Chairman's Corner
Welcome to the Chairman's Corner, where Committee Chair Bob Perry keeps us up on issues of the day.
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Make this your Election Pledge
Voters are going to the polls in record numbers, voting by absentee from the comfort, safety, and convenience of their kitchen tables. But time is running out for return of your absentee ballots through the mail. It is recommended that they be returned by mail no later than Friday, October 23. After that, best practices dictate they be returned in hand directly to the town clerk.
As of October 20, in New Hampshire, 200,834 absentee ballots have been requested statewide, and 136,137 have been returned to municipal clerks, leaving a balance of 64,697 ballots yet to be returned to municipal clerks. Make it your Presidential Election Year pledge that you will vote, and return your ballot either by mail or in person no later than 5:00 P.M. on election day, Tuesday, November 3.
Please note the last day to register to vote in advance of the election is Wednesday, October 28, however, you may register to vote at the polling place on the day of the election.
For the office hours of our town clerk and complete details on voter registration, voting absentee or in person, and tracking your ballot, visit: http://www.strafford.nh.gov/index.php/voter-registration
As of October 20, in New Hampshire, 200,834 absentee ballots have been requested statewide, and 136,137 have been returned to municipal clerks, leaving a balance of 64,697 ballots yet to be returned to municipal clerks. Make it your Presidential Election Year pledge that you will vote, and return your ballot either by mail or in person no later than 5:00 P.M. on election day, Tuesday, November 3.
Please note the last day to register to vote in advance of the election is Wednesday, October 28, however, you may register to vote at the polling place on the day of the election.
For the office hours of our town clerk and complete details on voter registration, voting absentee or in person, and tracking your ballot, visit: http://www.strafford.nh.gov/index.php/voter-registration
Postal Service Urged to Prioritize Election Mail
New Hampshire's all-Democratic Congressional delegation recently sent a letter to the US Postmaster General urging the United States Postal Service to do all it can in the days leading up to and on Election Day to ensure timely delivery of completed ballots. They also urged the agency to communicate clearly with both local postal workers and state and local election officials how election mail should be handled between now and November 3. They asked for clear answers on specific procedures to be implemented to ensure this.
Read the full letter.
Read the full letter.
Portsmouth Women's March
There could not be a sharper dichotomy between two people who establish legal precedent that affects every American, including inhabitants of Strafford, than the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Trump's nominee to fill her seat on the nation's highest court, Amy Coney Barrett. The former devoted her entire professional life to elevating the rights of women equal to that of men, while the latter, from Trump's own mouth and from her own writings, each plan to put the "party of small government" in charge of women's healthcare and marriage equality; who plan to disrupt the entire healthcare system by repealing ObamaCare, and more. Additionally, Barrett refused to speak against Trump's threats to remain in power after the election, pardon himself from all crimes, delay an election; and appeared to not know that federal law prohibits anyone from intimidating voters.
On questioning at her senate confirmation hearing, she said she is an "originalist" and "texturalist" as was her mentor, the late Anton Scalia, in interpreting the meaning of the words in the U.S. Constitution - meaning that when she considers the meaning of words in that document, she considers what the words meant to the founders, as if she were in the room with them in the mid-1700s when the document was being drafted. Since there is no reference to the female gender in the U. S. Constitution, how would she rule in a case if a plaintiff asserted that women have no right to vote under an originalist's interpretation of our founding document? Would she accept as unshakable the 19th Amendment, or consider the decades-long struggle for women's equality a nullity?
Approximately 200 attended the Portsmouth Women's March Saturday, October 17, 2020, as a tribute to the late Ruth Bader Ginsberg, against the lifetime appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States, and for the removal on November 3 of our Groper in Chief, Donald J. Trump.
On questioning at her senate confirmation hearing, she said she is an "originalist" and "texturalist" as was her mentor, the late Anton Scalia, in interpreting the meaning of the words in the U.S. Constitution - meaning that when she considers the meaning of words in that document, she considers what the words meant to the founders, as if she were in the room with them in the mid-1700s when the document was being drafted. Since there is no reference to the female gender in the U. S. Constitution, how would she rule in a case if a plaintiff asserted that women have no right to vote under an originalist's interpretation of our founding document? Would she accept as unshakable the 19th Amendment, or consider the decades-long struggle for women's equality a nullity?
Approximately 200 attended the Portsmouth Women's March Saturday, October 17, 2020, as a tribute to the late Ruth Bader Ginsberg, against the lifetime appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States, and for the removal on November 3 of our Groper in Chief, Donald J. Trump.
What's at Stake
Everything is on the line in this election - access to health insurance and the disruption of the entire healthcare industry if the Affordable Care Act is repealed; climate change mitigation; a woman's right to control her own healthcare decisions; Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare; and Democracy itself. Make sure you are registered to vote, and plan to vote early by absentee if you have a fear of COVID by voting in person. If you have not already, contact our acting Strafford Town Clerk, Terri Marsh, for your absentee ballot application now.
State Primary Results in Strafford
The town's Democratic Committee offers a hearty congratulations to its September 8 primary voters for recognizing Democratic values of inclusion; civility; fair elections; the rule of law; empathy for others; a healthcare system that works for all; the connection between property taxes and the inequitable funding of public education; and a strong preference for Democracy over looming autocracy.
It has been clear for years that Mr. Trump longs to be an authoritarian. A Princeton University study concluded several years ago that our current system of American governance is consistent with an oligarchy (governance by the wealthy few). Whether autocracy or oligarchy, all Americans need to be concerned. Specifically, Granite Staters need to ask Gov. Sununu why he continues to be a Trump supporter, in his words, "through and through."
