The Manchester Free Press

Wednesday • September 27 • 2023

Vol.XV • No.XXXIX

Manchester, N.H.

Senate Gold Standard – March 24, 2022

N.H. Liberty Alliance - Tue, 2022-03-22 12:57 +0000

(white) goldstandard-03-24-22-S.pdf
(gold) goldstandard-03-24-22-S-y.pdf

The post Senate Gold Standard – March 24, 2022 appeared first on NH Liberty Alliance.

Bill Hearings for Week of March 21, 2022

N.H. Liberty Alliance - Sun, 2022-03-20 20:37 +0000
  • These are the most liberty-critical hearings for the week
  • Click on the bill number to read the bill.
  • Click on the committee name to email the committee your thoughts.

Of the 1 hearings in the House, we are recommending support of 0 and opposition of 0 with 1 being of interest.
Of the 33 hearings in the Senate, we are recommending support of 3 and opposition of 3 with 3 being of interest.

Position Bill Title Committee Day Time Room State Analysis
Support HB1021 prohibiting regulation of religious land use based on the religious nature of the assembly or speech taking place on the land or in the structure. Election Law and Municipal Affairs Mon 3/21 1:00 PM SH Room 100 This bill prohibits the regulation of religious land use based on the religious nature of the assembly or speech taking place on the land or in the structure.
Support HB1026 relative to budget information provided to a budget committee. Election Law and Municipal Affairs Mon 3/21 1:15 PM SH Room 100 This bill provides that a municipal budget committee may require that the governing body provide budget recommendations in full line item detail in active spreadsheet format.
Of Interest HB1661 Public hearing on non-germane amendment #2022- 1111h. The amendment makes a $35,000,000 appropriation to
the legislative branch for a new legislative parking garage and for razing the department of
justice building and the Storrs Street garage. The amendment also establishes a temorary road
toll refund.
Finance Mon 3/21 2:00 PM LOB Room 201-203 This bill requires sending district schools and career and technical education (CTE) centers to enter into an agreement to include scheduling, access, transportation, and credits for CTE students. The bill makes an appropriation to the legislative branch for a new legislative parking garage and for razing the department of justice building and the Storrs Street garage. The bill also establishes a temporary road toll refund.16Feb2022… 0356h2022 SESSION 22-2513 10/11HOUSE BILL 1661-FN-LOCALAN ACT relative to regional career technical education agreements. SPONSORS: Rep. Ladd, Graf. 4; Rep. Umberger, Carr. 2; Rep. Lynn, Rock. 7; Rep. Boehm, Hills. 20; Rep. Cordelli, Carr. 4; Sen. Hennessey, Dist 1; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Kahn, Dist 10; Sen. Reagan, Dist 17COMMITTEE: Education—————————————————————– This bill requires sending district schools and career and technical education (CTE) centers to enter into an agreement to include scheduling, access, transportation, and credits for CTE students.
Oppose HB1011 relative to the penalty for criminal mischief. Judiciary Tue 3/22 1:00 PM SH Room 100 This bill increases the penalty for criminal mischief for destruction or vandalism of public property.
Support HB1411 relative to transparency of federal agency operations within New Hampshire. Judiciary Tue 3/22 2:15 PM SH Room 100 This bill requires the attorney general to request information from federal agencies operating in New Hampshire and to compile and display such information on a website.
Of Interest HB1110 relative to windshield tint waivers. Transportation Tue 3/22 1:45 PM LOB Room 101 This bill increases the required light transmittance of after market tinted windshields.
Oppose HB1059 clarifying limits on licensure by operation of law. Executive Departments and Administration Wed 3/23 10:00 AM SH Room 103 This bill clarifies that the executive director of the office of professional licensure and certification shall issue licenses pursuant to RSA 541-A:29-a only if applications for such licenses otherwise meet the requirements for licensure.
Of Interest HB1581 relative to the use of open source software by state agencies. Executive Departments and Administration Wed 3/23 10:15 AM SH Room 103 This bill requires state agencies to consider whether technology solutions containing proprietary or open source software offer the most cost effective solution for the agency.
Of Interest HB230 relative to child day care monitoring visits, requirements for child day care providers, and the appeals process for child day care providers. Health and Human Services Wed 3/23 9:00 AM SH Room 100 This bill: I. Revises the procedure for posting results of child day care monitoring visits on the department of health and human services website and expands the licensees’ opportunity to respond to the department’s findings. II. Requires a child day care agency employee to obtain at least 6 hours of annual continuing education or professional development. III. Establishes minimum qualifications for certification as a child care associate teacher. IV. Permits a child day care agency to appeal the decision resulting from the informal dispute resolution process; provides that, with limited exception, the agency may operate pending appeal of the department’s decision; and prohibits the department from retaliating against the child day care agency.

