Dear Friend,
Last week in Washington DC, the American Health Care Act passed the House by a narrow margin. This is the second version of Republican lawmakers’ repeal and replace legislation that was amended to appease the far right that opposed the first version of this bill back in March. Here in New Hampshire, Governor Sununu supports the AHCA and applauded it’s passage, even though it has disastrous consequences for New Hampshire residents. He has yet to give the specifics on why he believes that the ACHA is good for New Hampshire (hint: it’s not), but with the cuts to Medicaid, defacto ban on preexisting conditions, and the disastrous consequences to our state’s battle against the opioid crisis we know that this is not right for our state or our country.
TAKE ACTION
Call Governor Sununu and let him know that the AHCA is NOT RIGHT for NH.
Join us for a Press Conference Wednesday to speak out against the ACHA on the same day that Health and Human Services Secretary Bill Price will be in Concord.
DETAILS COMING SOON
Please continue to use this regular newsletter as a tool for your local committee meetings or as a supplement to your own regular newsletter.
As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions you may have.
Best,
Sue Ford Erin Cotton
NHDP Grassroots Chair Operations Director, NHDP
Fmr. House Democratic Floor Leader ecotton@nhdp.org
sueford06@gmail.com
Nick Taylor Erin Turmelle
Director, House and Senate Democrats Political Director, NHDP
ntaylor@nhdp.org eturmelle@nhdp.org
County Caucus Dates!
These are your opportunities to elect your County Officers!
5/8 – Rockingham County Caucus
The Exeter Inn 90 Front St, Exeter
7:00pm
DATE CHANGE
5/13 – Strafford County Caucus
McConnell Center Rm 323, 61 Locust St, Dover
9:30am
5/13 – Manchester City Caucus
NH Institute of Politics St. Anselm College, 100 St. Anselm Dr., Manchester
10:00am
5/16 – Merrimack County Caucus
New Hampshire Democratic Party 105 N. State St., Concord
6:30pm
5/25 – Coos County Caucus
Gorham Town Hall 20 Park St #2, Gorham
5:00pm
6/21 – Belknap County Caucus
Franklin Savings Bank, Tilton
5:30pm
TBD – Hillsborough County Caucus
Voters must be registered Democrats who live in the county.
Table of Contents
I. Special Elections
II. Priority Democratic Hearings
III. Legislative Recap
IV. Social Media Buzz
V. Democratic Press Releases
VI. State Democrats in the News
VII. Get Involved!
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Action Alert! Special Elections!
We have a number of Special Elections happening across the state. Can you knock on doors or make phone calls to ensure Democratic victories in these winnable races?
Hillsborough 44
Knock Doors!
Where: Memorial High School, 1 Crusader Way, Manchester
When: Saturday 5/13 @ noon
Make Phone Calls!
Link to virtual phone bank
https://www.openvpb.com/vpb_bycode/61E222A-4720
Code: 61E222A-4720
Carroll 6
Please reach out to Nick Taylor (ntaylor@nhdp.org) if you would like to volunteer in Wolfeboro
Please note: We are encouraging volunteers to help in Hillsborough 44 because it is a floaterial district and 3x as large as Carroll 6, thus, it requires more volunteers. We firmly believe we can win both of these seats, but the additional volunteer help is most necessary in the larger district.
Merrimack House District 18 and State Senate District 16, both have Democratic primaries. After the primary we will happily promote volunteer opportunities for those races.
Please email Nick Taylor at ntaylor@nhdp.org if you would like additional information about the district.
PRIORITY DEMOCRATIC HEARINGS
Week of May 8 – May 12, 2017
Tuesday, May 9th 10:00 AM / Legislative Administration / Legislative Office Building, Rooms 305-307
House – Legislative Administration – Public hearing to consider the matter of Representatives Fisher and Frost as referred to the committee by the House of Representatives. The committee will review the merits of the allegations against Representative Fisher at this time.
Why this matters: This House voted last week to make an inquiry into Republican House Representative Robert Fisher’s misogynist online forum ‘Red Pill.’ Republican Leadership has not put enough pressure on Rep. Fisher to force his resignation, and his defiant statement makes it clear that he does not intend to. This hearing is an opportunity for NH voters to voice their opinions and let Republicans and Rep. Fisher know that this hateful rhetoric against women will not be tolerated.
Tuesday, May 9th 10:00 AM / Election Law / Legislative Office Building, Room 308
House – Election Law – SB-3, Full committee work session on SB-3 relative to domicile for voting purposes.
** This will be an executive session. The House Election Law Committee will convene to make their recommendation on whether or not the bill should pass.
Why this matters: SB 3 attempts to redefine what “domicile” means relative to voting in New Hampshire. The bill provides a list of acceptable documents that can be used to define where you are eligible to vote. These changes are clearly focused on suppressing the vote by making the process more confusing for young and first time voters.
Wednesday, May 10th 1:30 PM / Legislative Administration / Legislative Office Building, Rooms 305-307
House – Legislative Administration – Public hearing to consider the matter of Representatives Fisher and Frost as referred to the committee by the House of Representatives. The committee will review the merits of the allegations against Representative Frost at this time.
Why this matters: This attempt by House Republicans to tie comments made by Rep. Frost two months ago to the misogynistic rhetoric of Rep. Fisher is unbelievable. Speaker Jasper did not see fit mention the incident when it happened, and was subsequently handled in an appropriate way by Democratic House Leadership. This is shameful false equivalence by NH GOP.
Notable Floor Votes
The Senate will be in session Thursday May 11 at 10:00AM.