With this backdrop, it is especially gratifying that Strafford voters gave their trust to two unfamiliar District #3 Democratic house candidates, our own Heath Howard, and New Durham's W. Jeffrey Allard. Strafford is a long way from Washington, of course, but our voters pushed aside the miles and rhetoric to voice their support on primary day for our party's values.
Below are the NH House of Representatives election results for District #3 (Strafford and New Durham). By comparing the results below, it becomes clear that New Durham remains steadfastly Republican. Ours is one of many gerrymandered districts across the state, despite Gov. Sununu's statements in his veto message that gerrymandering is "rare" in New Hampshire, not mentioning that whether rare or not, the thumb on the scale lasts for ten years. If Strafford had received its own state representative, as it was entitled to under the Amendment to the NH Constitution of 2006, Strafford voters would have its own hometown representative exclusively focused on its own issues, as was the intent of the amendment.
Strafford Election Results:
Democratic candidate, Heath Howard 399
Current representative, Mike Harrington 389
Current representative, Kurt Wuelper 387
Democratic candidate, W. Jeffrey Allard 374
TOTAL: 1,549
New Durham Election Results:
Current representative, Kurt Wuelper 311
Current representative, Michael Harrington 260
Democratic candidate, W. Jeffrey Allard 204
Democratic candidate, Heath Howard 168
TOTAL: 943
District #3 House of Representative Totals:
Wuelper 698
Harrington 649
Allard 578
Howard 567
The big winner for Democratic candidate for governor in Strafford was Andru Volinsky at 293 votes, 119 more than his primary competitor, Dan Feltes. However, Feltes ultimately won the state by greater than 6,800 votes. The big loser for Republican candidate for governor in Strafford was Nobody - a real person - at 3 votes.
See complete primary election results in Strafford
Lastly, a tip of the hat to our Acting Town Clerk, Terri Marsh, training under the professional tutelage of former clerk, Chris Banes, who performed her duties seamlessly, even while having to navigate the many changes imposed by the secretary of state resulting from the successful efforts of voting-integrity organizations to make voting safe in the age of COVID.
It has been clear for years that Mr. Trump longs to be an authoritarian. A Princeton University study concluded several years ago that our current system of American governance is consistent with an oligarchy (governance by the wealthy few). Whether autocracy or oligarchy, all Americans need to be concerned. Specifically, Granite Staters need to ask Gov. Sununu why he continues to be a Trump supporter, in his words, "through and through."
With this backdrop, it is especially gratifying that Strafford voters gave their trust to two unfamiliar District #3 Democratic house candidates, our own Heath Howard, and New Durham's W. Jeffrey Allard. Strafford is a long way from Washington, of course, but our voters pushed aside the miles and rhetoric to voice their support on primary day for our party's values.
Below are the NH House of Representatives election results for District #3 (Strafford and New Durham). By comparing the results below, it becomes clear that New Durham remains steadfastly Republican. Ours is one of many gerrymandered districts across the state, despite Gov. Sununu's statements in his veto message that gerrymandering is "rare" in New Hampshire, not mentioning that whether rare or not, the thumb on the scale lasts for ten years. If Strafford had received its own state representative, as it was entitled to under the Amendment to the NH Constitution of 2006, Strafford voters would have its own hometown representative exclusively focused on its own issues, as was the intent of the amendment.
Strafford Election Results:
Democratic candidate, Heath Howard 399
Current representative, Mike Harrington 389
Current representative, Kurt Wuelper 387
Democratic candidate, W. Jeffrey Allard 374
TOTAL: 1,549
New Durham Election Results:
Current representative, Kurt Wuelper 311
Current representative, Michael Harrington 260
Democratic candidate, W. Jeffrey Allard 204
Democratic candidate, Heath Howard 168
TOTAL: 943
District #3 House of Representative Totals:
Wuelper 698
Harrington 649
Allard 578
Howard 567
The big winner for Democratic candidate for governor in Strafford was Andru Volinsky at 293 votes, 119 more than his primary competitor, Dan Feltes. However, Feltes ultimately won the state by greater than 6,800 votes. The big loser for Republican candidate for governor in Strafford was Nobody - a real person - at 3 votes.
See complete primary election results in Strafford
Lastly, a tip of the hat to our Acting Town Clerk, Terri Marsh, training under the professional tutelage of former clerk, Chris Banes, who performed her duties seamlessly, even while having to navigate the many changes imposed by the secretary of state resulting from the successful efforts of voting-integrity organizations to make voting safe in the age of COVID.
Visibilities and Tweets
I recently joined a sunny afternoon visibility at Dover's Lower Square. Some signs promoted the simple message of voting in the Primary, while other signs promoted candidates. Candidate for Executive Council District #2 (ours) Cinde Warmington stood at one of the street corners (not pictured).
Members of the Dover Democratic Committee were the prime hosts. Approximately 30 participants in this visibility could be counted on the traffic islands and street corners of this busy intersection. We enjoyed strong support among pedestrians and motorists. I noted 3 thumbs down among the hundreds of reactions, and one young passenger yelled out the window assuring us we were all "sick."
In response to Mr. Trump's theory that those who die, are injured or are captured in service to their families, friends and country are losers or suckers, I responded with this Tweet: "My father died from rheumatic fever contracted during WW II; my wife's father was a year and a half hospitalized from injuries from shrapnel. 'Captain Bone Spurs' considers our fathers losers or suckers. Here's my message: You are pathetic and will lose in November."
Vote Blue!
Members of the Dover Democratic Committee were the prime hosts. Approximately 30 participants in this visibility could be counted on the traffic islands and street corners of this busy intersection. We enjoyed strong support among pedestrians and motorists. I noted 3 thumbs down among the hundreds of reactions, and one young passenger yelled out the window assuring us we were all "sick."
