What Just Happened: March 19 Session NH House Session Recap—Special ‘This is Why Every Vote Matters’ Edition
“I’m asking you from the bottom of my heart, don’t do this. Do not make New Hampshire a state where people like me…and some of the people up in the gallery today…are told we don’t belong. We do.” —Rep. Alice Wade (D-Dover) speaking against HB 148.
On Thursday, the NH House of Representatives debated 44 separate bills, made some historically awful decisions, and opened the door to a new era of Jim Crow-like discrimination in New Hampshire. Here’s a quick recap of the litany of horrors that took place on a day when I’ve never been prouder to serve in the minority.
A BRIGHT SPOT ON A VERY DARK DAY
Getting ready for this particular session of the New Hampshire House of Representatives was like getting ready for a root canal—you knew it was going to be painful, but you also knew that it was something you needed to do and that at some point, it would be over.
Turns out it was worse than a root canal. In bill after bill, debate after debate, we saw short-sightedness win out over thoughtful policy; and in far too many instances we saw culture wars, cruelty, and petty grievances triumph over compassion.
But what I’ll remember most from a long day and painful day is the quiet authenticity, compassion, and resolve of Rep. Alice Wade (D-Dover). Struggling at times to contain her emotions, she delivered one of the most powerful and straight-from-the-heart floor speeches I’ve had the privilege to witness.
Rep. Wade, a transgender woman, was speaking against HB 148, an anti-transgender bathroom bill that would rollback anti-discrimination protections for transgender people and allow them to be barred from the using restrooms, locker rooms, and participation in sports teams that match their gender identity. The bill eventually passed 201-166 with a boost from Rep. Jonah Wheeler (D-Peterborough), who spoke for the pitch-forks-and torches crowd as most of his Democratic colleagues—including me—walked out in disgust.
In the end, we simply didn’t have the votes to stop it. The roll call vote showed that two Democrats, Rep. Wheeler and Rep. Peter Leishman, joined with the majority and one Republican, Rep. Susan Vandecasteele voted with the minority.
You can read a recap of the debate here. But text on a screen simply doesn’t convey the gravity of the debate itself, the level of gaslighting that took place, or the moment when the New Hampshire House of Representatives shamefully voted to remove anti-discrimination protections from a small group of gentle people we have been told by too many of our leaders to fear, to despise, and to hate.
That’s why it’s important to find time to actually watch as much of the debate as you can. You’ll find it here. As elected majorities in our state move to take away rights away from some of us that all of the rest of us enjoy and take for granted, Rep. Wade’s words are worth hearing for all of us.
SO WHAT ELSE HAPPENED?
HB 10, a so-called “parental rights” bill which would require school staff to spy on students’ personal relationships, answer parents’ questions about them, and impose penalties on teachers who’d rather stick to focusing on education, passed 212-161. More from InDepthNH
HB 433, poking a hole in NH’s child marriage law by creating an exemption if one or both parties is in the military, passed 193-178. More from InDepthNH
HCR 7, a House Concurrent resolution would’ve recognized abortion as “a critical component of comprehensive reproductive health care” and ensured this freedom isn’t denied or infringed upon by our state government, was tabled 199-171. More from New Hampshire Bulletin
HB 254-FN, the bipartisan “right to die” bill, was tabled by a single vote 183-182. The bill would have allowed adults with a terminal condition and less than six months and who have been informed of and understand their health care options to receive medication that would end their life. More from New Hampshire Bulletin
CACR 5, a constitutional amendment providing that no excuse shall be needed by a voter to receive an absentee ballot, was killed by the House’s Republican Majority 201-169.
HB 288, a bill limiting how far in advance absentee ballots may be requested prior to any election passed 204-168.
HB 344, which would have enabled the outer envelopes of absentee ballots to be processed before Election Day, was killed by voice vote.
HB 630-FN, an attempt to close loopholes in a law passed in 2024 that bans the dissemination of deepfake election materials, was killed 201-169.
HB 109-FN, a bill that would chill the reporting of police misconduct and make it more difficult for the few bad apples in law enforcement to be held accountable, passed 198-173.
HCR 4, a House Concurrent Resolution rejecting all offshore wind energy projects in the waters off the coast of New Hampshire and the Gulf of Maine, passed 195-149.
HB 199, extending the statute of limitations on civil actions relative to damage caused by PFAS chemicals, was tabled 188-170. (I was a cosponsor). More from New Hampshire Bulletin
HB 280, a bill that wipes out worker protections that keep wages from being paid with things like coupons and bitcoin, passed 191-176.
HB 379, a bill that attempted to place guardrails on times students can work during the school year, was killed by voice vote.
HB 726 was tabled 197-159. It would have enacted a NH state minimum wage of $15 an hour in stages by 2028. More from Seacoast Online
HB 442, which would have eliminated the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers to ensure they earn at least the prevailing minimum wage, was also tabled.
HB 628-FN was killed 215-152. It would have prevented landlords from discriminating against low-income tenants who qualify for vouchers under the housing voucher choice program. Voucher holders are often people with disabilities and parents with children. So denial of vouchers as payment has a disproportionate impact on their housing opportunities.
HB 290-FN, a bill increasing the tax on cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, was indefinitely postponed 204-134. The bill would have increased taxes on a pack of cigarettes from $1.78 per pack to $2.78 and increased the rate on electronic cigarettes based on the wholesale price. The tobacco tax was last raised in 2009 and the bill would have generated $90 million for the Education Trust Fund in a budget year when public education is under attack.
The Key Takeaway
It’s not just decisions being made in Washington we need to be focusing on. We also need to pay attention to what’s happening in Concord.