The next House session will be at the call of the chair.
Thursday, May 11th / Judiciary
Senate – Judiciary – HB 640-FN, relative to the penalties for possession of marijuana.
Why this matters: The New Hampshire Democratic Platform states that “we recognize the collateral damage and harsh consequences of a conviction for the possession of marijuana and and support decriminalization for possession of a small amount.”
Please reach out to Sue Ford, sford@nhdp.org, to visit these sessions.
Interested in Testifying at Committee Hearings?
We’ll send you information on how to testify
Click HERE to add your name to the list!
Legislative Recap
Week in Review – May 1st – May 5th
Last week was a slow week in Concord with the House not in session. House Democrats voted to fully fund full-day kindergarten in NH. This is a great example of our Democratic elected officials holding Gov. Sununu to his campaign promises, even as House Republicans voted against this bill. The House also passed a bill to clarify NH’s Rape Shield Law by a significant margin. This bill protects a victims sexual history throughout the entire judicial process. The Senate began budget hearings as they start to put together a comprehensive budget bill for our state.
Social Media Buzz
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Democratic Press Releases
Senator Dan Feltes to Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Trump Repeal of Internet Privacy Rules
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… “This bipartisan legislation responds to a Congress that kowtowed to big corporations at the expense of individual internet users, including right here in the Granite State. New Hampshire doesn’t put corporate profits over people’s privacy, we do the opposite.” … – Senator Dan Feltes (D-Concord)
Senate Reviews Amendment to Prevent Cancers and Other Diseases Caused by Drinking Water Contaminants
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… “Ensuring that our communities have access to safe, clean drinking water is one of government’s most basic responsibilities. Exposure to these emerging contaminants has likely resulted in an increase in pediatric cancers and other debilitating diseases across southern New Hampshire.” … – Senator Dan Feltes (D-Concord)
Senate Democratic Leader’s Statement on House Passage of Full Funding for Full Day Kindergarten
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… “Funding full-day kindergarten expands educational opportunities for our students, expands opportunity for parents who need to work, and eases the burdens on local property taxpayers. Today’s vote is a great example of how the legislature can come together and do the right thing. When it comes to investing in our children’s futures, we can’t afford to cut corners and take the easy way out and I urge the legislature to make sure this full funding is included in the budget.” … – Senate Democratic Leader Jeff Woodburn (D-Whitefield)
House Passes Legislation to Increase Access to Substance Abuse Treatment
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… “Medication assisted treatment is critical for patients in recovery — it can mean the difference between life and death. Requiring medical professionals to apply for prior authorization before dispensing medication for treatment creates an unnecessary and costly burden to providers and staff and needlessly delays patient access to the resources they so desperately need. I’m very glad we were able to move the process forward today to help break down a senseless bureaucratic barrier to needed treatment.” … – Senator Dan Feltes (D-Concord)
House Passes Legislation to Help Combat Both the Opioid and Mental Health Crises
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… “To make progress on our opioid and mental health crises, it is critically important that the New Hampshire Insurance Department finish its network adequacy rules, and promptly complete and make public its analysis of insurance carrier treatment of persons with mental health impairments. In the meantime, SB 157 makes it abundantly clear that substance use disorder services shall be considered as part of network adequacy analyses. It also helps make sure consumers and their families know where to turn to for help, including when critical services are not available in their network. The first number many folks call when struggling to find mental health or substance use disorder services is the number on the back of their insurance card. SB 157 ensures that the right information is provided at the right time.” … – Senator Dan Feltes (D-Concord)
House Democratic Leader Introduces Investigation Into Representative’s Involvement In Misogynist Forum
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… “I was shocked to see a report linking the creation of the ‘Red Pill’ online forum to a New Hampshire State Representative. A brief search of the ‘Red Pill’ reveals that it’s central purpose is to train men how to manipulate and dominate women. Misogynist beliefs about the intelligence of women are prevalent in ‘Red Pill’ discussions. It is particularly troubling that Representative Fisher has shown no contrition for his actions since being revealed as the creator of this forum.” … – House Democratic Leader Steve Shurtleff (D-Penacook)
House Votes To Strengthen Rape Shield Law
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… “Today’s vote to strengthen New Hampshire’s Rape Shield Law is critically important for victims of sexual violence. Only 16% of rapes are currently reported to police, largely because victims fear retaliation and the public scrutiny they would endure by coming forward. Ensuring that victims’ privacy rights are protected will allow people to come forward and seek justice without fear of their private life being broadcast to the world.” … – House Democratic Leader Steve Shurtleff (D-Penacook)
House Passes Legislation To Fund Full-Day Kindergarten Programs
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… “The House’s vote today in support of full-day kindergarten is a long-overdue recognition of the value that kindergarten programs provide to the development of our children. This bill simply provides full funding for kindergarten programs in communities that offer it, finally giving kindergarten the support it deserves. The business community recognizes the importance of early childhood education and strongly supports this bill. I am hopeful that the House Finance Committee will reach the same conclusion in their review of this legislation.” … – House Democratic Leader Steve Shurtleff (D-Penacook)
State Democrats in the News
My Turn: State Budget Must Address Our Most Critical Needs
By: Representative Mary Jane Wallner (D – Concord)
Concord Monitor: READ HERE
GET INVOLVED!
We are going to need all hands-on-deck for 2017. If you’d like to get involved, please let us know. There are many ways to help out! You can volunteer to write letters to your local paper, call your local representatives, testify at hearings, or share posts on social media.
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