In response to Mr. Trump's theory that those who die, are injured or are captured in service to their families, friends and country are losers or suckers, I responded with this Tweet: "My father died from rheumatic fever contracted during WW II; my wife's father was a year and a half hospitalized from injuries from shrapnel. 'Captain Bone Spurs' considers our fathers losers or suckers. Here's my message: You are pathetic and will lose in November."
Vote Blue!
Letter to the Postmaster General and the USPS Board of Governors
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, is to call back her members from their traditional August break in order to address the scandal that involves the gutting of the United States Postal Service 90 days before an election during which millions will vote by mail. It must be remembered that the USPS is owned by all Americans – the source of its existence is the U.S. Constitution - not the postmaster general or friends of Donald Trump. Below is my e-mail to the Postmaster General and the USPS Board of Governors, dated August 16, 2020.
Messrs. DeJoy, Barger, Bloom, Moak, Zollars, Duncan, and Martinez:
The United States Postal Service and I have been constant partners for 74 years. It comes as a shock that it might demise before me … not for any inexplicable reason, but for several simple reasons, a perfect storm for “conservatives”: An unnecessarily prolonged high rate of infection from a deadly novel virus with no federal leadership to guide Americans through it; a greatly weakened U.S. economy; the wish of “conservatives” to privatize the service for control of the mail, private profit, private gain; and Mr. Trump acknowledging the USPS should not be the recipient of $25 Billion in financial COVID aid.
You may not know that millions of Americans rely on our postal service. My wife receives her medications through the mail. My mother is a resident of memory care, and until recently unable to be visited by family, so I send her letters, which aides read to her for comfort. In order to avoid COVID infection, we now rely on the mail for delivery of everything from food to Internet purchases of clothing and hard goods to voting. I am currently awaiting a purchase made many days ago, whose arrival is now delayed because of all of you.
I have a hunch you are not going to replace the confiscated collection boxes, or report the whereabouts of how many (?) mail-delivery trucks gone missing; nor the 500 multi-million dollar sorting machines you loaded onto trucks and I assume cashed in for the price of junk. Perhaps sold to a foreign country? I felt compelled to visit my local post office yesterday to see whether you had confiscated our collection box, our truck, or our office furniture, but discovered they remain in place … for now.
When I was a kid, our neighborhood mail carrier would walk the route with a heavy leather bag literally bulging with mail. When my little friends and I would say “Hi, Walshy,” he would respond with “Huh.” Just “Huh”, as his belly rose. He thought we were typical brats making fun of him, saying “Hi, Walshy,” and waiting for the grunt. But we weren’t. We knew that mail bag was heavy, that he was hot, or that he was cold, and that he had to carry that damn thing undeterred, that neither snow, nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays those couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.
And to this day, I admire their dedication, even as you do not. Your boss said he wants the USPS gutted so people can’t vote by mail. Not only is that vote tampering, but I believe it to be mail tampering. You could help things along a lot if you quit messing with the United States Constitution by intentionally hobbling the USPS at the direction of Mr. Trump, and then replace all of that confiscated equipment with shiny new stuff that will comport with the dignity and integrity of our dedicated postal workers. Please do not bill the taxpayers.
-- Bob Perry, Strafford, NH
PS – Board of Governors: Please accept Louis DeJoy’s resignation even before he acts on it. That would help a lot, too. Even as the damage is done, it would make me feel better that he lost his job over this. He’ll have other jobs to go to, or no job at all. I understand he’s quite wealthy. Please replace him with a woman.
Messrs. DeJoy, Barger, Bloom, Moak, Zollars, Duncan, and Martinez:
The United States Postal Service and I have been constant partners for 74 years. It comes as a shock that it might demise before me … not for any inexplicable reason, but for several simple reasons, a perfect storm for “conservatives”: An unnecessarily prolonged high rate of infection from a deadly novel virus with no federal leadership to guide Americans through it; a greatly weakened U.S. economy; the wish of “conservatives” to privatize the service for control of the mail, private profit, private gain; and Mr. Trump acknowledging the USPS should not be the recipient of $25 Billion in financial COVID aid.
You may not know that millions of Americans rely on our postal service. My wife receives her medications through the mail. My mother is a resident of memory care, and until recently unable to be visited by family, so I send her letters, which aides read to her for comfort. In order to avoid COVID infection, we now rely on the mail for delivery of everything from food to Internet purchases of clothing and hard goods to voting. I am currently awaiting a purchase made many days ago, whose arrival is now delayed because of all of you.
I have a hunch you are not going to replace the confiscated collection boxes, or report the whereabouts of how many (?) mail-delivery trucks gone missing; nor the 500 multi-million dollar sorting machines you loaded onto trucks and I assume cashed in for the price of junk. Perhaps sold to a foreign country? I felt compelled to visit my local post office yesterday to see whether you had confiscated our collection box, our truck, or our office furniture, but discovered they remain in place … for now.
When I was a kid, our neighborhood mail carrier would walk the route with a heavy leather bag literally bulging with mail. When my little friends and I would say “Hi, Walshy,” he would respond with “Huh.” Just “Huh”, as his belly rose. He thought we were typical brats making fun of him, saying “Hi, Walshy,” and waiting for the grunt. But we weren’t. We knew that mail bag was heavy, that he was hot, or that he was cold, and that he had to carry that damn thing undeterred, that neither snow, nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays those couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.
And to this day, I admire their dedication, even as you do not. Your boss said he wants the USPS gutted so people can’t vote by mail. Not only is that vote tampering, but I believe it to be mail tampering. You could help things along a lot if you quit messing with the United States Constitution by intentionally hobbling the USPS at the direction of Mr. Trump, and then replace all of that confiscated equipment with shiny new stuff that will comport with the dignity and integrity of our dedicated postal workers. Please do not bill the taxpayers.
