A Failure to Lead?
So here is a partial list of the bills the governor vetoed before crowing about “standing strong” and “blocking extreme legislation” in a fundraising ad after 51 of his record 55 vetoes were sustained on Wednesday and Thursday (see the full list here):
An expanded net metering bill that would have made it more economical for the many NH cities and towns that want to build large solar energy arrays to sell excess energy back to the grid.
A bill that would have allowed NH communities to enforce gun-free zones on public school grounds.
Bills that would have repealed provisions in election laws passed in the previous session that make it harder for a targeted group of people eligible to vote under of state Constitution to cast ballots.
A bill that would have ended partisan gerrymandering by establishing an independent redistricting commission.
A bill that would provide more money for energy efficiency projects in a state that has zero coal mines, oil wells, or natural gas sources.
A bill to establish a protective order process for our elderly and other vulnerable adults.
A bill to allow medical cannabis to be home grown by patients (many of them cancer patients and people with chronic pain who are typically prescribed opioids) in small quantities to help offset the high cost of their medication.
Bills to protect the privacy of employees and job applicants.
A bill to raise the minimum wage (in a state that doesn’t have one) to $12/hour.
A bill that would have increased the penalties for texting while driving.
A bill that would have allowed transgender citizens to change their birth record to make it easier to get a drivers license corresponding to their preferred gender.
A bill to provide a state operated family and medical leave program providing partial salary continuation so a person can care for a loved one in an an emergency or in a medical situation without losing their ability to pay for groceries and the rent.
A bill that would require public employers to inform new hires about their ability to choose whether or not to join a union.
A bill to allow voters, some who need to travel on business with little or no notice, to request an absentee ballot in advance without providing an excuse.
State budget bills that met the state’s responsibility to properly fund public education, mental health needs, and renewable energy programs for the first time in decades.
Do these bills sound like “extreme legislation” to you? Is this your idea of “standing strong”?
While some of the bills may be resubmitted for consideration again in the upcoming 2020 session (this is allowed for vetoed bills but NOT for bills killed earlier in the House or Senate), what the people of New Hampshire lose is time. With a more reasonable governor and an opposition party not hell bent on achieving Pyrrhic victories over genuine progress, we could be spending the next year implementing real solutions to help address climate change, reducing the risk of gun violence in our schools, and making life better and easier for workers, patients, and families. Instead, that time will now be spent once again taking up problems that an irresponsible governor has kicked down the road.
Meanwhile, what about the stalled state budget? On Thursday, not a single Republican member of the House voted to allow a suspension of the rules so we could consider a new state budget that responded to many of the governor’s concerns. (Note: Like veto overrides, a 2/3 majority is required to take up any new legislation at this point in the calendar).
With the continuing resolution (passed by the legislature in June) now funding state services in the absence of a budget scheduled to expire on October 1, we now face the very real possibility that the stalemate will continue to drag on well into leaf peeper season—and possibly beyond.
Keep in mind that even if the continuing resolution is extended, it actually subtracts—not adds—much-needed aid for public schools. It also doesn’t include money added in the House budget for revenue sharing for cities and towns, mental health and opioid treatment programs—not to mention the State Fish Pier Project in Portsmouth. Also keep in mind that this is a time when many cities and towns are finalizing tax rates and beginning to mail out tax bills. The absence of new money from the state for revenue sharing and public education means higher property taxes. This is something that is exasperating local elected officials in the governor’s own party—not to mention educators once again forced to cut back and do without while the governor tries to spin his lack of responsibility and accountability into fundraising messages.
Still think the governor is standing strong?
The reality is he should be standing alone. The bottom line is that the legislature didn’t “fail” anyone by passing good bills by large, frequently bipartisan, majorities. The governor has failed you by placing a higher value on posturing and obstinacy than on responsible governance—and leading his party off a cliff.