cooljeanius’s avatarcooljeanius’s Twitter Archive—№ 48,646

                                                                                1. House is back in session today so I'm headed back to Bedford; thread of my livetweets of it will start here. #NHPolitics
                                                                              1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                                                ok we're getting started now
                                                                            1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                                              Thanks for the prayer @AlexisSimpsonNH and for the guitar @LuciusParshall!
                                                                          1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                                            Consent calendar is passed; onto HB25... if this came out of committee unanimously, why didn't it get put on the consent calendar? #NHPolitics
                                                                        1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                                          oh wait it says: "This bill is on the regular calendar with a 20-0 vote because it is a budget bill" got it
                                                                      1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                                        HB25 passes unanimously on voice vote; yay funding!
                                                                    1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                                      Next is HB626 on historic horse racing. As a Methodist I'm morally opposed to gambling so I'll be voting against this. Gambling is a regressive form of income generation and preys on the poor and people with poor self-control (like me). #NHPolitics
                                                                  1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                                    Yes, charities and education could use more money, but we should be funding them with progressively-structured taxation rather than morally-questionable boondoggles like this "Historic Horse Racing" junk. HB626 is the wrong way to be going about generating revenue. #NHPolitics
                                                                1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                                  HB626 passes, which, well, fine. I'm not TOO mad because more revenue is more revenue, it just stinks that we have to be getting it in this particular manner. Oh well, onto the budget and its amendments... #NHPolitics
                                                              1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                                This is the confusing part... display says we're talking about Amendment 1045h but the debate sounds like it's about the entirety of HB1? Oh well, I'm voting "no" either way; the GOP included too much bad stuff here. #NHPolitics
                                                            1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                              Next is Amendment 1072h, this would reverse $50 million in budget cuts to DHHS. DHHS performs a lot of important services so I'm all in favor of increasing their funding and will vote YES on this amendment. #NHPolitics
                                                          1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                            Amendment 1072h fails along party lines; there goes $50 million of much-needed DHHS funding... onto Amendment 1077h, which is also about funding to DHHS... I guess it's separate because it's specific to family planning? Anyways, I support funding DHHS, so I'll be voting YES again
                                                        1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                          Also @EqualityHC is across the street from my apartment and I'd hate to lose a good neighbor. Let's keep them funded! #NHPolitics
                                                      1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                        We don't know for sure what the Biden administration will do; let's stop making assumptions about their future behavior before it happens. #NHPolitics
                                                    1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                      Amendment 1077h fails with a similar party-line vote... sigh, they're all going to go like this, aren't they... Onto Amendment 1078h for funding for e-cigarette usage cessation programs. It's such a small amount; why is the GOP even bothering to object? Meh. #NHPolitics
                                                  1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                    Next up is Amendment 1083h for funding for child care services and youth housing programs. GOP opposition to this doesn't really have any content to it besides "process", but apparently that's enough for them. Sigh. #NHPolitics
                                                1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                  Next up is Amendment 1085h, which would fund a Medicaid dental program. As a Medicaid recipient currently scheduled for a cavity filling, this amendment would personally benefit me; do I have to make some sort of ethics declaration? #NHPolitics
                                              1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                Anyways let's vote YES on 1085h
                                            1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                              Boo, amendment fails, looks like I'll have to pay out-of-pocket for this cavity filling... this stinks. Anyways, onto Amendment 1091h, which is ANOTHER attempt at trying to undo DHHS cuts. I thought we already tried to do this but I guess it's worth another try... #NHPolitics
                                          1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                            Ok NOW we're voting on the entirety of HB1 (the budget). Since none of the very necessary Dem amendments to it passed, I will be voting against it. Yes, we need to fund the government, but we can do so better than this. #NHPolitics
                                        1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                          The budget (HB1) passes; onto a lunch break. If Sununu DOES actually have objections to this budget, he should veto it. #NHPolitics
                                      1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                        Ok now we're back for HB2, the budget "trailer bill" with all the unrelated policy changes in it. First up is the majority amendment to it, Amendment 1059h. This whole "majority amendment" vs. "whole bill" distinction is still confusing to me. #NHPolitics
                                    1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                      Majority amendment passes; this means we're going on to the Dem floor amendments now. ok First up among those is Amendment 1064h, to remove a ponzi scheme bailout. Makes sense to me; we need to stop bailing out investors. #NHPolitics
                                  1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                    This is all rich people stuff. Imagine having money to invest. #NHPolitics
                                1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                  Next up is Amendment 1065h, to increase efficiencies at DHHS. It'd help bring disabled people in out-of-state facilities back home from Florida to NH. As someone with mental health issues of my own, I definitely prefer living in an apartment to a facility. #NHPolitics
                              1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                So yeah, let's help bring people home from Florida to NH! I'll be voting YES on this amendment. #NHPolitics
                            1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                              (note that I've stopped recording vote totals, since they're all going party-line. If that changes I'll note it)
                          1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                            I need more caffeine; time to go buy a caffeinated soda...
