House passes bail reform rollback bill, in major victory for Ayotte
The amended version of the bill would eliminate the newly created magistrate system and lower the standards that must be met for people who are arrested for serious offenses to be held behind bars. (Getty Images)
The New Hampshire House passed a bill to roll back large portions of the 2018 bail reform bill signed by then-Gov. Chris Sununu, in a victory on a key issue for Gov. Kelly Ayotte.
House Bill 592 passed 204-175. The amended version of the bill would eliminate the newly created magistrate system and lower the standards that must be met for people who are arrested for serious offenses to be held behind bars.
The bill will head next to the House Finance Committee; it will need to pass the whole House again before being sent to the Senate.
The bill pares back much of what was passed in 2018, when civil rights advocates argued New Hampshire's laws kept too many people in jail ahead of their trials solely because they could not afford bail. The 2018 law required that judges find there be 'clear and convincing' evidence that a person is a danger to themselves or others in order for them to be held without bail.
Since 2018, police departments in the state have raised concerns that the new laws tie the hands of courts and prosecutors and have resulted in people reoffending after being released on bail. Supporters of the bail reform law, meanwhile, note that the violent crime rate has dropped in New Hampshire since the law passed, and said the law provides important protections for the accused.
Ayotte made crime a key part of her gubernatorial campaign, and argued as a candidate that the 2018 law should be largely repealed. Ahead of Thursday's vote, the governor held a press conference urging lawmakers to pass the bill, flanked by dozens of local police chiefs and officers.
HB 592 would lower the standard for when a court could deny bail to someone who is accused of one of 12 serious offenses, ranging from homicide to kidnapping to possession of child sexual abuse imagery. Under the bill, a court would need to determine whether there is 'probable cause' that the arrested person is a danger to themselves or whether they are not likely to appear at future court hearings — a lower standard than the 'clear and convincing' evidentiary standard currently in law.
Sununu signed a compromise bill last year that was intended to be the final fix to the bail law. But Rep Terry Roy, a Deerfield Republican and the chairman of the House Criminal Justice Committee, said the bill passed Thursday was more reflective of Republican priorities.
'The bill last year was a good bill,' Roy said. 'It wasn't a Republican bill because we didn't have a (strong) Republican majority, so we compromised, and we came up with a good bill. We don't have to compromise. It is now a Republican majority, and we're going to pass a Republican bail bill. We don't need to be ashamed of that.'
Rep. Buzz Scherr, a Portsmouth Democrat and University of New Hampshire law professor who helped draft the 2024 compromise bill, argued the current laws do not need a revision.
'It is working,' Scherr said of the bail laws. 'The Legislature has done an excellent job at slowly and carefully adjusting bail reform issues when they come up, and it's been done on a bipartisan basis. Let's continue with that.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
36 minutes ago
New York lawmakers approve bill that would allow medically assisted suicide for the terminally ill
ALBANY, N.Y. -- Terminally ill New Yorkers would have the legal ability to end their own lives with pharmaceutical drugs under a bill passed Monday in the state Legislature. The proposal, which now moves to the governor's office, would allow a person with an incurable illness to be prescribed life-ending drugs if he or she requests the medication and gets approval from two physicians. A spokesperson for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she would review the legislation. The New York Senate gave final approval to the bill Monday night after hours of debate during which supporters said it would let terminally ill people die on their own terms. 'It's not about hastening death, but ending suffering,' said state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, a Democrat who sponsored the proposal. Opponents have argued the state should instead improve end-of-life medical care or have objected on religious grounds. 'We should not be in the business of state-authorized suicide,' said state Sen. George Borrello, a Republican. The state Assembly passed the measure in late April. The proposal requires that a terminally ill person who is expected to die within six month make a written request for the drugs. Two witnesses would have sign the request to ensure that the patient is not being coerced. The request would then have to be approved by the person's attending physician as well as a consulting physician. The legislation was first introduced in 2016, Hoylman-Sigal said, though it has stalled year after year in the New York statehouse. Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, which has opposed the measure, said 'This is a dark day for New York State." Eleven other states and Washington, D.C., have laws allowing medically assisted suicide, according to Compassion & Choices, an advocacy organization that backs the policy. Corinne Carey, the group's local campaign director, said lawmakers had 'recognized how important it is to give terminally ill New Yorkers the autonomy they deserve over their own end-of-life experiences.' 'The option of medical aid in dying provides comfort, allowing those who are dying to live their time more fully and peacefully until the end,' said Carey.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
113 House Democrats vote against GOP resolution denouncing the antisemitic terrorist attack in Colorado
