It is not easy, and it may be very uncomfortable, to change your political affiliation because you finally realize that it is not you who is leaving the Party, but the Party has left you. I grew up in Massachusetts, where everyone joined the Democrat Party at birth. Those many years ago, John Kennedy personified the Democrat Party.

They were the Party of the little guy, unions and workers, social safety nets, and legal immigration. It is easy to see that today’s Democrat Party is not JFK’s Party. When I graduated college, I recognized that the Democrats and Massachusetts were changing, and it was not for the betterment of the state or its people. That is why I packed up the family and escaped to New Hampshire. Unfortunately, many people made that same pilgrimage over the border. Still, many brought the Massachusetts political philosophy with them and contributed to changing the Granite State from Red to Blue.

The morphing of the Maine Democrat Party has been happening for years, and this new Progressive version has been gutting Maine like you would a boiled lobster. It is past time for Maine Democrats to stop pulling the D lever out of habit and recognize the Republicans align better with your old-fashioned views. Don’t be alarmed when you look into the mirror one morning and a Conservative is staring back.

To look at some of the recent bills passed by the Democrat-led Maine Government in Augusta, one would gaze into the Progressive Playbook. It is a path that does not reflect the hard-working, traditional Mainers who built a beautiful, diverse state that was a magnet for vacationers everywhere. The motto of Vacationland is being changed by Democrats who now want people to come to Maine for late-term abortions and transgender counseling and surgery. The Dems want to take children away from parents who are not supportive of their children’s wishes to re-gender.

The Dems are diverting housing and resources meant for Mainers who need help to illegal migrants who should be deported. Dems have put Maine at the top of the list of the highest real estate taxes in the country and fourth on the list of highest income taxed individuals. The Dems are restricting the Maine Lobster Industry to extinction while promoting marijuana usage and sales because they see the tax revenue that industry can generate. The state is doing little to stem the growth of illegal Chinese Cartel marijuana farms. It identifies laws that the justice department will no longer enforce because of a shortage of staff in the Justice and Law Enforcement agencies. These decisions are making Maine a less safe environment for Maine’s citizens but more attractive for illegals and criminals.

It may seem like a giant leap to leave the Democrats that have been your Party for a lifetime, but not so big when you look at the facts. Does the Democrat Party in Maine today reflect who you are, or is it time to let them go and look across the aisle. You will find those folks ready to welcome you to their Party, and I assure you that you will feel right at home. Like the feel of your favorite slippers, you will fit right in and wonder why you took so long to take the leap. Welcome home, my friends. Now, let’s make Maine back into the state we love.

The post Wake Up Maine Democrats, This Is Not Your Parent’s Party appeared first on Granite Grok.

Tell Your Representatives to Prioritize Students over Harmful DEI Initiatives. SB 219 – Act now to:

1. Sign in in support of the bill, next scheduled for a hearing in the House Education Committee Tuesday, 4/16/24.

2. Consider attending the committee hearing to testify in support of the bill, 4/16/24, at 9:30am in the Legislative Office Building room 205-207.

SB 219, The Students First Act, is an important bill that will crack down on sprawling and expensive school administration in New Hampshire to ensure that our education spending puts students and teachers first.

As amended by the Senate, SB 219 would require school districts to report six-figure salaries of diversity professionals and other high-paid administrators before school budget meetings.

These reports will prove to voters that they are being deceived. Despite decades of increasing school expenses around New Hampshire to reportedly benefit our students, no school tax increases are going to teacher pay. Instead, school districts are creating well-paid, left-wing administrative bureaucracies focused on expensive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and staffing, all at the expense of teachers and students.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: 

1. Register your support of SB 219 by signing in in support of the bill here.

You can find step-by-step instructions on how to sign in here.

2. Submit written testimony. You can do this when you sign in. Simply hit “choose file” under step number four to upload a document with your testimony, or type your testimony into the provided box.

3. Come testify in person. We have step-by-step instructions on how to testify here. You can also reach out to us at cornerstone@nhcornerstone.org if you have any questions about the testifying process.

Important Note: Some have issues with the House remote sign-in page. If you are encountering problems, you can also email the committee directly to register your support of this bill and/or submitting written testimony. You can find their contact info here.

Please Submit Group communications or Press Releases to steve@granitegrok.com.
Submission is not a guarantee of publication – Publication is not an endorsement.

The Importance of State Recognition of Biological Sex

Several pieces of legislation seeking to address the issue of protecting women’s sports are being considered by the New Hampshire General Court with one, HB 396, uniquely positioned for passage. HB 396, permitting classification of individuals based on biological sex under certain limited circumstances, narrowly survived the House and is now headed to the Senate for review.

While other pending legislation focuses on sporting events alone, HB 396 provides for broader application by allowing “any person or organization, public or private” the opportunity to make a classification based on biological sex. This level of classification flexibility and protection is not present in any of the other bills.

HB 396 provides the most expansive framework to address these issues and has the greatest success of becoming law in New Hampshire. It is of vital necessity that the Senate pass HB 396, unamended in any way, as an important first and needed step in clarifying the state’s ability to differentiate based on biological sex. This bill will pave the way for any person or organization, public or private, to protect women in the areas of sports, prisons and places of intimate privacy.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
We encourage you to stay tuned for any updates on HB 396 as it advances to the Senate. Read more about this important issue and its priority in our blog post here.

Oppose State-Sanctioned Suicide in the Senate

On March 21st, the New Hampshire House of Representatives, including many Republicans, ignored the voices of the disabled community, veterans, and concerned New Hampshire citizens of all ages and cast their vote to legalize state-sanctioned suicide. HB 1283, relative to end of life options, passed by the closest of margins in the House, 179-177.

HB 1283 poses a risk to all Granite Staters, but especially to young citizens, already at risk for suicide. You can read more on this risk and how assisted suicide, in all forms, must be opposed in this op-ed from Mary Fahey: Young People Need Suicide Prevention, Not Promotion.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
As the issue of state-sanctioned suicide advances to the Senate, we urge you to continue strong opposition to the bill, and stay tuned for more Cornerstone updates on key dates, including when the bill comes up for a hearing before the Senate HHS Committee.

We will keep you informed on any additional opportunities to help halt this dangerous legislation.

The post Tell Your Representatives to Prioritize Students over Harmful DEI Initiatives appeared first on Granite Grok.