State House Dome: On free speech, UNH-Dartmouth on different planets

Sep. 29—THE UNIVERSITY OF New Hampshire in Durham and Dartmouth College in Hanover are less than 100 miles apart.

But when it comes to tolerance of all types of expression, they are in different universes, according to one organization.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression , a group known for efforts to fight "cancel culture," last week released its fourth annual survey of free speech at 254 colleges, compiled from 55,000 student responses.

UNH was in the top five. Dartmouth was is in the bottom 10.

Overall, only Michigan Technological University and Auburn University had higher scores than UNH.

Since the survey began, UNH consistently has received among the highest scores, behind only the University of Chicago.

UNH led the nation in the category of "comfort expressing ideas." The only category in which the school ranked in the bottom half was "administration support."

Harvard had the lowest score. Dartmouth finished 240th — ninth from the bottom.

According to the group, one of the big indicators of an intolerant campus is a "disinvitation" of an invited speaker or guest lecturer because their message is considered politically incorrect by some or makes college administrators uncomfortable.

That has occurred over the past four years at seven of the 254 campuses surveyed, including Dartmouth.

Bad timing

This was to be a big political coming-out weekend for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a rising star in a pivotal swing state who appears to have dreams of one day visiting New Hampshire as a presidential candidate.

Three days before Shapiro's triumphant appearance at Saturday's Democratic Party Convention, a scandal involving a trusted aide broke wide open after months of whispering.

Mike Vereb, Shapiro's top aide to the General Assembly and a 20-year confidant, quit his post over allegations that he sexually harassed a former secretary in February.

The unidentified woman told investigators she was pressured to quit the state job weeks after she declined Vereb's advances.

Nobody is commenting on this publicly — Shapiro, Vereb or the victim.

The Philadelphia Inquirer last week obtained a copy of a Human Rights Commission complaint the victim brought against Vereb last summer.

The woman alleged that Vereb made repeated comments that made her uneasy. When she complained to Vereb about joking remarks made by other staffers, he propositioned her, saying an affair between them would be "our business."

Vereb, a Republican, and Shapiro, a Democrat, served together in the Pennsylvania House. When Shapiro became attorney general, he named Vereb director of government affairs.

Amplify is back

Amplify NH, the Democratic Super PAC that hammered Gov. Chris Sununu in two previous elections for governor, is back in business with prominent new leadership.

Over 20 years, Ryan Mahoney has held several roles in Democratic Party positions, including chief of staff for the New Hampshire House, Democratic Policy Director in the New Hampshire Senate and executive director/senior adviser for the Democratic Party.

In an introductory email, Mahoney said abortion rights will be a major focus of his group's work and the 2024 election.

The group's chief target in 2024: leading Republican candidate for governor and former Sen. Kelly Ayotte.

"Don't forget, as a U.S. senator, Kelly Ayotte called for overturning Roe v Wade and a woman's right to an abortion, tried to enact a national abortion ban at 20 weeks, and voted to defund Planned Parenthood multiple times," Mahoney wrote.

"Even after New Hampshire voted her out of office, she worked to help confirm severely pro-life Justice Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court."

Ayotte has said she would not pursue further restrictions on abortion. She cited a law Sununu signed that makes illegal abortions after 24 weeks with a health exception as one that has overwhelming public support.

State revenues pour in

Near the end of last week, it appeared September would be another month that revenue estimates would be surpassed.

This is the first of the fiscal year's big four months for business taxes.

Through Sept. 27, the two main business taxes took in $226 million — about $30 million (15%) more than state budget writers had predicted.

Taxes and fees for the month totaled $327.5 million — nearly $27 million (8.9%) over forecast.

Through the year's first quarter, taxes were up over plan $17.8 million (3.5%).

The business tax performance is more impressive when you look behind the numbers at refunds claimed by businesses.

In September 2022, business tax refunds totaled $9.9 million; already this month refunds were at $25 million.

From a budgetary standpoint, this is good news.

Revenue Commissioner Lindsey Stepp has been carrying out Sununu's desire to get large multinational companies to claim their business tax refunds instead of sitting on them.

This takes them off the books as a future liability and prevents corporations from claiming them at a inopportune time for New Hampshire state government, such as the next prolonged economic downturn.

Cybersecurity, AI efforts

On Friday, New Hampshire became the first state to get Federal Emergency Management Act grants released to help local government, including K-12 schools to improve cybersecurity.

Applications are now available.

Gov. Chris Sununu said New Hampshire is one of the first states to create a Code of Ethics for the use of Artificial Intelligence by state agencies.

"New Hampshire is moving quickly to keep cybersecurity at the forefront amid the ever-evolving technology landscape," Sununu said.

