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New month, new committee hearing. Thread for today's MCG Zoom starts here. #NHPoliticsPermalink On twitter.com
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OK we’re getting started here with HB431, the Elected Animal Control Officer bill, which is basically just about Danville. I’m expecting some drama here. #NHPoliticsPermalink On twitter.com
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Scott Wallace, a representative from Danville, is introducing the bill to us. Some journalist should write up a deep dive on Danville’s whole saga here, like, how they came to have the only elected ACO in NH, why they keep going back and forth on it, etc. #NHPoliticsPermalink On twitter.com
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Natch Greyes from the NHMA is back again this week to suggest a minor amendment to HB431. #NHPoliticsOn twitter.com
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Some confusion about who’s supposed to be testifying next here…Permalink On twitter.com
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Sheila Johannesen, the ACO being targeted by this bill here, is now getting her turn to testify. Let’s hear what she has to say…Permalink On twitter.com
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She’s kinda losing me here…Permalink On twitter.com
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ok NOW she’s getting into core of her testimonyPermalink On twitter.com
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lol the chair is warning her not to assign motive to other representatives… the sparks are starting to fly!Permalink On twitter.com
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I still don’t don’t really feel like I’ve got a complete grasp on what exactly the underlying conflict is here prompting all this conflict over the Animal Control Office in Danville… did someone’s dog die or something?Permalink On twitter.com
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Now Stacey Ober of the American Kennel Club is testifying in favor of HB431… well that was brief.Permalink On twitter.com
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her handle is @OberSober for referencePermalink On twitter.com
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Now Justine Merced, a police officer in Danville, is testifying in favor of HB431. She doesn’t like how the police office gets calls about animals and she can’t just transfer them to the animal control officer since that office is not part of the police office in Danville.Permalink On twitter.com
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Officer Merced gets her own warning from the chair about impugning the motives of other testifiers! We're running out of time though, so I guess we won't get to see that develop further...Permalink On twitter.com
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Onto HB439 now… this is one of those bills that the Reopen nutters have all been emailing us about. They don’t like towns being able to issue mask mandates. Oh boo hoo! #NHPoliticsPermalink On twitter.com
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Natch Greyes from the NHMA is still here; they oppose HB439.Permalink On twitter.com
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Karen Testerman, Sununu’s failed primary challenger from last year, is now testifying in favor of HB439.Permalink On twitter.com
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So @TimothyHorrigan was supposed to testify against this bill (HB439), but didn’t show… what happened, Tim?!Permalink On twitter.com
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Instead a different Tim (Timothy McNamara) is testifying against the bill instead.Permalink On twitter.com
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He’s mayor of @LebNH apparentlyPermalink On twitter.com
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Now Nancy Vaughan of the @American_Heart Association is testifying against HB439; they like local decision-making and want communities to be able to make good policy on their own.Permalink On twitter.com
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Now @EppingRep Cody Belanger is testifying in favor of HB439. Besides mask-wearing, he also brought up the case of the protestors by Sununu’s house in Newfields.Permalink On twitter.com
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ok Rep. Stavis beat me to my question to himPermalink On twitter.com
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Now Representative Hatch is introducing HB463 to us, which would make the town clerk of Gorham appointed by its board of selectmen. #NHPoliticsPermalink On twitter.com
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Town Manager Denise Vallee of Gorham is taking over for him now.Permalink On twitter.com
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ok she gave her points… now Kelly Roberts of Deerfield is testifying against HB463, because apparently she’s in a similar position with her own elected office in Deerfield.Permalink On twitter.com
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her handle is @KellyRobertsNH for referencePermalink On twitter.com
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Now Deputy Secretary of State @davidmscanlan is testifying against HB463. He argues that the process for becoming a clerk is fine as it is.Permalink On twitter.com