More than 100 House Democrats voted against a Republican-led resolution condemning the antisemitic terrorist attack in Boulder and Colorado's sanctuary state laws on Monday. The resolution, introduced by Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.), cleared the lower chamber in a 280-113 vote, with 75 Democrats joining Republicans to pass the measure. Democrats fumed over language in the resolution expressing 'gratitude to law enforcement, including US Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, for protecting the homeland.' 3 House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks with reporters about the spending and tax bill embraced by President Donald Trump and Republicans, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, June 6, 2025. AP The National Republican Congressional Committee, the House GOP's campaign arm, charged that Democrats voting against the bill 'sided with terrorists over police officers and flat-out refused to condemn antisemitism.' 'Democrats have become the pro-terrorist, anti-cop, antisemitic caucus. And they're proud of it,' the NRCC wrote on X. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) slammed Evans as a 'joke' ahead of the vote. 'Who is this guy? He's not seriously concerned with combating antisemitism in America. This is not a serious effort,' Jeffries told reporters. 'Antisemitism is a scourge on America. It shouldn't be weaponized politically.' Evans shot back that the 'wildly offensive sentiment' expressed by Jeffries is 'why antisemitism persists.' 3 This image provided by the Boulder Police Dept. shows Mohamed Sabry Soliman. AP 'The Left is unserious about finding real solutions,' the congressman argued on X. 'Condemning terrorism is not a joking matter.' Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), who is Jewish and voted no on the resolution, argued on the House floor that the measure was being put forward to simply 'score political points.' 'You weren't here, Mr. Evans, last term, but there were about 10 antisemitism resolutions that effectively said the same thing solely to score political points,' Goldman said. 'We Jews are sick and tired of being used as pawns.' 3 Gabe Evans, R-Fort Lupton, speaks to reporters during a news conference on the steps of the Colorado Capitol in Denver on Thursday, May 29, 2025. In his floor speech, Evans stated: 'As a former police officer and Army veteran of the Global War on Terror, I know how Colorado's radical leftists leaders and laws prioritize illegal immigrants over public safety — allowing antisemitic terrorists like Mohammed Sabry Soliman to strike.' Soliman, an Egyptian national who overstayed his visa, allegedly used Molotov cocktails and a makeshift flamethrower during the June 1 attack targeting peaceful marchers who were calling for the release of Hamas-held hostages in Gaza. Fifteen people were injured in the firebombing, during which Soliman allegedly shouted, 'Free Palestine.' 'The passing of my resolution ensures we condemn all acts of antisemitism and affirms that the free and open collaboration between state and local law enforcement with their federal counterparts is key in preventing future attacks like this,' the congressman continued. A separate resolution introduced by Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) and Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), who more generally denounced the uptick in antisemitic attacks in the US, passed in a 400-0 vote.
an hour ago
Primary day in New Jersey governor's race could offer hints on how voters feel about Trump
TRENTON, N..J. -- New Jersey voters on Tuesday will settle the Democratic and Republican primaries for governor in a contest that could send signals about how the public is responding to President Donald Trump's agenda and how Democratic voters think their leaders should push back. New Jersey is one of just two states with a race for governor this year — the other is Virginia — and the fact two-term Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy is term-limited has created fresh drama for the open seat. There's a six-way race on the Democratic side that features several seasoned political figures. Trump's endorsement of former state lawmaker Jack Ciattarelli may have given him a boost on the Republican side, where he faces four primary challengers. Polls are open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. Tuesday, but it's not the only day of voting. Early in-person voting was held from June 3-8. Mail-in ballots were sent to voters beginning in April. The contest hinges in part on New Jersey issues, including high property taxes and the soaring cost of living, but national politics are sure to figure in. Trump, who has long had a strong presence in New Jersey, waded into the race with his endorsement, attacking Democratic control of state government. Democrats are looking for a winning message and leadership after the sting of bitter losses in 2024. "Because these are the first major elections since Donald Trump's return to the White House, there's a tremendous amount at stake simply through public perception," said Ben Dworkin, director of the Rowan Institute for Public Policy & Citizenship. For Democrats? 'They'll just get further in a hole if they don't hold this seat,' he said. For Republicans? They could win because New Jersey tends to be purple during gubernatorial years, Dworkin said, but that would be viewed as a tremendous victory for Trump. The Democrats running are Mayors Ras Baraka of Newark and Steven Fulop of Jersey City; U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill; teachers union President Sean Spiller and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney. The Democratic campaign has been hard fought and pricey, with tens of millions spent in one of the country's most expensive media markets. On the Republican side, most of the candidates declared their support for the president's agenda, pressing for a state-level version of the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency. They've also said they would end so-called sanctuary policies and, in a New Jersey-specific pitch, called for the end of the state's 2020 law banning single-use plastic bags. Ciattarelli has said he would sign an order on his first day in office ending New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive, which bars local police from cooperating with federal officials on civil immigration matters. He has also said he would direct whomever he names attorney general to end lawsuits against the Trump administration, including a case aimed at stopping the president's order ending birthright citizenship for people whose parents were in the country illegally. Murphy, who became the first Democrat to be reelected in more than four decades in 2021, is barred from running again by term limits and hasn't endorsed a successor in the primary. Both parties will look to build their general election campaigns on widespread voter frustration. For Democrats, that means focusing on the parts of Trump's aggressive second-term agenda that are unpopular. Republicans, meanwhile, are casting blame for economic hardships on Democrats who've run state government for the last eight years. New Jersey has been reliably Democratic in Senate and presidential contests for decades. But the odd-year races for governor have tended to swing back and forth, and each of the last three GOP governors has won a second term. Democrats have the largest share of registered voters in the state, followed closely by independent voters and then Republicans, who have roughly 800,000 fewer registrations than the Democratic Party. But the GOP has made gains in recent years, shaving the Democrats' lead of more than 1 million more registrations to the current level.