The post Bill Hearings for Week of March 21, 2022 appeared first on NH Liberty Alliance.

Senate Gold Standard – March 17, 2022

N.H. Liberty Alliance - Tue, 2022-03-15 22:03 +0000

(white) goldstandard-03-17-22-S.pdf
(gold) goldstandard-03-17-22-S-y.pdf

The post Senate Gold Standard – March 17, 2022 appeared first on NH Liberty Alliance.

House Gold Standard – March 15, 2022

N.H. Liberty Alliance - Mon, 2022-03-14 23:51 +0000

(white) goldstandard-03-15-22-H.pdf
(gold) goldstandard-03-15-22-H-y.pdf

The post House Gold Standard – March 15, 2022 appeared first on NH Liberty Alliance.

Full Video of CACR 32 State House Floor Discussion

NHexit.US - Sat, 2022-03-12 05:43 +0000

It was a historic day as New Hampshire was the first state since the “Civil War” to have a house floor discussion about secession.  As reported on this blog previously, CACR 32 – the constitutional amendment that would have allowed NH voters to decide the question of declaring peaceful independence from the United States – was voted down 323-13 on Thursday.  Now you can watch video of the full discussion from the floor of Rep’s Hall:

Don’t miss this post at Free Keene which gathers together seventeen hysterical posts from SHOCKED democrats in response to the heroic thirteen state reps who voted to try to stop CACR 32 from being killed.

We’re just getting started promoting independence for New Hampshire. CACR 32 was just the beginning to get the conversation going. Stay tuned here to NHexit.US for more. Meanwhile, be sure to sign the petition and join the community via the links in the top menu and help us do even more!

Historic NH Exit Constitutional Amendment Heard by Full State House: VIDEO + Dem Reaction Tweets

Free Keene - Sat, 2022-03-12 04:34 +0000

Statists on social media are freaking out over the thirteen heroic state representatives who voted in favor of the historic NH Exit constitutional amendment, CACR 32, which would have simply placed the question of peaceful independence from the United States federal gang on the ballot.

Of course, the lying pro-Empire reps and mainstream media are acting like CACR 32’s vote was a vote on secession, when it was just a vote to let the people  of NH vote on the question. That means the 323 reps who voted it down are telling the people of New Hampshire that, as democrat representative Tim Egan admitted in an email, “legislators can absolutely not trust voters with this decision”.

Sadly, there were a bunch of so-called “liberty reps” who had nothing but excuses for why they didn’t support CACR 32.  Nonetheless, bill sponsors Mike Sylvia and Matt Santonastaso spoke in favor of freedom from the tyranny of the evil federal goons, as you can see in the full video from the house floor yesterday:

Here are some of the hysterical reactions by the Empire Loyalists on Twitter.  Click the names above the images to find the actual post on their profiles:

NH Senator Lou D’Allesandro (D), Manchester:

NH Senator Cindy Rosenwald (D), Nashua:

State Rep David Meuse (D), Portsmouth:


State Rep Rosemarie Rung (D), Merrimack:

State Rep Sherry Frost (D), Dover:

State Rep Tom Loughman (D), Hampton:

State Rep Manny Espitia (D), Nashua:

@sophiabeetweets NH High School Democrats Expansion Director:

Timothy C @granitepolitics:

“PT – get vaccinated!” @pt35mm:

@JosieOShea5:

@NastyNana16:

@Katahdin5270

@FaltusEugene:

@DeVos1990:

@Darla_B:

Kathy Sullivan, former NH Democrat Party Chair:

Finally, here is a list of the thirteen heroic reps that voted to stop CACR 32 from being killed:

Abramson, Max
Aldrich, Glenn
Bailey, Glenn
Bershtein, Alan
Dodge, Dustin
Green, Dennis
Howard, Raymond
Kelley, Diane
Santonastaso, Matthew
Sylvia, Michael
Terry, Paul
Warden, Mark
Yokela, Josh

Toward an honorable Ukraine ceasefire

Free Keene - Fri, 2022-03-11 23:51 +0000

Here are some suggested win-win steps that Kyiv, Moscow or Washington should take to shut down the Russo-Ukrainian war. These steps are designed to initially be taken by just one government so that they can be taken NOW. Each of these moves would “succeed even if they fail” and would stand a good chance of moving the conflict toward an honorable ceasefire. 

Now that they have had some successes against the Russian government…Washington or Kyiv should make a tiny humanitarian gesture or other conciliatory gesture aimed at sparking a response-in-kind. For instance, a small-scale prisoner release or slight reduction in some sanction that only hurts the people. This should be videotaped and done with much fanfare. It should involve an implicit request for the enemy to reciprocate, in some tiny popular way. If Moscow fails to reciprocate, this will enrage the world further and strengthen Kyiv or Washington’s positions.  And the gesture can always be repeated in some new form until it works.  If Moscow does reciprocate, that opens the door for Kyiv or Washington to make a new, larger ameliorative gesture and so on. The goal should be an “escalating” series of conciliatory gestures until the shooting is much reduced. Each side should  gain a benefit each step of the way regardless of how the other side reacts.

