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Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Advocates for disabled criticize proposed voting changes
Advocates for the disabled charged that two pending election law bills would create unfair barriers for those seeking to vote by absentee ballot or to use accessible voting equipment to cast a ballot in person. But supporters insisted the voter identification requirements for those voting by absentee ballot should be as rigorous as those who vote in person at the polls. They maintain that small towns should not have to lease expensive accessible voting equipment if there aren't going to be any voters who need those services on Election Day. Dr. Randy Pierce is chief executive officer with Future in Sight, an advocacy group that assists the 29,000 residents in New Hampshire who are blind or visually impaired. 'What these result in are creating a barrier and in New Hampshire voting should be a private, independent and undue barrier-free system,' Pierce said. 'The good news is this is not too late.' Both the absentee voting (SB 287) and accessible voting (HB 613) bills are expected to go to a House-Senate conference committee to try and settle differences between the two measures. Currently, anyone can request by mail an absentee ballot application and then mail in their vote to the city or town clerk. The absentee voter has to sign an affidavit under penalty of perjury that he or she qualifies as a resident and eligible voter in that precinct. Late last month, the House Election Laws Committee attached to a related absentee ballot bill the proposed requirement that a copy of the voter's photo identification card and a notarized signature on the application form would be required to receive an absentee ballot. Chairman and state Rep. Ross Berry, R-Weare, said concerns about the mandate were overblown. 'Importantly, New Hampshire law currently allows for electronic and remote notarization services, providing an additional, accessible option for voters to verify their identity remotely,' Berry said. 'Voters who request an absentee ballot in person may simply present their ID at the clerk's office. During committee discussions, it was noted that electronic transmission methods — such as emailing a scanned copy of an ID — would be acceptable, as New Hampshire law currently imposes no requirements for ID submission.' Critics liken bills to voter suppression Rep. Connie Lane, D-Concord, said there's no valid reason for imposing the requirement. 'This bill, like many others passed over the past few years, is based purely on speculation and adds yet another barrier to exercising the right to vote — also known as voter suppression,' Lane said. The House passed the bill along party lines, 184-146 with GOP members in support and Democrats against it. Sen. James Gray, R-Rochester, convinced the Senate last week to have his accessible voting language replace an unrelated measure about default town budgets. As crafted, it would permit any city or town clerk to notify Secretary of State David Scanlan that it will not need to acquire accessible voting equipment unless a local voter asks for it within 60 days of an election. James Ziegra, senior staff attorney with the Disabilities Rights Center, said the change is unconstitutional and would be in violation of federal law as well. Pierce said his members reside in 'every town and city ward' in New Hampshire so all communities should the accessible machines available. 'No one in this state should have to fight to have their vote counted and heard,' added Krysten Evans, director of policy and advocacy for ABLE NH, an interest group that supports the disabled. What's Next: Both bills will be discussed before House-Senate conference committees next week and face a June 19 deadline to reach an agreement. Prospects: Given the support among House and Senate Republican leaders for these changes, odds are high that they are going win approval in the Legislature during these final weeks. klandrigan@
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House-Senate conference committee on budget formed
Legislative leaders have named the eight budget writers they want to resolve the seismic split between competing versions of a two-year spending plan that cleared each house of the New Hampshire Legislature. Senate President Sharon Carson and House Speaker Sherman Packard, both R-Londonderry, acted quickly in a sign that it could take some time for the two sides to find common ground. 'There are differences between the House and Senate-approved versions of the state budget. We look forward to working through them over the next two weeks and remain committed to delivering a balanced budget that protects New Hampshire taxpayers while serving all Granite Staters,' Packard and Carson said in a joint statement. As the first-named House member, Rep. Kenneth Weyler, R-Kingston, is likely to become chairman of the conference committee. Weyler chaired the House Finance Committee. The other four House members, who also serve on Weyler's committee, are Vice Chairman Dan McGuire, R-Kingston, House Deputy Majority Leader Joe Sweeney, R-Salem, Rep. Jose Cambrils, R-Loudon and Rep. Mary Jane Wallner, D-Concord and the ranking Democrat. Packard decided to name some alternates who had other experiences beyond writing the budget. The potential stand-ins are House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, R-Auburn, House Executive Departments and Administration Committee Vice Chairman Erica Layon, R-Derry, House Ways and Means Chairman John Janigian, R-Salem, Rep. Keith Erf, R-Weare, and Rep. Jess