPolitics
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...ok, so we're doing it tomorrow, then. Fine. Onto the Science & Technology committee's bills. First up is a bill on renewable energy portfolio standards, HB614. It'd weaken renewable energy, so I oppose it. #NHPolitics
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boo, 614 passes... oh well, so much for renewable energy in New Hampshire... #NHPolitics
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Next up is HB624FN, which is possibly the last bill for today? It's about fees for gfyukl bdswrjko
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(sorry I'm tired)
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Speaker Packard is just blatantly ignoring our calling for a division vote again. He is so bad at this. #NHPolitics
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ok we finally got our division vote (or at least to reconsider); that still took more toothpulling than necessary though. #NHPolitics
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Motion to reconsider fails, so nvm then. Someone wants to special-order HB233 to today, so, I guess we're not actually done after all. Sigh. #NHPolitics
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Thank you Renny for motioning to recess! It's about time we got out of here! #NHPolitics
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I have made it back to Concord safely. I will not be taking questions at this time.