Moscow, for its part, should not wait for western governments to do this. It should propose and implement a small unilateral ameliorative gesture of its own, also well publicized. Western media censorship of Moscow’s statements…is becoming a serious problem, however. They can always call FreeTalkLive.com and reach 200,000 people!

This idea of “escalating humanitarian gestures” is a long shot, at least coming from a not-very-important-person like me. But back channels may have saved the world during the Cuban crisis. Maybe this will inspire someone more influential to try a back channel of their own or forward this simple idea.

Moscow has proven it can wreak enormous damage and is willing to do so when you move your empire too close to Russia.   Various territories are now its to lose, and the sooner the fighting stops the less chance it loses them all…or loses everything in a cloud of ICBM’s.

Ukraine has already proven it can fight in the best traditions of Estonia’s war of independence and Finland’s Winter War.  The West and/or Ukraine could easily aim for objectives similar to those which the Finns successfully achieved, during their solo war with Moscow in 1940: Capture the world’s imagination, be its heroes, put up a stunning fight, but limit and end the war in a negotiated settlement which gives Moscow enough ground to bury its dead. Finland’s Winter War was technically a draw, but it put Finland on the map as a place not to mess with and drew a line against USSR expansion.  Ukraine is already on the path to accomplishing this, if it can just figure out how, when and where to stop.

These are not pro-freedom objectives par se, but they would end the war (and perhaps the nuclear exchange likelihood) without appeasement.  No one today would argue that the Finns “appeased” Moscow; they disemboweled its army as Ukraine is now doing.

Once the shooting stops, or at least is dramatically reduced, the long path toward toward Ukrainian healing and world progress can continue.

Dave Ridley
NHexit.com

My response to the Jonna Carter / Conway Daily Sun hit piece:

Free Keene - Fri, 2022-03-11 18:21 +0000

I responded to this following hit piece on the Free State Project:

https://www.conwaydailysun.com/opinion/columns/jonna-carter-linos/article_3eca6d18-82d3-11ec-8e52-0f33b7df80c6.html

My response was as follows:

LiveFreeOrDie

Have you ever met a Free Stater? Had a conversation with one? Because you seem to be completely clueless about us. For one thing, few if any of us were fond of Trump. I proudly voted for Gary Johnson in 2016 and for Jo Jorgensen in 2020. I am no more attracted to the tyrants on the right than I am to the tyrants on the left. What I want is freedom, which is why I moved to the Live Free Or Die [ fighting ] state over 10 years ago.

Do I want to escape from the US government? ABSOLUTELY! The US government has done nothing but bleed the people dry to pay for endless, pointless wars and corporate welfare. They have propped up their endless attacks on freedom with lie after lie after lie … spending most of their time, when they are not making war on foreign nations, making war on their own people, with their insane and racist war on drugs, their nasty habit of shooting innocent people in the street for no apparent reason, and their constant encroachments on our right to speak freely, to make our own decisions, an to control our own bodies.

I am pro-choice, but unlike “pro-choice” leftists, I REALLY BELIEVE in “MY BODY MY CHOICE”. Of course the right to abortion is important … too many women — and men — throughout history have been trapped in poverty and hopelessness by their inability to control their own reproduction … but that is not the only right that we have over our own bodies … we also have the right to make our own medical decisions, whether that means choosing for ourselves to treat our PTSD with MDMA, or our alcoholism /drug addiction with Mushrooms … both of which have been done with great success at John’s Hopkins.

And we also have the right to make our own economic decisions. The government could end homelessness overnight, simply by ceasing to cause it. They could get up off the millions of acres of land that they hold for no purpose, and allow people to homestead. That’s all it would take. Once people had a piece of land on which to pitch a tent, the next step would be to start a massive “habitat for humanity” program, not just building houses for people, but teaching them what they need to know to help their neighbors, and to earn money once the immediate crisis is past.


But the government always works to enrich the rich, while further impoverishing the poor. Sure, they sent us $1200 at the start of the pandemic ( which they may well have caused ), but at the same time they did so, they sent 3 trillion dollars in corporate welfare to their cronies. Do the math: Three Trillion dollars divided by Three Hundred Million Americans is 10,000 dollars per person that they handed out to make the rich richer, while returning to the people only a small fraction of that. I hope that you will take the time to get to know a Free Stater. I would be delighted to buy you a cup of coffee any time you are in Keene, or perhaps when I visit my girl in the north country. I think that if you approached us with an open mind, you would quickly learn that we are not at all what you think we are. And if, after that, you choose to remain enslaved by the government, I will quote Thomas Paine by way of farewell …. may your chains sit lightly upon you, and may history forget that ye were our countrymen.

