State House Dome: Sununu hits cultural high in Texas

Mar. 11—GOV. CHRIS SUNUNU'S presidential exploration tour gets a big boost Sunday afternoon when he leads a discussion on the "Future of Conservatism" at the South by Southwest Music Festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas.

Making separate appearances on the bill are former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

Since 1987, SXSW has brought together trendsetters in music, tech, film, education and culture for a 10-day extravaganza that this year concludes on March 19.

The event is open to the public, though a single admission ticket for all events goes for $1,495.

"I didn't even know South by Southwest had a political component," Sununu said.

As for his continuing travels, Sununu said he "turns down" many more invitations than he accepts, and he has never had occasion to transfer power over to Senate President Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, who would serve as acting governor.

"He's probably just as happy he's never had to do it. Heavy is the head that wears the crown," Sununu said.

Parent rights in the details

Sununu said he supports the concept of a parental rights bill, but he stressed that the devil will be in the details.

"I don't know where the final bill will end up. Conceptually, I support parental rights legislation," Sununu said last week.

Efforts on the issue collapsed last year, when the House of Representatives narrowly rejected a House-Senate compromise.

The issue faces its first test Thursday, when the State Senate takes up its 2023 version (SB 272), which attracted more than three hours of testimony.

You can bet all 14 Senate Republicans will stick together and pass this; all their names are on it.

Senate Education Committee Chairman Ruth Ward, R-Stoddard, stunned some on Wednesday when after almost two hours she declared she was ending the hearing with many still waiting to speak.

After a brief break, however, Ward brought the band back, and the panel heard from all those who stayed behind and to weigh in.

Despite plenty of opposition, the prospect for GOP consensus this time is better because of a subtle change in the language.

Both House and Senate versions would require parents to reach out to teachers to ask about issues their child might be dealing with, academically or emotionally.

The 2022 edition essentially required teachers to report up front to parents about these matters.

Last year, Attorney General John Formella's civil rights division raised "significant concerns" about the original legislation.

This year, at Sununu's direction, Formella's team is working closely with House Speaker Sherman Packard's leadership group. This is only to ensure any language coming to the House for a final vote would not conflict with the state law banning discrimination of public school students on many fronts, including gender identity.

House called back to work

House Speaker Packard had not planned to, but he had to bring lawmakers back into session this week to address some of the 200 bills the House must take up by March 23.

The House also could meet three times the following week, March 21-23, to plow through the pile.

The latest House agenda includes 14 bills from seven different policy committees that deadlocked on issues ranging from the confidentiality of child abuse reports to gun control.

Some of the more emotional debates lie in education, as the House considers whether to end the obscenity law exemption in K-12 public schools (HB 514) and to require that all multi-stall bathrooms must be same-sex (HB 104).

The Senate meets on the same day with its own pretty hefty calendar, which includes bills that would outlaw cities and towns from adopting sanctuary policies (SB 132) and change the date of the state primary from September to May (SB 133).

The Senate Election Laws and Municipal Affairs Committee rejected that part of the primary change bill, which had called for a runoff primary in June if no candidate for federal office got 50% of the vote.

First hearing for budget

The House Finance Committee will take public testimony in Representatives Hall on Monday at 2 p.m. on Sununu's budget (HB 1) and the corresponding trailer bill (HB 2), which makes state law changes to carry it out.

House budget writers then will have just 17 days to complete their recommendations on a spending plan. The House has until April 6 to act on it.

Finance Chairman Ken Weyler, R-Kingston, recently told members to expect some "seven-day" work weeks to finish the blueprint.

Still no on seat belts

A constant for Sununu is his steadfast opposition to legislation requiring adults in cars and trucks to wear seat belts.

Since 1996, New Hampshire has been the only state without a mandate.

"It's where we are in the state. I just don't see it changing," Sununu said. "They are adults. They can make decisions for themselves."

The House is scheduled to take up this bill (HB 222) near the end of its business Thursday.

Sponsor and Rep. Daniel Veilleux, D-Amherst, argued that 67% of highway crash fatalities here were not wearing seat belts. Nationally, that number is 50%.

The House Transportation Committee broke, 11-9, in favor of killing this one.

Sununu reminded that the state has stringent laws requiring young children to wear restraints.

Repeal of affidavit ballots

Later this month, the House will debate whether to make a sweeping change to how local officials deal with registered voters at the polls.

The House Election Laws Committee was deadlocked, but all GOP members backed this bill (HB 460) to get rid of the law permitting someone to register to vote without proper identification as long as they sign a sworn affidavit stating they are eligible to cast a ballot.