Edwards, R-Auburn. Erf and Edwards each co-chair subcommittees on the House Finance Committee. Carson names herself to commitee Carson chose to name herself as the first senator on the panel along with Senate Finance Chairman James Gray, R-Rochester, and Senate Deputy Democratic Leader Cindy Rosenwald of Nashua, the ranking Democratic Senate budget writer. The only Senate alternate is Majority Leader Regina Birdsell, R-Hampstead. Most House speakers don't get involved directly in state budget negotiations. It's not unusual for Senate presidents to get into the fray, however. Carson's predecessor, former Senate President Chuck Morse, took the gavel after serving as Senate finance chairman for many years. The House and Senate meet Thursday to complete the naming of all conference committees that will try and forge compromise on other bills. They have until June 19 to reach agreements and then the House and Senate have to vote on all of them by June 26. The $15.4 billion House-passed budget relied on conservative revenue estimates, which meant their budget writers had to make deep cuts in spending. The House plan would lay off 100 workers in the state prison system and do away with the Office of the Child Advocate, the state Division on the Arts, the Commission on Aging and the Housing Appeals Board. The Senate updated the predictions for revenue, which meant it could spend about $250 million more in state dollars than the House plan did. The Senate budget pared the layoffs down to about 25 in the Department of Corrections. It kept the child advocate office in the running while erasing four of nine jobs, revived support for the arts by proposing a new business tax credit for companies that donate to the program and restoring groups on aging and housing appeals, though with smaller budgets than the ones that Gov. Kelly Ayotte proposed last February. The Senate plan also increased by nearly $70 million the level of state aid to the University System of New Hampshire compared to the House budget. USNH would receive in the Senate proposal $85 million a year, about a 10% cut from its support in the current state budget that ends June 30. klandrigan@
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate approves liability protection for gun makers
At the behest from supporters of New Hampshire gun maker SIG Sauer, the state Senate approved legislation Thursday that would block future liability lawsuits in state courts over malfunctioning guns that lack optional features. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Bill Gannon, R-Sandown, said SIG Sauer is one of the state's leading employers and shouldn't face lawsuits over injuries suffered because gun owners didn't realize their weapons lacked specific attachments. 'We shouldn't think of 100 different scenarios; if they are making a good product and it's safe we shouldn't let people sue them for misapplication or the right of people to not want certain items on the gun,' Gannon said. The legislation would not apply to suits already filed, and Gannon stressed it would not prohibit any liability lawsuit brought over a gun's manufacturing defect. Sen. Tara Reardon, D-Concord, said the Legislature shouldn't insert itself in an ongoing national legal dispute involving a popular SIG pistol. 'Plaintiffs nationwide including law enforcement have filed suit on this. Guns are inherently dangerous goods,' Reardon said. 'I agree SIG Sauer is a wonderful New Hampshire employer but this is no way to address a product's liability issue.' The lawsuits involve SIG's P320 pistol, which plaintiffs contend can fire unintentionally without a trigger pull, leading to injuries. The Senate voted 16-8 to add the amendment to a popular House-passed bill (HB 551) for Second Amendment supporters that would eliminate a license needed to sell handguns. All Senate Republicans backed the amendment, while all Democrats opposed it. The House passed the latter bill about pistols on a voice vote in March. Gannon's amendment specifically exempts gunmakers from liability claims over the "absence or presence" of items such as a magazine disconnect mechanism, a loaded chamber indicator, authorized user recognition (such as fingerprint) technology or an external mechanical safety. Sen. Daryl Abbas, R-Salem, said people living outside the state are bringing lawsuits in New Hampshire against SIG Sauer over this issue. 'You loaded the weapon. It must have some kind of warning that it has been loaded or the company could be sued — does that make any sense?' Abbas said. 'This is an attack on a New Hampshire company. We should support New Hampshire businesses. Let's adopt this amendment.' Sen. Victoria Sullivan, R-Manchester, who also supported the change, is a licensed firearms instructor. 'You are the safety device for that weapon. These are mechanical instruments that can fail. It is your responsibility as a firearms owner to know your firearm, that's all this bill is saying,' Sullivan said. Senate Democratic Leader Rebecca Perkins Kwoka of Portsmouth, who opposed the proposal, said businesses must design what they sell in a way that can withstand legal challenges. 'If you are going to design a product you should stand beyond that product. As a state government, we should get out of the way and let our businesses be run," Perkins Kwoka said. +++ What's Next: The bill heads back to the House of Representatives, which must decide whether to support the amendment to a bill it badly wants. Prospects: Second Amendment forces are strong in the House, which makes entirely possible that the membership will accept this compromise and send it on to Gov. Kelly Ayotte. klandrigan@