-- Bob Perry, Strafford, NH
PS – Board of Governors: Please accept Louis DeJoy’s resignation even before he acts on it. That would help a lot, too. Even as the damage is done, it would make me feel better that he lost his job over this. He’ll have other jobs to go to, or no job at all. I understand he’s quite wealthy. Please replace him with a woman.
VOTING IN THE AGE OF COVID-19
Please scroll below for an important update to HB 1266 posted 7-29-2020
Highlights of Two Bills that Will Aid in Voting
Weeks ago, Republican leadership signaled its refusal to cooperate with Democrats on extending bill deadlines in the NH House of Representatives by the necessary 2/3 vote. Rules changes were made necessary by COVID’s disruption of regular business at the state house.
Despite the effective truncation of a major portion of the 2020 house session, the Speaker of the NH House of Representatives (Rep. Steve Shurtleff, D-Merrimack County 11) scheduled a legislative session for June 11, to be held at the Whittemore Center at UNH to conduct what business it could under the circumstances. Little was accomplished. Scores of important bills and the work that went into them were denied consideration. The legislative process, thus, was confined almost exclusively to the bills the house had approved in March, and sent to the senate for consideration, leveraged there by amendments and a limited ability to create packages of “omnibus” bills that had to be acted upon no later than June 30.
The two bills below, already in the senate, thus not needing a rules change, were acted upon as follows:
HB 1266 – "an act making temporary modifications to the absentee voter registration, absentee ballot application, and absentee voting processes in response to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) disease."
The operative word above is temporary. These changes only apply to the 2020 September 8 primary, and November 3 general elections. This bill was a priority of the Democratic caucus and multiple local advocacy groups.
On Monday, 06/29/20, the full senate voted 24 – 0 in support of 1266, as amended. On Tuesday, 6/30/20, the house concurred with the changes made in the senate. The bill will now go to the governor’s desk for consideration.
Credit for shepherding this bill through the senate in the last days, through multiple amendments he drafted, should be given to Senator (Dr.) Thomas M. Sherman (D-Rockingham County 24).
Highlights:
1) Remote voter registration would be authorized by way of a person applying for a voter registration form under the appropriate statute.
2) A single absentee voting application form would cover both the September 8 primary and the November 3 general elections. No requirement to fill out two forms, one for September, another for November, as is current law.
3) Ability to vote absentee would be extended to include a voter’s fear of COVID-19. A check box would be included in the absentee voting application with the following language: 'I am unable to vote in person due to concern for the novel corona virus (COVID-19).'
Important: "Disability" is a legitimate reason of long standing to vote absentee under NH law. The secretary of state has recently authorized a voter’s ability to claim fear of COVID-19 a “disability.” If you have already secured and filled out an application in which you checked off the disability box because of your fear of COVID-19, your application will remain valid even if the new forms contain a specific check box related to fear of COVID. Additionally, if you apply for your absentee ballot application immediately – today – your checking off the “disability” box remains viable.
4) Processing of absentee ballots by authorized persons at the polling place will be extended in anticipation of the expected surge in absentee voting, from a normal 10 percent to 50 percent or more.
What is not in this bill: Prepaid return postage for return of your ballot. This and other amenities to voting this fall can be provided without legislative action – merely by agreement of the Secretary of State’s Office. Advocates continue to press for implementation of the recommendations recently made by the secretary’s own Select Committee of three Republicans and three Democrats. Postage prepaid is one of them.
The above are merely highlights. Details are extensive. It is not likely the State of New Hampshire will spend meaningful monies, if any, to inform the public about these changes to voting this fall, even though it has approximately $15M in an account known as the Help America Vote Act, and an additional $3.2M in federal aid monies to assist voters under the recent CARES Act. Therefore, election results in NH will hinge on an informed electorate, voters actively seeking the latest information and acting in compliance.
IMPORTANT UPDATE ON HB 1266:
Gov. Sununu signed HB 1266 into law on July 19. By doing so, changes were made to the absentee ballot application form, among other changes. Those changes include:
1) A specific COVID-19 checkbox for voting absentee because of a voter's fear of the virus;
2) Checkboxes for a voter to request to vote absentee in the primary and in the general elections. Check off both boxes on the form if it is your intent to vote absentee in September and in November.
3) Extended time for processing of absentee ballots by the clerk's office.
Note: If you had requested and received the original absentee ballot application form that existed before passage of HB 1266 into law, checked off "Disability," because of your fear of COVID-19, know that you have complied with the Secretary of State's advisory, and that your ballot will be counted, whether or not you have returned your ballot or have yet to do so.
Open Democracy Action has done yeoman's work to provide voters with accurate, up-to-date information on voting in the era of a 100-year pandemic. Therefore, I provide a specific link below to their website focused on voting absentee, and suggest readers visit this site several times a week for updates, but keeping in mind, if you have not done so already, the importance of applying for your absentee ballot application weeks ahead of the September 8 primary. Doing so will make it easier for our acting town clerk to process applications, assure you receive your ballot, and your ballot is returned to the clerk's office by the deadline of 5:00, September 8, and 5:00 November 3 - returned - in the possession of the town clerk, not postmarked on those dates. Ballots not returned by the above deadlines will result in your vote not being counted. Ballots may be returned in hand to the clerk's office, but must be returned by the same deadlines. Visit opendemocracyaction.org/absentee
On July 31, 2020, Governor Sununu Vetoed HB 1665 to Establish a Bipartisan Independent Redistricting Commission
Senator Shannon Chandley (D-Amherst) issued the following statement in response, “when we allow those with the most vested interest to determine our districts, we become gerrymandered, and in turn silence the voices and will of Granite State voters. Over 80% of New Hampshire voters believe that gerrymandering creates unfair districts and agree that a neutral commission could correct unfair district lines. I am disappointed that the Governor did not support this bipartisan legislation that would have increased accountability, transparency, and fairness in our election process.”