Local election officials said those most affected by this change would be voters who have to register again because they moved from town to town or from one polling place in a city to another.

The Division of Motor Vehicles tells citizens who make such a move that they do not have to get a new driver's license, so most of them lack an ID with the right address.

This bill also would eliminate the 2022 law that gives new registrants without ID 10 days after an election to come back with proof that they are eligible, lest their votes be disqualified.

New head for Dem PAC

House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm of Manchester has turned over the reins of the Democratic Victory Campaign Committee to Rep. Laura Telerski, D-Nashua.

Telerski's first job is a pretty easy one, to help win the special election this May 16 in Nashua Ward 4, one of the most Democrat-leaning precincts in New Hampshire.

As we predicted, two Republicans signed up to run, necessitating a primary.

That's so House Democrats could not fill this seat on March 28 by beating a Republican. On that date GOP hopefuls Joost Baumeister and David M. Narkunas will face off.

This primary leaves the seat vacant for another six weeks.

The GOP winner will face Democrat Marc C. Plamondon, an insurance agent who represented the ward in the past on the Nashua Board of Aldermen

A win by Democrats would cut the House GOP majority to 201-199.

Council will end late votes

Executive Councilor David Wheeler, R-Milford, said he is OK with the council changing its Manual of Procedures at the next meeting to end his practice of casting votes at the end of business meetings.

Councilor Cinde Warmington, D-Concord, championed this reform after learning Wheeler would not vote at the council table but enter his decision, usually a "no," to a contract or political appointment, into the record at the conclusion of the meeting.

AG Formella said Sununu had put that request onto the agenda for the next meeting, but Sununu asked the council to endorse it.

Since this controversy first emerged, Sununu said some city and town officials have weighed in.

"We have gotten a lot of concerns from cities and towns over the interpretation of 91-A (Right-to-Know Law) and how it could affect what happens not just in this room but across" the state, Sununu said.

"I am happy to clear the issue up, because I know frankly that it is a gray area."

Wheeler said the issue was overblown. On many occasions, he said, he had done both — cast an audible vote at the table and given the council secretary his list of "no" votes so the record was clear.

Fish & Game 1, Gun Lobby 0

It was a good week for Second Amendment defenders as the House mowed down several gun control bills.

The fiercest gun-rights allies in the House, however, met their match in New Hampshire Fish and Game.

Rep. J.R. Hoell, R-Dunbarton, a director of the N.H. Firearms Coalition, took on Fish and Game with his bill (HB 498) to require the agency to obtain a search warrant before seizing any property, such as an illegally taken animal.

Fish and Game officials warned this would carry an "undetermined" cost, requiring more officers to be on the scene and spend more time investigating illegal hunting.

The House overwhelmingly agreed, voting 256-117 to reject a final attempt to salvage the bill.

Pappas tops vulnerable list

The Democratic Congressional Committee issued its first "Frontline" list of the 29 most vulnerable House members in 2024, and U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., made the first cut.

The designation is good news for Pappas, because it enhances his ability to raise national money if he seeks a fourth term in the U.S. House next year.

The only other New Englanders named were Reps. Jahan Hayes of Connecticut and Jared Golden of Maine.

Last week, Pappas also joined the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.

"Granite Staters are looking to leaders in Washington to put aside politics and put people first, and that's exactly what I intend to do this Congress," Pappas said.

Rep behaving badly

Rep. Jeffrey Greeson, R-Wentworth, got viral attention on social media for a video of him cursing a local road agent plowing the street in front of his home.

Greeson did not answer emails seeking comment.

He told WMUR, which first reported on the tirade, "I had a heated exchange with a man. I apologized to the man. He accepted my apology."

Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley said if Greeson were a Democrat, GOP leaders would be calling for him to step down.

Giant for vets passes on

Advocates for New Hampshire veterans lost a true champion with the passing of Paul Chevalier of Hudson last week.

Marine Staff Sgt. Chevalier's efforts to help those who served our country are too many to mention, including his national role with the Veterans for Foreign Wars.

Politically, this was someone you always wanted in the foxhole with you.

The late Sen. John McCain once said Chevalier's ability to put together a political strike force of allied veterans traveling across the state played no small part in McCain winning the first-in-the-nation primary here — twice.

Friends will remember a devoted ally with an infectious sense of humor who never took himself too seriously.

Quote of the week

"I played trumpet for two years in high school; it was a disaster. Then when I went to college and I took up guitar because, of course, that's how you meet girls, right?" — Gov. Chris Sununu on his own instrumental talents as the council hosted a Music in the Schools month event.

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