Lame Excuses of Cowardly “Liberty Reps” Opposing NH Exit Bill, CACR 32

NHexit.US - Fri, 2022-03-11 04:28 +0000

Cowardly State Reps Return to Reps Hall

Today was the big day, the first time ever that a bill relating to New Hampshire independence was heard by the full state house.  With over 330 of 400 reps in attendance, the historic proposed constitutional amendment was sadly shot down 323-13.  We didn’t expect to win the first time out, of course.  The point of CACR 32 was to get the conversation started.

No thanks however to multiple so-called “liberty reps” who put fear-based political concerns over principle and refused to back up the brave reps who sponsored this bill.  I was there greeting the reps this morning as they entered Reps’ Hall and I heard various excuses.  Free Stater rep Jess Edwards said it shouldn’t go to voters unless reps support the idea, and he doesn’t.  This is literally the same thing some of the democrats told me as they were entering the chamber, expressing that they were against democracy as they see themselves as “gatekeepers”.  One Democrat, rep Tim Egan, even admitted in an email to me, “legislators can absolutely not trust voters with this decision”.  The state reps don’t trust you to decide, whether they be Republican or Democrat.

Representative Tom Ploszaj used the excuse that no one from his constituency had reached out to him in support of CACR 32.  Of course the bill got very little attention in the media, so it’s likely few people were even aware of it.  Ploszaj and other “liberty reps” seem very concerned with what voters would think if they voted in support of CACR 32.  Ploszaj said in an email, “My personal opinion and stance on the CACR is irreverent [SIC] since I was elected to represent my district and uphold the Constitutions not to make decisions based on my own agendas.”  This is a strange statement as we all know that no one can truly “represent” a diverse group of people.  If Ploszaj ran a campaign and was honest about supporting liberty, then that is presumably why he was elected, not to do anything a handful of people who call him up suggest.  If a few people called Ploszaj to request he sponsor some Communist legislation, I suspect he would say no, even though some constituents wanted it.

Jason Osborne, Free Stater and the current House Majority Leader said that he supports California seceding, but doesn’t think the people of New Hampshire want independence.  He told me instead NH should lead the way for America.  Another Free Stater, five-term rep Brian Seaworth expressed that he didn’t want to support the bill because he didn’t think it would pass and he felt that voting for it would put him in jeopardy of losing the next election.  Melissa Blasek, state rep and executive director of Rebuild NH said that while she likes the idea, she’s worried the democrats will use it against her in her reelection campaign.

I guess we’ll see if the thirteen heroes who voted for this bill will be defeated in their re-election attempts later this year.  What if they are re-elected?  Will the “liberty reps” who refused to stand on principle develop a spine?  Don’t get your hopes up.

Perhaps they’ll be prosecuted for treason or rebellion as statist rep Brodie Deshaies suggested in his attempts to intimidate the reps into opposing CACR 32.  I’d bet against any reps being prosecuted.  Despite the claims to the contrary, this was an attempt at peaceful secession.  No violence was ever suggested.  Secession is legal and constitutional, as rep Matt Santonastaso explained in his speech on the house floor today.  Article one, section ten of the US Constitution outlines the specific things that states are not allowed to do.  Leaving is not one of those prohibited things.  In fact, secession isn’t talked about at all in the US Constitution.  Therefore, it’s a right left to the states under the tenth amendment of the Bill of Rights.  We CAN do this.  Some state is going to be first to go.  Whether it’s Texas, California, New Hampshire, or elsewhere, the only question is when.

 

NEW STATE PRISON MAIL POLICY

Citizens for Criminal Justice Reform – N.H. - Wed, 2022-03-09 15:52 +0000

https://www.ccjrnh.org/nh_state_prison_mail_policy

Full House to Vote on NH Exit CACR32 on 3/10 – Contact State Reps NOW!

NHexit.US - Mon, 2022-03-07 23:27 +0000

NHexit.US

The next big step for the NH Exit constitutional amendment, CACR 32, is this Thursday March 10th, when it will come to the full state house for a vote. Supporters of New Hampshire independence should immediately call or email their state representatives and ask them to support CACR 32. Please remind them that voting on CACR 32 is NOT a vote on state secession. Their vote is on whether or not to put the question on the ballot for the people to decide.

Many reps are confused and believe that if they vote to pass CACR 32 that they are supporting independence for NH and that is not true. Voting to kill CACR 32 means they are anti-democratic and do not want to allow the people of New Hampshire to vote on the matter.  Please be kind to the confused reps and try to help them understand rather than getting upset.

Here’s a handy tool you can use to discover your local state reps and get their contact information. While you can contact more than just your area’s reps, reps outside your area may not consider your comments as seriously as your local reps. So, if your time is limited, keep your state rep outreach to your area’s reps only.