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Now Daniel Healey, Derry Town Clerk, is here representing the NH Town Clerks’ Association, and they oppose HB463 for reasons stated by previous testifiers.Permalink On twitter.com
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Ok moving on from that… now Rep. Ellen Read (a fellow Progressive Caucus member) is here to introduce HB467 to us, which has to do with current use tax assessment for land used for non-native non-domesticated animals (i.e. private hunting reserves for exotic animals) #NHPoliticsPermalink On twitter.com
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This one has generated a lot of interest among emailers, so it’ll be interested to hear what the conflict over this one is rooted in.Permalink On twitter.com
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I am finding her arguments very convincing! Let’s kill the tax breaks for these private exotic animal hunting grounds! #NHPoliticsPermalink On twitter.com
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Hm, apparently there is no Wikipedia article on Corbin Park yet; if some NH journalist wants to do some investigation into it so we can have a source to cite when writing a Wikipedia article on it, I’d appreciate it. #NHPoliticsPermalink On twitter.com
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actually apparently there are already some things written about it: @GraniteGeek/1158727793649299456?s=20Permalink On twitter.com
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more on Corbin Park: @SamEBNHPR/1105084575389270016?s=20Permalink On twitter.com
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one more: @GraniteGeek/1216735846184947712?s=20Permalink On twitter.com
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Now @rosemarierung is testifying before our committee in support of HB467. Giver her her own committee assignment back, Speaker Packard! #NHPoliticsPermalink On twitter.com
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Apparently Corbin Park’s actual name is the Blue Mountain Forest & Game Preserve; thank you Rep. Rung for pointing me to this additional thread to pull on!Permalink On twitter.com
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Now Rep. James Mason is testifying against HB467; he thinks the current definition of “current use” is fine as it is.Permalink On twitter.com
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…yes, Rep. Mason, we know it’d end the current “current use” status for Corbin Park, that’s the point of the bill.Permalink On twitter.com
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I’m sorry but I am just incapable of any sympathy of the supposed hardships Rep. Mason is concerned about here. Being unable to hunt pheasants? Oh no, the horror!Permalink On twitter.com
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Next up is Tara Gitau of the NH Wildlife Federation. They oppose HB467 because they like hunting.Permalink On twitter.com
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That was quick. Now Robert Johnson of the NH Farm Bureau is testifying against HB467… also quickly.Permalink On twitter.com
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Joseph Mullin of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation opposes HB467.Permalink On twitter.com
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That’s @CSF_Joe of @HunterandAngler for reference.Permalink On twitter.com
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Jasen Stock of the NH Timberland Owners’ Association is here to testify against HB467. He was here previously on February 8th to testify against HB404, the anti-perambulation bill: @cooljeanius/1358836769161158659?s=20 (we subsequently killed that bill later, for reference)Permalink On twitter.com
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Scott Rouleau of Hillsborough is the chair of the New England Chapter of @pheasants4ever and he opposes HB467.Permalink On twitter.com
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Lawrence Keane of Sunapee and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (@NSSF) opposes HB467.Permalink On twitter.com
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Donald McFarlane of Orange, NH has a British accent and opposes HB467.Permalink On twitter.com
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Who the heck makes their decision on where to live on current use tax law language? What a weirdo.Permalink On twitter.com
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Mr. MacFarlane is ranting about socialism, and, as I am a dues-paying member of the Democratic Socialists of America, this argument is not doing very well with me.Permalink On twitter.com
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Nancy Holmes of New Boston opposes HB467 too.Permalink On twitter.com
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oh no the poor persecuted rich people… boo hoo. 🙄Permalink On twitter.com
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Jake McGuigan is testifying against HB467, and apparently I made a mistake previously characterizing James Mason as a representative earlier… apparently he’s actually the new Executive Director of Fish & Game.Permalink On twitter.com
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Also Peter Crowell got in some testimony while I was typing that but I kinda missed it… oh well, lunch now!Permalink On twitter.com