                        1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                          Ok anyways we're on Amendment 1068h, which would separate abortion care facilities from other healthcare they provide. Seems pretty wasteful to me. If @EqualityHC had to split up they'd most likely go out of business. #NHPolitics
                      1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                        er wait I have that backwards... the amendment would UNDO the splitting of the two that the GOP budget does, not split them itself. It's the splitting that'd be wasteful, not the amendment. (I voted for the amendment) #NHPolitics
                    1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                      Ok sorry @RepMcWilliams and fellow Democrats but I actually disagree here on this amendment to stop a separate Department of Energy from being split off. I might not have time to type my full reasoning but I'll try. #NHPolitics
                  1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                    So, my Dad has worked for the State my whole life. When he started off, his office was the Office of State Planning. Then Craig Benson came along and combined his office with the previous Department of Energy, creating the Office of Energy and Planning while cutting positions...
                1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                  This combination of offices was a huge stress on my Dad, and Benson's complete disregard for state government he showed in the process of merging the two is one of the major reasons I'm so anti-GOP. Today the OEP is known as the @NH_OSI and still does energy stuff.
              1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                However, the planning half of OSI and the energy half of OSI have still remained relatively separate, so it should be pretty easy to split them apart again. Since the proposal to separate them would undo harm Benson caused, I support the proposal & oppose this amendment.
            1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
              Also I find it odd to hear Democrats arguing for smaller government here, when one of the reasons I'm a Democrat is bc I like bigger government. Additional government jobs are a GOOD THING. Thus, I am glad that Sununu's proposal for a new DoE will be going forward. #NHPolitics
          1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
            Anyways, there's my one case of heterodicity where I break with my fellow Democrats for this session; back to agreeing with them again. Next up is Amendment 1073h, on education property taxes. I will be supporting this amendment. #NHPolitics
        1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
          Next up is Amendment 1062h, which would redirect excess revenue to equitable education funding. I support equitable education funding, so I'll be supporting this amendment. #NHPolitics
      1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
        Now on Amendment 1093h, on wastewater treatment grants. I voted for it. #NHPolitics
    1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
      Next is Amendment 1094h, on the Rooms & Meals Tax. I support this amendment. #NHPolitics
  1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
    Next up is Amendment 1063h, which would remove the GOP's attempt to insert #HB544 into the budget. I'll be voting for this amendment mostly because that Dr. Karlyn person is really annoying, and she needs to stop harassing my friends. #NHPolitics
    1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
      GOP Rep speaking here is still referring to this bad policy as a "bill"; he seems to have forgotten that their strategy has changed to sneaking it into the budget. #NHPolitics
      1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
        Speaker Packard has no knowledge of misrepresentations because he has no knowledge in general. #NHPolitics
        1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
          Why is the GOP afraid of having this debate being entered in the journal? Surely they stand by the arguments they've been making? #NHPolitics
          1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
            Ok so that motion actually passed! Figures the one thing we win is just to print something...
            1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
              Sorry, I skipped one... anyways we're currently on Amendment 1066h, the one about emergency powers. GOP budget currently strips emergency powers to fight COVID, so this amendment would strip that language and keep emergency powers as they are. #NHPolitics
              1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                Naturally the Reopeners are all about sticking it to Sununu, so they support removing his emergency powers. I will be voting for this amendment to keep the Reopeners from endangering our public health. #NHPolitics
                1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                  The way this vote goes will be an interesting bellwether for how the 2022 elections go. #NHPolitics
                  1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                    So yeah, motion fails; Sununu has no friends in his party's caucus in the House. I can see scenarios where Sununu wins a Senate seat and the NHGOP lose the NH House, or where the GOP keep the House but Sununu loses the nom, but not one where they get both. #NHPolitics
                    1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                      (unless, of course, voters don't pay attention. Which is a very real possibility)
                      1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                        Next is Amendment 1104h from Rep. Almy, which would add local control to the Historic Horse Racing bill passed earlier. I opposed HHR overall, but since it passed anyways, I can see an amendment to add local control to be a fair compromise. #NHPolitics
                        1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                          Now we're onto voting on HB2 as a whole. Since we couldn't really remove any of the GOP's bad stuff from this bill via amendment, I'll be voting against it. #NHPolitics
                          1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                            House GOP are doing the "motion to reconsider even though we don't actually want to reconsider" thing just to lock it into place.
                            1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                              Another "print remarks" motion
                              1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                Ok I'm kind of confused by what's going on here; I thought we were going to have a break, but apparently we're not? Now we're onto HB139? I need to find this one in the notes... #NHPolitics
                                1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                  ok found it, onto page 2 of the second packet...
                                  1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                    Wow there was just like no debate there on HB142, even though it was a contested bill
                                    1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                      I need that break I thought we were getting
                                      1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                        Next is HB161 which... yeah I can't keep livetweeting; gotta put the phone down now; sorry...
                                        1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                          popping back real quick to say that this analogy is not helping Rep. Roy's case at all. #NHPolitics
                                          1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                            STOP CONFLATING GOVERNMENTS AND BUSINESSES. THEY'RE NOT THE SAME THING
                                            1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                              Republicans almost got me there; I thought HB129 was actually about privacy at first, but from their arguments in favor of it, it seems more focused on stopping good contact tracing stuff. #NHPolitics
                                              1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                So tired of all these bad gun bills. Stop giving me new reasons to worry about getting shot.
                                                1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                  I'm so tired of having to live around so many gun nuts
                                                  1. …in reply to @cooljeanius
                                                    ok time to get out of here