Second, if you have free time this Thursday March 10th, please show up at the state house in Concord at 107 N Main St for their full house session where CACR 32 will be heard. We do not know the exact time CACR 32 will come up, but it is expected to happen at some point. The session begins at 9am but some NH Independence activists will be arriving much earlier, some as early as 7:30am, for a rally outside the state house. Feel free to bring signs or shirts promoting independence for New Hampshire. Be sure to also connect with our chat rooms on Matrix or Telegram to help coordinate. Both chat rooms are linked together, so if you join one, you needn’t join the other.

Earlier this winter, the committee hearing the bill voted it “Inexpedient to Legislate” 21-0, however there are 400 state reps in New Hampshire and because it’s a constitutional amendment any vote of the full house must be a “roll call” vote. Roll call means that each representative’s vote is recorded so we know how each state rep voted. We need to be present on Thursday to show them there is support for CACR 32 and that we are watching to see how they vote. See you Thursday morning at the state house in Concord!

House Gold Standard – March 10, 2022

N.H. Liberty Alliance - Sun, 2022-03-06 22:43 +0000

(white) goldstandard-03-10-22-H.pdf
(gold) goldstandard-03-10-22-H-y.pdf

The post House Gold Standard – March 10, 2022 appeared first on NH Liberty Alliance.

Bill Hearings for Week of March 07, 2022

N.H. Liberty Alliance - Sun, 2022-03-06 16:52 +0000
  • These are the most liberty-critical hearings for the week
  • Click on the bill number to read the bill.
  • Click on the committee name to email the committee your thoughts.

Of the 3 hearings in the House, we are recommending support of 0 and opposition of 0 with 1 being of interest.
Of the 31 hearings in the Senate, we are recommending support of 3 and opposition of 3 with 2 being of interest.

Position Bill Title Committee Day Time Room State Analysis
Of Interest HB87 relative to the definition of electioneering. Election Law and Municipal Affairs Mon 3/7 1:00 PM SH Room 100 This bill amends the definition of “electioneering” by prohibiting only certain election officials from wearing clothing or paraphernalia that a reasonable person would believe explicitly advocates for or against any candidate, political party, or measure being voted.
Of Interest HB1627 Public hearing on non-germane amendment #2022-0875h, to HB 1627-FN-A. AN ACT establishing an education freedom account program administrator in the department of education and making an appropriation therefor, and relative to the school meals direct certification with Medicaid program. Finance Tue 3/8 1:00 PM LOB Room 210-211 This bill establishes the position of education freedom account administrator in the department of education, division of learner support, and makes an appropriation to the department for the position.
Support HB597 relative to the expectation of privacy. Judiciary Tue 3/8 1:00 PM SH Room 100 This bill regulates the collection, retention, and use of personal information and establishes a cause of action for violations of an individual’s expectation of privacy in personal information.
Of Interest HB481 establishing the office of the right-to-know ombudsman and making an appropriation therefor. Judiciary Tue 3/8 1:15 PM SH Room 100 This bill establishes procedures to streamline the resolution of complaints under RSA 91-A. This bill establishes the office of the right-to-know ombudsman. This bill also establishes an alternative process to resolve right-to-know complaints.
Support HB579 requiring notice to the public before immigration checkpoints are conducted. Judiciary Tue 3/8 2:00 PM SH Room 100 This bill requires the chief law enforcement officer to inform local media when he or she is informed by Border Patrol of an immigration checkpoint.
Support HB355 relative to Keno. Ways and Means Wed 3/9 9:10 AM SH Room 100 This bill allows licensed lottery retailers in jurisdictions that have voted to allow keno to operate keno games.

The post Bill Hearings for Week of March 07, 2022 appeared first on NH Liberty Alliance.

NH HB 1682: Bill to Establish “Police Conduct Review Committee” Gains Steam

Free Keene - Sat, 2022-03-05 22:57 +0000

New Hampshire HB 1682 was introduced by Rep. David Welch (R – Rockingham13) on 1/5/2022, followed by a public hearing on 1/14/2022. The House Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety voted that the bill “ought to pass with amendment” and has been referred to the House Finance Committee for further review.

On the Surface It Sounds Great: Hold Police Accountable for Their Actions

The idea of this bill is to establish a committee that’s considered “independent” and separate from local police jurisdictions in order to ensure police officers are held accountable for their actions (or inactions.) According to Rep. David Welch, the aim of the bill is “to establish a single, neutral, and independent statewide entity to receive complaints alleging misconduct regarding all sworn and elected law enforcement officers.” – HB 1682 public hearing, 1/14/2022 – watch here

As outlined in the bill, officers could potentially face the new Conduct Review Committee for a number of reasons, including: if they’ve been convicted of committing a felony, any sentence of incarceration, excessive use of force, driving while intoxicated, moral turpitude (dishonesty, deceit, theft), acts of omission, lying in a police report or criminal proceeding, falsification of records, tampering with or falsifying evidence, racist conduct or statements, etc.