In his veto message, Gov. Sununu states “New Hampshire has a redistricting process that is fair, representative, and accountable to voters,” that instances of gerrymandering in NH are “rare.” There was nothing fair, representative, accountable, rare or dignifiedwhen the veto-proof Republican majority gerrymandered representative districts in 2011/2012. Their plan was vetoed by Gov. Shaheen, who claimed it was “crafted behind closed doors by members of one party.” Multiple lawsuits were filed. Because the legislature was at impasse, the NH Supreme Court ultimately approved our current redistricting plan created by an out-of-state vendor. I served on the House Special Committee on Redistricting. Because Republicans held a hammer over the heads of the minority, Democrats in committee were denied access to helpful software utilized by the majority, its members dismissed as irrelevant by the majority, and the public denied effective participation when no draft redistricting plans were presented at several public meetings held across the state. Even “rare” instances of gerrymandering remain in effect for 10 years until new districts are created by Constitutional mandate.
The governor knows that Executive Council District 2, consisting of 49 municipalities, including Strafford, spans the state from the Vermont border to the west, to the Maine border to the east. if it were to sprout wings, it would mimic a pre-historic flying dragon. It was created by “packing” Democratic voters into one districtin order to create Republican-leaning districts in other areas of the state. The governor knows that the political influence of Republican voters in District #2 are greatly diminished by the overwhelming number of voters in the district who vote for Democrats.Other gerrymandered districts exist, both house and senate. It is fair to speculate that had an independent redistricting commission existed at the time, its influence might have contributed to a resolution agreeable to both parties.
In his veto message, the governor writes “[The] legislature should have the right to determine its own process, and should not be bound to the prescribed process laid out in this bill.” The governor knows HB 1665 would have created a commission with advisory authority only, that in order to deprive the legislature of “its own process” an amendment to the NH Constitution would be required.
If NH citizens had direct political power to exact their will through initiatives or referendum, they would overwhelmingly choose a process for creating maps fair to both parties and their voters, rather than the decision of a governor based purely on political advantage.
The governor’s multiple vetoes of fair maps ignores citizens’ 80 percent support for the creation of fair maps, the bipartisan efforts of our legislators, and authorizes the nextmajority party to freely create maps that benefit their party’s dominance.
The results of our November 3, 2020 election will determine which party will control the next redistricting process at both the state and federal levels of our government. Elections have consequences, and in Election 2020, the word consequences is an understatement.
Highlights of Two Bills that Will Aid in Voting
Weeks ago, Republican leadership signaled its refusal to cooperate with Democrats on extending bill deadlines in the NH House of Representatives by the necessary 2/3 vote. Rules changes were made necessary by COVID’s disruption of regular business at the state house.
Despite the effective truncation of a major portion of the 2020 house session, the Speaker of the NH House of Representatives (Rep. Steve Shurtleff, D-Merrimack County 11) scheduled a legislative session for June 11, to be held at the Whittemore Center at UNH to conduct what business it could under the circumstances. Little was accomplished. Scores of important bills and the work that went into them were denied consideration. The legislative process, thus, was confined almost exclusively to the bills the house had approved in March, and sent to the senate for consideration, leveraged there by amendments and a limited ability to create packages of “omnibus” bills that had to be acted upon no later than June 30.
The two bills below, already in the senate, thus not needing a rules change, were acted upon as follows:
HB 1266 – "an act making temporary modifications to the absentee voter registration, absentee ballot application, and absentee voting processes in response to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) disease."
The operative word above is temporary. These changes only apply to the 2020 September 8 primary, and November 3 general elections. This bill was a priority of the Democratic caucus and multiple local advocacy groups.
On Monday, 06/29/20, the full senate voted 24 – 0 in support of 1266, as amended. On Tuesday, 6/30/20, the house concurred with the changes made in the senate. The bill will now go to the governor’s desk for consideration.
Credit for shepherding this bill through the senate in the last days, through multiple amendments he drafted, should be given to Senator (Dr.) Thomas M. Sherman (D-Rockingham County 24).
Highlights:
1) Remote voter registration would be authorized by way of a person applying for a voter registration form under the appropriate statute.
2) A single absentee voting application form would cover both the September 8 primary and the November 3 general elections. No requirement to fill out two forms, one for September, another for November, as is current law.
3) Ability to vote absentee would be extended to include a voter’s fear of COVID-19. A check box would be included in the absentee voting application with the following language: 'I am unable to vote in person due to concern for the novel corona virus (COVID-19).'
Important: "Disability" is a legitimate reason of long standing to vote absentee under NH law. The secretary of state has recently authorized a voter’s ability to claim fear of COVID-19 a “disability.” If you have already secured and filled out an application in which you checked off the disability box because of your fear of COVID-19, your application will remain valid even if the new forms contain a specific check box related to fear of COVID. Additionally, if you apply for your absentee ballot application immediately – today – your checking off the “disability” box remains viable.
4) Processing of absentee ballots by authorized persons at the polling place will be extended in anticipation of the expected surge in absentee voting, from a normal 10 percent to 50 percent or more.
What is not in this bill: Prepaid return postage for return of your ballot. This and other amenities to voting this fall can be provided without legislative action – merely by agreement of the Secretary of State’s Office. Advocates continue to press for implementation of the recommendations recently made by the secretary’s own Select Committee of three Republicans and three Democrats. Postage prepaid is one of them.
