-
New month, new committee hearing. Thread for today's MCG Zoom starts here. #NHPoliticsPermalink On twitter.com
❤️ 1 Favorite
Mood 0
-
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
Mood 0
-
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
Mood +2 🙂
-
Natch Greyes from the NHMA is back again this week to suggest a minor amendment to HB431. #NHPoliticsPermalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
Some confusion about who’s supposed to be testifying next here…Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
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
Mood 0
-
She’s kinda losing me here…Permalink On twitter.com
Mood -3 🙁
-
ok NOW she’s getting into core of her testimonyPermalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
lol the chair is warning her not to assign motive to other representatives… the sparks are starting to fly!Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
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
Mood -5 🙁
-
Now Stacey Ober of the American Kennel Club is testifying in favor of HB431… well that was brief.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood +2 🙂
-
her handle is @OberSober for referencePermalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
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
Mood +4 🙂
-
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
Mood -3 🙁
-
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
Mood +2 🙂
-
Natch Greyes from the NHMA is still here; they oppose HB439.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
Karen Testerman, Sununu’s failed primary challenger from last year, is now testifying in favor of HB439.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
So @TimothyHorrigan was supposed to testify against this bill (HB439), but didn’t show… what happened, Tim?!Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
Instead a different Tim (Timothy McNamara) is testifying against the bill instead.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
He’s mayor of @LebNH apparentlyPermalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
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
❤️ 1 Favorite
Mood +6 🙂
-
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
Mood +2 🙂
-
ok Rep. Stavis beat me to my question to himPermalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
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
Mood 0
-
Town Manager Denise Vallee of Gorham is taking over for him now.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
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
❤️ 1 Favorite
Mood 0
-
her handle is @KellyRobertsNH for referencePermalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
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
Mood +2 🙂
-
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
Mood 0
-
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
Mood 0
-
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
Mood +1 🙂
-
I am finding her arguments very convincing! Let’s kill the tax breaks for these private exotic animal hunting grounds! #NHPoliticsPermalink On twitter.com
❤️ 1 Favorite
Mood -3 🙁
-
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
Mood +1 🙂
-
actually apparently there are already some things written about it: @GraniteGeek/1158727793649299456?s=20Permalink On twitter.com
❤️ 1 Favorite
Mood 0
-
more on Corbin Park: @SamEBNHPR/1105084575389270016?s=20Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
one more: @GraniteGeek/1216735846184947712?s=20Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
Now @rosemarierung is testifying before our committee in support of HB467. Giver her her own committee assignment back, Speaker Packard! #NHPoliticsPermalink On twitter.com
❤️ 3 Favorites
Mood +2 🙂
-
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
❤️ 1 Favorite
Mood +2 🙂
-
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
Mood +2 🙂
-
…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
Mood 0
-
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
Mood -6 🙁
-
Next up is Tara Gitau of the NH Wildlife Federation. They oppose HB467 because they like hunting.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood +2 🙂
-
That was quick. Now Robert Johnson of the NH Farm Bureau is testifying against HB467… also quickly.On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
Joseph Mullin of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation opposes HB467.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
That’s @CSF_Joe of @HunterandAngler for reference.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
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
Mood -3 🙁
-
Scott Rouleau of Hillsborough is the chair of the New England Chapter of @pheasants4ever and he opposes HB467.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
Lawrence Keane of Sunapee and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (@NSSF) opposes HB467.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
Donald McFarlane of Orange, NH has a British accent and opposes HB467.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
Who the heck makes their decision on where to live on current use tax law language? What a weirdo.Permalink On twitter.com
❤️ 1 Favorite
Mood 0
-
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
❤️ 1 Favorite
Mood 0
-
Nancy Holmes of New Boston opposes HB467 too.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
oh no the poor persecuted rich people… boo hoo. 🙄Permalink On twitter.com
Mood -3 🙁
-
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
Mood -2 🙁
-
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
Mood -2 🙁
-
ok we’re back; onto HB486 nowPermalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
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
Mood +2 🙂
-
Anyways Rep. Sallie Fellows is introducing HB486 to us nowPermalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
HB486 is property tax relief for low and moderate income homeownersPermalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
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
Mood +7 🙂
-
oh we’re going directly to executive session on it? OK.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
…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
❤️ 1 Favorite
Mood +2 🙂
-
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
Mood -2 🙁
-
HB512 is about emergency housing assistance, and Rep. Conley has just arrived, so he’ll introduce it to us now.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood -2 🙁
-
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
Mood -3 🙁
-
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
Mood -4 🙁
-
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
❤️ 1 Favorite
Mood +2 🙂
-
Blue sheet numbers are 91 to 3 in favor of HB512; that’s a pretty big margin!Permalink On twitter.com
Mood +4 🙂
-
Last bill for our committee today HB545, which Larry Laflamme is introducing to us now. #NHPoliticsPermalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
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
Mood +2 🙂
-
Kate Horgan of the County Association is testifying in support of HB545.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood +2 🙂
-
Anyone know whether @larry_laflamme or @larryllaflamme1 is the correct handle for Rep. Laflamme?Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
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
Mood +2 🙂
-
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
Mood +1 🙂
-
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
Mood -1 🙁
-
ok now it’s time for executive session on a bunch of stuffPermalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
First up is HB439, the one taking power away from towns because Reopeners don’t like mask mandates.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood +2 🙂
-
HB439 OTPs along party lines, 10-9. Boo.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood 0
-
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
Mood +4 🙂
-
Motion to table fails 13-6… oh well.Permalink On twitter.com
Mood -2 🙁
-
…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
Mood -1 🙁
-
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
Mood -4 🙁
-
ok we’ve adjourned now; time to lie down and play some Animal Crossing…Permalink On twitter.com
❤️ 1 Favorite
Mood 0