Information Technology Commissioner Denis Goulet said this will help the state better protect the privacy of citizen data.

Sununu said 23 other states modeled their own efforts after the New Hampshire plan.

FAA weighs in on fuel farm

There has been an important development in the controversy over a new fuel farm by Million Air that won the initial approval of the Pease Development Authority.

Roger Wiegley, a Rye resident and advocate for protecting the Pease property, intervened and helped get the Federal Aviation Administration to agree it has authority to review this proposal.

Critics say the placement of the fuel farm could put drinking water assets for surrounding communities at risk.

"We have determined that the proposed (Million Air FBO) project would have a material impact on aircraft operations at, to or from the airport... therefore, the FAA retains the legal authority to approve or disapprove changes to the Portsmouth International's 'Airport Layout Plan' for the proposed project," FAA Project Manager Sean Tiney wrote in a letter to PDA Executive Director Paul Brean.

In an op-ed, Wiegley said he is glad project opponents have been heard.

"The recent controversy over a proposed cargo facility at Pease airport should have been a wakeup call for all of us. The lesson is clear," Wiegley wrote. "The board of the PDA needs to be more informed about, and approve, airport changes that raise concerns from Seacoast residents."

Sanborn's top-notch lawyer

Former state Sen. Andy Sanborn, R-Bedford, will have a seasoned defense lawyer on his side when he goes before the New Hampshire Lottery Commission and Attorney General John Formella to appeal the proposed suspension of his charity casino license.

On Friday, the hearing originally scheduled for Tuesday was postponed for 10 days.

As we first reported on social media, Zachary Hafer with the Cooley law firm in Boston spent more than a decade in the U.S. attorney's office, including a stint as the head of its criminal division.

As a prosecutor, he played a pivotal role in taking down the late Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger and led the criminal retrial of Gary Sampson, a convicted spree killer in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

In his current role, Hafer has defended individuals and businesses charged with corrupt practices, insider trading and other white collar crimes.

His mission includes making certain this proceeding doesn't provide any ammunition for New Hampshire U.S. Attorney Jane Young to use in a federal prosecution of Sanborn for COVID-19 relief fraud.

Ayotte, Morse bring in bucks

Ayotte will host a major fundraiser Monday in Portsmouth that campaign sources say could rival the one she had in Derry last month.

The all-New Hampshire opening event netted a record $500,000.

Former Senate President Chuck Morse, R-Salem, appeared to have a few hundred thousand dollars worth of checks sitting in those sold-out seats for his kickoff at the Atkinson Country Club and Resort on Thursday night.

Although it won't be reported for months, this will add to a $500,000 pile of cash Morse already has devoted to the 2024 campaign.

Morse had more than $200,000 left over from his U.S. Senate run, much of which can be moved over.

The other quarter million comes from his dormant 2020 State Senate campaign account.

Federal election laws do not allow those "state race" resources to be plowed into a federal race.

In mid-June, Morse moved what was left in the N.H. Senate account to Friends of Chuck Morse, his 2024 PAC for governor.

Seacoast Media's town halls

The Seacoast Media Group and USA Today Network have gotten six Republican presidential candidates to commit to one-on-one town hall forums at the Exeter Town Hall this month.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson kicks the series off Oct. 10, followed by ex-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (Oct. 12), North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Vice President Mike Pence (both on Oct. 13), Ohio biotech millionaire Vivek Ramaswamy and ex-Texas Congressman Will Hurd (both on Oct., 14.)

USA Today and Seacoast journalists will moderate the town halls, including Seacoast Executive Editor and General Manager Howard Altschiller.

These free-of-charge events are open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.

Staggering cash for House seat

Democrats in state special elections already have figured out how to tap big national dollars for very local races.

The final report from State Rep.-Elect Hal Rafter of Nottingham is the latest proof.

Rafter raised nearly $63,000 for this job, which pays $100 a year. He ended the race with more than $20,000 in the bank.

Consider this: More than 3,200 unnamed individuals gave him donations of $50 or less.

The money came through online liberal platforms that banged the drum about a race in "little" New Hampshire that could decide who will be the majority party when the curtain goes up on the 2024 legislative session.

Even Rafter's bigger money came in this fashion.

The last report had only one New Hampshire donation — $500 from Rafter's Nottingham Democratic Committee. Meanwhile, large checks rolled in from donors in California, New York, Florida, Washington, Maine, Ohio, Illinois, Alabama and New Mexico.

Rafter gave more than half his money — nearly $28,000 — to the New Hampshire House Democratic Victory Campaign Committee to coordinate efforts on his behalf.

He won by nearly 12% over Northwood Republican James Guzofski, so the money was well spent.

Kevin Landrigan is State House Bureau Chief for the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News. Contact him at klandrigan@unionleader.com.