The above are merely highlights. Details are extensive. It is not likely the State of New Hampshire will spend meaningful monies, if any, to inform the public about these changes to voting this fall, even though it has approximately $15M in an account known as the Help America Vote Act, and an additional $3.2M in federal aid monies to assist voters under the recent CARES Act. Therefore, election results in NH will hinge on an informed electorate, voters actively seeking the latest information and acting in compliance.
IMPORTANT UPDATE ON HB 1266:
Gov. Sununu signed HB 1266 into law on July 19. By doing so, changes were made to the absentee ballot application form, among other changes. Those changes include:
1) A specific COVID-19 checkbox for voting absentee because of a voter's fear of the virus;
2) Checkboxes for a voter to request to vote absentee in the primary and in the general elections. Check off both boxes on the form if it is your intent to vote absentee in September and in November.
3) Extended time for processing of absentee ballots by the clerk's office.
Note: If you had requested and received the original absentee ballot application form that existed before passage of HB 1266 into law, checked off "Disability," because of your fear of COVID-19, know that you have complied with the Secretary of State's advisory, and that your ballot will be counted, whether or not you have returned your ballot or have yet to do so.
Open Democracy Action has done yeoman's work to provide voters with accurate, up-to-date information on voting in the era of a 100-year pandemic. Therefore, I provide a specific link below to their website focused on voting absentee, and suggest readers visit this site several times a week for updates, but keeping in mind, if you have not done so already, the importance of applying for your absentee ballot application weeks ahead of the September 8 primary. Doing so will make it easier for our acting town clerk to process applications, assure you receive your ballot, and your ballot is returned to the clerk's office by the deadline of 5:00, September 8, and 5:00 November 3 - returned - in the possession of the town clerk, not postmarked on those dates. Ballots not returned by the above deadlines will result in your vote not being counted. Ballots may be returned in hand to the clerk's office, but must be returned by the same deadlines. Visit opendemocracyaction.org/absentee
On July 31, 2020, Governor Sununu Vetoed HB 1665 to Establish a Bipartisan Independent Redistricting Commission
Senator Shannon Chandley (D-Amherst) issued the following statement in response, “when we allow those with the most vested interest to determine our districts, we become gerrymandered, and in turn silence the voices and will of Granite State voters. Over 80% of New Hampshire voters believe that gerrymandering creates unfair districts and agree that a neutral commission could correct unfair district lines. I am disappointed that the Governor did not support this bipartisan legislation that would have increased accountability, transparency, and fairness in our election process.”
In his veto message, Gov. Sununu states “New Hampshire has a redistricting process that is fair, representative, and accountable to voters,” that instances of gerrymandering in NH are “rare.” There was nothing fair, representative, accountable, rare or dignifiedwhen the veto-proof Republican majority gerrymandered representative districts in 2011/2012. Their plan was vetoed by Gov. Shaheen, who claimed it was “crafted behind closed doors by members of one party.” Multiple lawsuits were filed. Because the legislature was at impasse, the NH Supreme Court ultimately approved our current redistricting plan created by an out-of-state vendor. I served on the House Special Committee on Redistricting. Because Republicans held a hammer over the heads of the minority, Democrats in committee were denied access to helpful software utilized by the majority, its members dismissed as irrelevant by the majority, and the public denied effective participation when no draft redistricting plans were presented at several public meetings held across the state. Even “rare” instances of gerrymandering remain in effect for 10 years until new districts are created by Constitutional mandate.
The governor knows that Executive Council District 2, consisting of 49 municipalities, including Strafford, spans the state from the Vermont border to the west, to the Maine border to the east. if it were to sprout wings, it would mimic a pre-historic flying dragon. It was created by “packing” Democratic voters into one districtin order to create Republican-leaning districts in other areas of the state. The governor knows that the political influence of Republican voters in District #2 are greatly diminished by the overwhelming number of voters in the district who vote for Democrats.Other gerrymandered districts exist, both house and senate. It is fair to speculate that had an independent redistricting commission existed at the time, its influence might have contributed to a resolution agreeable to both parties.
In his veto message, the governor writes “[The] legislature should have the right to determine its own process, and should not be bound to the prescribed process laid out in this bill.” The governor knows HB 1665 would have created a commission with advisory authority only, that in order to deprive the legislature of “its own process” an amendment to the NH Constitution would be required.
If NH citizens had direct political power to exact their will through initiatives or referendum, they would overwhelmingly choose a process for creating maps fair to both parties and their voters, rather than the decision of a governor based purely on political advantage.
The governor’s multiple vetoes of fair maps ignores citizens’ 80 percent support for the creation of fair maps, the bipartisan efforts of our legislators, and authorizes the nextmajority party to freely create maps that benefit their party’s dominance.
The results of our November 3, 2020 election will determine which party will control the next redistricting process at both the state and federal levels of our government. Elections have consequences, and in Election 2020, the word consequences is an understatement.
Letter to the Editor
It’s Saturday morning, May 30, 2020. Fresh in my mind are visions of the ongoing civil unrest in cities across America; Trump’s retweeted message “The only good Democrat is a dead Democrat”; his merging of the words “protestors” and “shoot”; a virus that will continue to kill, yet still considered a hoax by many; 200 “conservative” judges appointed to the federal Bench who will do what to the social safety net? And will they return control of our health care system once again to overcompensated corporate executives?
Amidst the mess at the federal level is our NH legislature, whose operations have halted because House Republican leadership, supported by senate leadership, refuses to add their party’s votes to pass needed rules changes, which require a 2/3 vote. Critical legislation, including bills related to safe voting in the age of COVID, need to be resolved.
Now is not the time for finger pointing or gaining the upper hand through technical obstruction. As of today, Republican leadership continues to conclude the business before it is not of sufficient moment to warrant their cooperation with Democrats.
Whatever the minority’s justification, it is not enough to turn their backs on Granite Staters by turning the lights out in our State House.
