STATE HOUSE UPDATE MARCH 2024
By Dick Thackston State Rep. Cheshire 12 – Troy & Fitzwillam
The NH House of Representatives remains in the busiest portion of the 2024 Session. There are voting sessions of the NH House every Thursday in February, March, and most of April. In mid-April we will receive Bills Passed by the NH Senate and they will receive Bills passed by the NH House. Committee hearings will begin more or less continuously through-out the weekdays on the Senate Bills before being voted on in the NH House.
The NH House passed legislation to rectify a NH Supreme Court decision that hamstrung housing providers a few years ago. HB1115 clarifies NH law and allows a landlord to end a lease when, in fact, the lease ends. Without this clarification, the current law makes it more difficult for marginal individuals to secure housing. It is our duty to empower the free market to provide affordable and accessible housing to all, however we cannot do that by putting in place unnecessary regulations and barriers that hinder the growth of our housing market.
The NH House also came together to protect women’s school sports in New Hampshire. Since 2020, 23 states have passed laws related to transgender females competing against biological females. HB1205, aimed at grades 5-12, is about fairness, integrity, and safety in women’s sports.
The NH House defeated two bills from the Education Committee that consensus felt were another onslaught against education freedom. Students have the right to learn, but the two bills we heard sought to do nothing other than strip students and families of the freedom of choice in education.
The NH House defeated efforts to turn New Hampshire elections on their heads by swapping IDs for pinky promises in order to register to vote. The consensus was that at least some evidence of who you are and where you live should be provided when registering to vote otherwise the effect would be to undermine our elections and the voices of NH citizens.
The NH House declined to approve wage price controls, gun control, electricity rate hikes, and the gutting of our successful Tax Credit Scholarship program.
The NH House took the first step in further protecting our 2nd Amendment rights, enhancing penalties for false criminal accusations, advancing due process rights for students.
All of the Sessions of the New Hampshire Legislature, both House and Senate, are live streamed and archived on U-Tube.
If you are interested in following the schedule of bills, meetings or other current information in the NH Legislature just plug in the following address and it will take you to the General Court Home Page: https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/
As always, thank-you for your support.