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ok we’re back; onto HB486 nowPermalink On twitter.com
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whoa, apparently the blue sheets numbers for HB467 were actually a majority in favor of it; wouldn’t have guessed that from the testimony and emails we’ve been gettingPermalink On twitter.com
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Anyways Rep. Sallie Fellows is introducing HB486 to us nowPermalink On twitter.com
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HB486 is property tax relief for low and moderate income homeownersPermalink On twitter.com
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Jeff McLynch of the New Hampshire School Funding Fairness Project (@fairfundingnh) supports HB486, so, that’s good enough for me; I’m on board.Permalink On twitter.com
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oh we’re going directly to executive session on it? OK.Permalink On twitter.com
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…and HB486 passes as OTP unanimously, 19-0. Since it has a Fiscal Note (“FN”) it goes onto the Finance Committee next, instead of the consent calendar.Permalink On twitter.com
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er wait procedural confusion; I might be wrong about where it’s headed. Anyways @caseymconley should be here to introduce HB512 now, but apparently Rep. Maggiore can’t find him on this call…Permalink On twitter.com
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HB512 is about emergency housing assistance, and Rep. Conley has just arrived, so he’ll introduce it to us now.Permalink On twitter.com
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HB512 would prevent housing code inspections from being required as a condition for emergency housing assistance. This is intended to make it easier for evicted people to find new housing.Permalink On twitter.com
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er, wait, I got that slightly wrong: this is about emergency funds for a place where someone already lives, NOT for someone finding a new place to livePermalink On twitter.com
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Next up is Elliott Berry of @NHJustice4All testifying in support of HB512. He says that under normal conditions he would not normally support this bill, but the emergency conditions of the pandemic make it necessary for now.Permalink On twitter.com
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Blue sheet numbers are 91 to 3 in favor of HB512; that’s a pretty big margin!Permalink On twitter.com
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Last bill for our committee today HB545, which Larry Laflamme is introducing to us now. #NHPoliticsPermalink On twitter.com
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HB545 would allow the use of out-of-state banks by municipal and county treasurers. I kinda wish we could just do Paul Hodes’ idea to create a state-run bank instead, but that’d probably require a lot more work to get right…Permalink On twitter.com
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Kate Horgan of the County Association is testifying in support of HB545.Permalink On twitter.com
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Anyone know whether @larry_laflamme or @larryllaflamme1 is the correct handle for Rep. Laflamme?Permalink On twitter.com
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Carrie Klebe testified while I was searching there but I kind of missed it; anyways now Tim Felter is testifying in favor of HB545. He’s with Newburyport Bank.Permalink On twitter.com
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Now Christie (Christy?) Merrill (sp?) with the New Hampshire Bankers Association is testifying about this bill; they are requesting an amendment to allow for a study committee.Permalink On twitter.com
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she has Robert Dietel from @gcglaw with her as counsel, btw. (Reminder that since the “Gallagher” of @gcglaw has an “h” in their last name, they’re of no relation to me)Permalink On twitter.com
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ok now it’s time for executive session on a bunch of stuffPermalink On twitter.com
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First up is HB439, the one taking power away from towns because Reopeners don’t like mask mandates.Permalink On twitter.com
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HB439 OTPs along party lines, 10-9. Boo.Permalink On twitter.com
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I’m trying to get HB467 tabled so we can have more time to discuss and improve it… doesn’t look like it will happen thoughPermalink On twitter.com
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Motion to table fails 13-6… oh well.Permalink On twitter.com
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…and the motion to ITL it passes, 17-2 (@LathaMangipudi and I were the 2). Sorry, Reps. Read and Rung, we tried!Permalink On twitter.com
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I’m making mistakes here on bill numbers and vote counts that I’ve had to delete; I’m going to stop now and leave stuff up to the clerk.Permalink On twitter.com
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ok we’ve adjourned now; time to lie down and play some Animal Crossing…Permalink On twitter.com
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