Bob Perry, Strafford, NH
Amidst the mess at the federal level is our NH legislature, whose operations have halted because House Republican leadership, supported by senate leadership, refuses to add their party’s votes to pass needed rules changes, which require a 2/3 vote. Critical legislation, including bills related to safe voting in the age of COVID, need to be resolved.
Now is not the time for finger pointing or gaining the upper hand through technical obstruction. As of today, Republican leadership continues to conclude the business before it is not of sufficient moment to warrant their cooperation with Democrats.
Whatever the minority’s justification, it is not enough to turn their backs on Granite Staters by turning the lights out in our State House.
Bob Perry, Strafford, NH
The Devastating Impact of Big Money in Our Elections
At the heart of every issue, and at the core of everything our government in the last ten years has done or failed to do, we must consider how much political influence was exerted on lawmakers by the unrestricted flow of Big Money in U.S. elections. To what extend has loyalty to the donor class among our elected officials affected decision-making or caused our present-day gridlock? It is not a conundrum officials wished upon themselves; it is a reality most would prefer to extinguish, because they must spend, on average 4 hours a day dialing for dollars, and often face the wrath of donors who expect a quid-pro-quo.
The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v Federal Elections Commission in 2010 by its 5 - 4 Republican-appointed jurists repealed, in a single ruling, 100 years of campaign finance regulations. Ten years of opened floodgates to political spending has spawned non-stop electioneering by corporations and wealthy individuals. Adding further to the diminished value of our votes through Big Money contributions, foreign and domestic, Mr. Trump has publicly solicited election assistance from nations that are adverse to our national interests to manipulate the 2020 election to assure his ascendancy to a second term in office.
Imagine a Congress dedicated to discovering a way to prevent or cure Alzheimer's disease; devoted to legislation allowing the government to negotiate for lower drug prices; deciding high-speed rail more important than colonizing the moon; mitigating climate change rather than protecting the fossil fuel industry. Imagine the possibilities if we worked boldly to unshackle our elected officials from the bonds of Big Money!
One way to stem this wave of legalized bribery by monied interests is to pressure Congress, beginning at the local level, town by town, to pass the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, allowing states to once again regulate money in politics as it was once able to do beginning with the Tillman Act of 1907. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tillman_Act_of_1907 .
To date, approximately 80 New Hampshire municipalities have successfully passed such a petition at their annual public meetings.
Legislation to allow voluntary public funding of elections is a different approach that has a greater impact. Maine, Arizona, Connecticut, and dozens of municipalities have pass these regulations, Seattle and New York City among them. New Hampshire Senate Bill 304 creating a voluntary voucher system of campaign funding lives in a study committee.
Another is to require timely registration and strict reporting of political spending - transparency - so voters can know who is attempting to influence our elections, and to what extent. Transparency in political spending is not just authorized by Citizens United, it is encouraged. However, bills requiring transparency and fix loopholes in existing law were vetoed this term by Gov. Sununu. Since the percentage of the U.S. population making political contributions is less than one half of one-percent (0.47%), corporations are happy to fill the void.
These movements are not about challenging the 1st Amendment; rather it is a grassroots and legislative effort to preserve national political autonomy, our representative Democracy, and free our elected officials so they may better serve you and me, instead of their contributors. The video below was created by a NH campaign finance reform advocate and worthy of your time to watch.
https://nowthisnews.com/videos/politics/grandmother-of-opioid-crisis-victim-fights-to-pass-28th-amendment?fbclid=IwAR1RFM51qsXLCh7tEhd_r9p6tJiqSN4EBoUYVuZ-rHsParNzdoY6f8saRuM
Both the New Hampshire House and Senate passed HB 504, a bill that would allow Congress and state legislatures to regulate the role of money in elections and governance to ensure transparency, prevent corruption, and protect against the buying of access to or influence over representatives. But for Gov. Sununu's veto, New Hampshire would have become the 20th state to essentially overturn the Citizens United court ruling. The legislature was not able to override the veto by the required 2/3 majority.
The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v Federal Elections Commission in 2010 by its 5 - 4 Republican-appointed jurists repealed, in a single ruling, 100 years of campaign finance regulations. Ten years of opened floodgates to political spending has spawned non-stop electioneering by corporations and wealthy individuals. Adding further to the diminished value of our votes through Big Money contributions, foreign and domestic, Mr. Trump has publicly solicited election assistance from nations that are adverse to our national interests to manipulate the 2020 election to assure his ascendancy to a second term in office.
Imagine a Congress dedicated to discovering a way to prevent or cure Alzheimer's disease; devoted to legislation allowing the government to negotiate for lower drug prices; deciding high-speed rail more important than colonizing the moon; mitigating climate change rather than protecting the fossil fuel industry. Imagine the possibilities if we worked boldly to unshackle our elected officials from the bonds of Big Money!
One way to stem this wave of legalized bribery by monied interests is to pressure Congress, beginning at the local level, town by town, to pass the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, allowing states to once again regulate money in politics as it was once able to do beginning with the Tillman Act of 1907. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tillman_Act_of_1907 .
To date, approximately 80 New Hampshire municipalities have successfully passed such a petition at their annual public meetings.
Legislation to allow voluntary public funding of elections is a different approach that has a greater impact. Maine, Arizona, Connecticut, and dozens of municipalities have pass these regulations, Seattle and New York City among them. New Hampshire Senate Bill 304 creating a voluntary voucher system of campaign funding lives in a study committee.
Another is to require timely registration and strict reporting of political spending - transparency - so voters can know who is attempting to influence our elections, and to what extent. Transparency in political spending is not just authorized by Citizens United, it is encouraged. However, bills requiring transparency and fix loopholes in existing law were vetoed this term by Gov. Sununu. Since the percentage of the U.S. population making political contributions is less than one half of one-percent (0.47%), corporations are happy to fill the void.
