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Hearing thread for today’s MCG hearing, February 3rd, 2022… I’ve got one of my own bills (HB1219, my #YIGBY bill) to present at today’s hearing, so that’ll be interesting… #NHPolitics
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First bill today is @joshyokela's HB1136, about studies done by planning boards.
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it's to prevent "repetitive" studies, with "repetitive" meaning referring to the same subject matter. For example, it'd prevent two drainage studies from being done in a row, unless something changed in between them.
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.@NatchGreyes of the NHMA opposes HB1136 and has a huge list of counterexamples of cases that might run afoul of these new requirements.
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Next is HB1161, relative to ethics obligations for elected local & county officials
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Rep. John Callum (Sullivan 6) is introducing the bill to us. It's basically supposed to prevent conflicts of interest and adds disclosure and recusal requirements, as well as a requirement to formulate ethics policies.
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Rep. Callum doesn't actually seem too familiar with his own bill; I guess it was mostly written by his cosponsors and/or OLS...
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yeah idk; I support elected officials being ethical in general, but this particular bill doesn't seem well-written enough to do what it wants to do... leaning to ITL this version of it so it can be brought back by someone who knows what they're doing...
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Kate Horgan of the NH Association of Counties opposes HB1161 for reasons members of the committee already provided in questioning (being poorly written, creating a new misdemeanor)
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.@NatchGreyes of the NHMA is bringing up additional issues with HB1161; apparently some of this stuff is already covered by law...
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blue sheet numbers for HB1161 are 6 in support, 29 in opposition
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Linda Laudinson (sp?) of Newport (or possibly Newmarket?) has testimony in favor of HB1161, from the school board angle
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apparently it's actually "Wadensten"
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I guess it's this person? @NHDems/1167550815583789056
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ok that bill took a little bit longer than scheduled; next @joshyokela is back, this time for his HB1179, relative to zoning protest petitions.
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HB1179 seems like it'd encourage density in zoning, so that seems good to me?
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it'd allow zoning protest petitions that reduce dimensional requirements or increase allowed density to pass with a simple majority instead of a 2/3rds majority
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.@ivyvann has some decent questions that might deserve an amendment in order to address
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When Rep. Piemonte has the gavel, he's much stricter about how people can ask questions than when Chair Dolan has the gavel...
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next is HB1183, relative to the calculation of property taxes for residents 75 years of age and older. Rep. Thompson (Coos 1) is introducing it to us.
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That's Dennis Thompson, to be specific: gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/member.aspx?pid=9881
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Getting kinda tired of all these tax calculation bills; we need to be simplifying all these special exceptions and credits rather than creating new ones
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Katherine Heck of the NHMA says they initially opposed this bill but are now neutral on it after an amendment to it addressed an issue of local control.
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That one also took awhile; next @tlangsr is here to introduce HB1184, which would authorize the establishment of revolving funds.
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he's mentioning something about police wanting to use this type of fund, but I'm not actually seeing any mention of "police" in the bill? Maybe it falls under the "public safety services" provisions...
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Katherine Heck of the NHMA says they take no position on HB1184; just providing us with some information...
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lunch break time
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ok I'm back; I presented my #YIGBY bill. Natch Greyes of the NHMA objects to it on the basis that it'd be a statewide zoning mandate, which they generally oppose. Also apparently there's another bill that does the same thing as I wanted to do here?
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(if so I'd be ok with withdrawing mine, i.e. HB1219)
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no one's here for HB1223, about attendance requirements for elected members of budget committees and school boards, so we'll hear that one Monday. Time to adjourn before the storm really gets going...
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now that I’m back home… just reposting this article for some additional context on where my #YIGBY bill (HB1219) is coming from: americamagazine.org/faith/2021/06/06/parish-church-empty-parking-lot-catholic-240790
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cc @ad_mastro