This all sounds great, because of course law enforcement officers should be held accountable for their actions! Which makes me wonder, why aren’t they now?

Policing the Police With Police

There’s already an established Police Standards and Training Council that handles internal reviews in New Hampshire. The new Law Enforcement Conduct Review Committee would fall under that umbrella, dealing exclusively with misconduct reviews. In recent years the public’s interest in holding police accountable has skyrocketed. Perhaps there are so many cases of police misconduct in the state that they can no longer handle the workload or process them quickly enough. 

Since the new Conduct Review Committee would fall under the already established Standards Council, the governor would (again) be appointing its members. The current Police Standards and Training Council consists of mainly a bunch of police officers appointed by Governor Sununu. Since it is the governor who will be appointing members here again, I’m not sure this bill will be as effective as it looks. A politician hand-picking members within the context of “maintaining absolute objectivity” is a farce.   

The Law Enforcement Conduct Review Committee would consist of:

  • Four law enforcement officers appointed by the governor
  • Three public members with no familial associations to a police officer, lawyer, or judge

It’s A Step in the Right Direction

Clearly the public is sick and tired of law enforcement officer misconduct and abuse. Many states are re-thinking how they pursue justice and hold officers accountable for their actions, and New Hampshire is right there with them.

HB 1682, although flawed, is at least heading in the right direction. We want police accountability, and we want it now! What do you think? Will the establishment of a new committee under the current council, all members of which are governor-appointed, get us on the road to accountability? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Video of the Public Hearing for HB 1682: (2:16:42 – 3:22:22)

Ukraine no fly zone: Insanity of the First Magnitude

Free Keene - Fri, 2022-03-04 06:24 +0000

While out here trying to do my bit against the Kremlin’s re-incarnation of September 1, 1939…It’s important to raise concerns about some of the apocalyptic Moscow-fighting ideas that are getting put on the table in the excitement. It’s shocking my fellow Kremlin foes are advocating a U.S. led no-fly zone over Ukraine. This is a move which has perhaps 10 percent chance of ending civilization as we know it, since it would require direct, large-scale combat between the U.S. and Russia…inside Russia!

The real solution is deadly but a lot less deadly: Peaceable civil resistance inside Russia, at the discretion of Russians. Guerilla war and civil resistance inside Ukraine, funded, peopled and supplied from across the globe. The Kremlin can be beaten, but it has to be without direct conflict between the two top nuclear powers. This is a long established and proven concept; it’s already been done once in much tougher circumstances. Ideally it should happen at private rather than taxpayer expense, definitely without foreign military presence; each of us does need to do our bit without waiting for governments. We also need to do our bit to prevent Russian bystanders from suffering and prevent the Resistance from going nuclear. Most people are probably reluctant to say this; maybe I can say it since I was a volunteer inside Bosnia during that one and am hopefully doing my part for Ukrainians and friendly Russians during this one.

Dave Ridley
NHexit.com
“Independence without enmity”

Bill Hearings for Week of February 28, 2022

N.H. Liberty Alliance - Sun, 2022-02-27 20:19 +0000
  • Click on the bill number to read the bill.
  • Click on the committee name to email the committee your thoughts.

Of the 5 hearings in the House, we are recommending support of 0 and opposition of 0 with 1 being of interest.
Of the 1 hearings in the Senate, we are recommending support of 0 and opposition of 0 with 0 being of interest.

Position Bill Title Committee Day Time Room State Analysis
Of Interest HB1598 legalizing the possession and use of cannabis. Ways and Means Thu 3/3 1:00 PM LOB Room 202-204 This bill: I. Legalizes the possession and use of cannabis for persons 21 years of age and older. II. Authorizes the liquor commission to regulate and administer the cultivation, manufacture, testing, and retail sale of cannabis statewide, and makes an appropriation therefor. III. Authorizes a municipality to enact an ordinance prohibiting or limiting the number and type of cannabis establishments that may be permitted within the municipality and regulating the time, place, and manner of operation of a cannabis establishment permitted within the municipality. IV. Establishes the cannabis control fund and requires funds to be distributed to the department of health and human services, bureau of drug and alcohol services, for education tax relief, public safety agency training purposes, and children’s behavioral health services. V. Makes an appropriation to the department of health and human services to create public media and social media campaigns to address some of the risks of cannabis use. VI. Authorizes the business finance authority to establish a state-chartered, single purpose depository bank to transact business with cannabis establishments licensed under this act, and makes an appropriation therefor.

The post Bill Hearings for Week of February 28, 2022 appeared first on NH Liberty Alliance.

NHexit.com statement on Kremlin invasion of Ukraine

Free Keene - Sat, 2022-02-26 03:11 +0000

1) The Russian government’s act of all-out conventional war is wildly excessive. Any individual or voluntarily funded institution wishing to help defend Ukraine against this overstep is far within their rights, recent Kremlin threats against this non-withstanding.

2) The initial success of the attack on this Western-leaning nation…is a reminder that Washington cannot be relied on to defend New Hampshire. Counterintuitive as is sounds, NH would be better off – and the Western world should benefit – if we handled own defense and diplomacy. Instead of being tied the weirdly aggressive-yet-impotent D.C. zombie, we would find a wide range of better options for our security. These range from the happily de-militarized neutrality of Costa Rica to the gun-heavy but non-aligned preparedness of Switzerland. We would also have the option of doing something better for future nations-under-threat like Ukraine: We could insist that any government we ally ourselves with…free its own people from invasion-enabling gun control laws:

https://freekeene.com/2022/01/14/the-porcupine-peace-plan-how-nh-independence-could-boost-american-security-and-stop-armageddon/

3) Ukraine’s government has made this invasion practical by doing something most European governments and even American governments are still doing: They limited the private possession/carry of firearms up until the week of the invasion, when they finally let civilians carry them without permission. This is roughly what happened in the ill-fated Spanish Republic during the 1936 war. Ukrainians are now reported to be desperately mobbing gun stores, for good reason but probably too late. GunPolicy.org lists Ukraine as having only 7 civilian firearms per 100 persons…a foreign invader’s dream. Civilians in the average U.S. state, including New Hampshire, reportedly possess over 115 per 100.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_law_in_Ukraine

4) Washington has unnecessarily provoked Moscow over the last 30 years. By moving NATO so close to Russian borders and arguably sponsoring a Ukrainian coup in 2014, it ignored the Rodina’s security concerns. Since 2001 especially, it has bombed, blockaded and invaded many nations with little good reason but much abuse of local civilians. It has cast away the relative ethical high ground, against the wishes of most New Hampshirites. It has also become a direct physical threat to all of us with its unconstitutional rules and raids inside our libertarian-leaning state. It has become incapable of credibly condemning Russia’s actions the way it did during the Kremlin’s invasion of Finland in 1939.

5) U.S. ruler Joe Biden’s statement of Feb. 24, 2022 is partially worthy of condemnation: “Putin chose this war, and now he and his country will bear the consequences.” By speaking in this manner, he equated the Russian people with their quasi-dictator…that would be like equating General Franco with the Catalan anarchists he so victimized in the Spanish Civil War. Individual Russians and the Russian nation should be treated as potential allies against Putin; many have already risked their lives this week to protest against him

6) New Hampshire, unlike Switzerland and Costa Rica, is currently on the nuclear target list as a result of its membership in the United States system. This would be one thing if the U.S. were generally in the right and generally humane. It is not and thus is not worthy of *our* lives. Both D.C. and Moscow deserve opposition; neither deserve support.

7) Moscow’s move may be designed to divert attention from a planned attack on Taiwan, where invasion-friendly gun laws are even more severe than Ukraine’s.

8) The appropriate New Hampshire move is to peaceably declare independence from the U.S. (as Rep. Sylvia’s current legislation at Concord is attempting to do). Then it should set a clean foreign policy of its own crafting. This policy should be one that does not overextend and does not aggress but does keep faith with foreign allies by insisting (as a minimum condition of continued partnership) that their governments end all the gun controls they are imposing on their people.

Dave Ridley
NHexit.com
“Independence without enmity”


Copblocker Defeats Keene Police Charges for Fleeing on Motorcycle While Underage

Free Keene - Fri, 2022-02-25 03:50 +0000

Local Snitch, Alexander Short of Swanzey

In 2016 we featured a video from then-eleven-year-old Mikey Gordon as he shut down a state trooper’s speed trap in Alstead. In the Summer of 2020, at age 15, Mikey was arrested for allegedly refusing to pull over while riding a motorcycle in Keene, leading police on a high-speed chase that ended near Rt 12.

According to police, the then-unknown motorcycle operator ditched the bike and ran into the woods before police were able to catch up. Fortunately for the cops, a local snitch, Alexander Short – the owner of Short’s Detailing at 58 Forest Ave in Swanzey – approached them and told officers he knew who the operator of the motorcycle was, as the two had been hanging out in the Target parking lot the same night. The snitch placed a phone call to Mikey’s cell phone and officers were then able to locate and take him into custody, ultimately returning him home to his parents’ house.

Months later, Mikey was subsequently charged with two misdemeanor counts: “disobeying an officer” and “operating without valid license”. The first count was charged as “class A”, which could result in up to a year in jail and the second count charged as “class B” which could be a large fine. The Keene Police prosecutor offered a plea deal which would have dropped the class A charge in return for his guilty plea on the class B with the punishment being a 30 day loss of license and $620 fine plus $720 suspended on condition of good behavior. Now-seventeen-year-old Mikey heroically refused the plea deal and took the charges to trial earlier this month:

After the state presented its case, Keene district court judge Patrick W Ryan took the case “under advisement” and complimented Mikey, telling him, “you did a good job”. It was Mikey’s first time in court and he appeared pro-se, defending himself without the help of an attorney.

Normally, when a robed man takes a case under advisement it is a good sign that the verdict will not be “guilty”, because usually they are hesitant to deliver a not-guilty verdict in front of an audience and cameras. Judges are likely to issue more favorable verdicts when the cameras are off and no one is around, and that is exactly what happened in this case. Actually, the charges were “dismissed” according to the case file, which means Mikey wasn’t found “not guilty”. Dismissing charges after the trial has finished is an unusual result, but it’s still a solid win for the teenage Cop Block activist.

Observers reported that the snitch Alexander Short laughed and told Mikey outside of the courtroom to “have fun in jail”. Who is laughing now? One benefit of taking charges to trial is the police have to put snitches – or any undercover agents – on the witness stand to make their case, whereas if the defendant takes a plea deal the snitch is protected from public view. So now everyone knows that Alexander Short of Swanzey New Hampshire is happy to throw his friends under the bus and rat them out to the police for victimless crimes.

Congratulations to Mikey for his victory!

Senate Gold Standard, Thursday February 24th, 2022

N.H. Liberty Alliance - Tue, 2022-02-22 12:43 +0000

(white) goldstandard-02-24-22-S.pdf
(gold) goldstandard-02-24-22-S-y.pdf

 

 

The post Senate Gold Standard, Thursday February 24th, 2022 appeared first on NH Liberty Alliance.

Bill Hearings for Week of February 21, 2022

N.H. Liberty Alliance - Mon, 2022-02-21 01:02 +0000
  • These are the most liberty-critical hearings for the week
  • Click on the bill number to read the bill.
  • Click on the committee name to email the committee your thoughts.

Of the 20 hearings in the House, we are recommending support of 5 and opposition of 2 with 1 being of interest.
Of the 9 hearings in the Senate, we are recommending support of 1 and opposition of 1 with 0 being of interest.

Position Bill Title Committee Day Time Room State Analysis
Of Interest HB1279 relative to the duration of term alimony. Children and Family Law Tue 2/22 10:00 AM LOB Room 206-208 This bill removes the ending of term alimony upon remarriage of the payee.
Support HB1347 relative to licensing requirements for health care facilities that operate on a membership-based business model. Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Tue 2/22 11:00 AM LOB Room 210-211 This bill exempts membership-based health care facilities from the adoption of certain policies relative to access to care and financial assistance plans. The bill requires membership-based hospitals with emergency departments to prominently post notices that the facility serves members only.
Support HB1487 relative to the procedure for withdrawal from the vaccine registry. Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Tue 2/22 1:00 PM LOB Room 210-211 This bill provides that a health care provider’s signature shall not be required for withdrawal from the state immunization/vaccination registry.
Support HB1570 relative to reducing vehicle registration fees. Transportation Tue 2/22 9:30 AM SH Room Reps Hall This bill reduces vehicle registration fees.
Support HB1424 relative to the speed limit for watercraft on Lake Winnipesaukee. Transportation Tue 2/22 1:00 PM SH Room Reps Hall This bill changes the speed limit for watercraft on Lake Winnipesaukee.
Support HB435 (New Title) relative to the suspension of drivers’ licenses Transportation Tue 2/22 1:20 PM LOB Room 101 This bill modifies the circumstances under which a driver’s license may be suspended or revoked.
Oppose HB1145 relative to a motor vehicle exception to criminal restraint or false imprisonment and relative to civil immunity and physical force in defense of a person. Criminal Justice and Public Safety Wed 2/23 11:30 AM LOB Room 202-204 This bill adds an exception to the criminal restraint and false imprisonment statutes based on temporary detainment in a motor vehicle and removes civil liability for the use of force in the protection of person or property and amends the law governing the duty to retreat when using physical force in defense of oneself or another.
Oppose HB1131 relative to facial covering policies for schools. Education Fri 2/25 9:00 AM SH Room Reps Hall This bill prohibits school boards and accredited nonpublic schools from adopting, enforcing, or implementing a policy that requires students or members of the public to wear a facial covering.
Support HB1371 relative to school district policies on facial masks of students in schools. Education Fri 2/25 10:00 AM SH Room Reps Hall This bill requires school districts to adopt a policy leaving facial mask use to parents of students and not tolerating bullying, harassment, or discrimination.

The post Bill Hearings for Week of February 21, 2022 appeared first on NH Liberty Alliance.

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