These movements are not about challenging the 1st Amendment; rather it is a grassroots and legislative effort to preserve national political autonomy, our representative Democracy, and free our elected officials so they may better serve you and me, instead of their contributors. The video below was created by a NH campaign finance reform advocate and worthy of your time to watch.
https://nowthisnews.com/videos/politics/grandmother-of-opioid-crisis-victim-fights-to-pass-28th-amendment?fbclid=IwAR1RFM51qsXLCh7tEhd_r9p6tJiqSN4EBoUYVuZ-rHsParNzdoY6f8saRuM
Both the New Hampshire House and Senate passed HB 504, a bill that would allow Congress and state legislatures to regulate the role of money in elections and governance to ensure transparency, prevent corruption, and protect against the buying of access to or influence over representatives. But for Gov. Sununu's veto, New Hampshire would have become the 20th state to essentially overturn the Citizens United court ruling. The legislature was not able to override the veto by the required 2/3 majority.
REPEAL OF THE NH DEATH PENALTY - A DEMOCRATIC MILESTONE
Since 1998, Robert “Renny” Cushing, current state representative from Hampton, has advocated for repeal of the state’s death penalty, even after his father and another member of his family were murdered. Cushing has traveled to other countries with the same message. Sponsors of the bill include Democrats and Republicans. Core to the intent of the bill is the analysis set forth within the bill’s framework below:
ANALYSIS
This bill (House Bill 455) changes the penalty for capital murder to life imprisonment without the possibility for parole. On Tuesday, May 21, 2019, the NH House of Representatives, by a single vote, overrode Gov. Sununu’s veto. A 2/3 vote was required to override. On Thursday, May 30, the NH Senate voted 16 – 8 to override the governor’s veto, making NH the 21 st state to eliminate capital punishment. A 2/3 vote was required to override. With the advent of DNA evidence, together with barbaric executions via botched lethal injection, public support for the death penalty has plummeted. Below is brief background justifying life imprisonment versus execution:
Illinois placed a moratorium on the death penalty, and later repealed it, after the courts dismissed the cases of 13 men placed on death row. Before leaving office in 2003, doubting the criminal justice system’s ability to prevent wrongful executions, Republican Gov. George Ryan commuted the sentences of 167 inmates to life in prison. Among the many defendants sentenced to death or extended prison described at The Innocence Project, Kirk Bloodsworth, wrongly convicted multiple times of rape and murder of a 9-year old girl in 1985, and sentenced to die in Maryland’s gas chamber, was the first to be exonerated by DNA evidence after serving 8 years on death row. Before being exonerated, an Innocence Project case study reports that Malcolm Alexander holds the record for having served the most time in prison, 38 years, for a crime he did not commit. The most common reasons for wrongful convictions are witness misidentification, government misconduct, incompetent legal counsel, and faulty forensic evidence.
The Innocence Project has concluded that among other Texas executions, Cameron Todd Willingham was likely put to death wrongfully. Willingham was convicted of intentionally setting fire to his home with the intent to kill his 3 daughters. The opinions of forensic experts regarding how the fire started was questioned before and after the execution. NPTV Frontline documentary on the Willingham investigation: https://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-death-by-fire/
Many more examples of wrongful death or imprisonment: https://www.innocenceproject.org/all-cases/
Due to the number of appeals advanced on behalf of those convicted, sometimes spanning decades, it is less expensive to sentence a person to a lifetime of imprisonment than to sentence to death. The fiscal note attached to HB 455 recognizes the statement above as factual.
View In Depth NH’s video coverage of the history-making senate session, including the views of senators pro and con on death penalty repeal, as presented by Chair of the Senate Election Law and Municipal Affiairs Committee, Rep. Melanie Levesque (D-Brookline); and Sen. Lou D’Allesandro (D-Manchester): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0V8khVppfY&feature=youtu.bewww.youtube.com/watch?v=O0V8khVppfY&feature=youtu.be
The three sentencing goals of long standing established by our judicial system to establish justice are punishment, deterrence and rehabilitation. Vengeance and political gain are not among them. Death is final. Once executed, the result is the same, and no amount of post-death exculpatory evidence collection will ever matter.
How did Strafford’s representatives and senator vote on whether to support the governor’s veto?
Sen. John Reagan – supported the governor’s veto
Rep. Michael Harrington – supported the governor’s veto
Rep. Kurt Wuelper – supported the governor’s veto
“And so, to the end of history, murder shall breed murder, always in the name of right and honor and peace, until the gods are tired of blood and create a race that can understand.” - George Bernard Shaw
ANALYSIS
This bill (House Bill 455) changes the penalty for capital murder to life imprisonment without the possibility for parole. On Tuesday, May 21, 2019, the NH House of Representatives, by a single vote, overrode Gov. Sununu’s veto. A 2/3 vote was required to override. On Thursday, May 30, the NH Senate voted 16 – 8 to override the governor’s veto, making NH the 21 st state to eliminate capital punishment. A 2/3 vote was required to override. With the advent of DNA evidence, together with barbaric executions via botched lethal injection, public support for the death penalty has plummeted. Below is brief background justifying life imprisonment versus execution:
Illinois placed a moratorium on the death penalty, and later repealed it, after the courts dismissed the cases of 13 men placed on death row. Before leaving office in 2003, doubting the criminal justice system’s ability to prevent wrongful executions, Republican Gov. George Ryan commuted the sentences of 167 inmates to life in prison. Among the many defendants sentenced to death or extended prison described at The Innocence Project, Kirk Bloodsworth, wrongly convicted multiple times of rape and murder of a 9-year old girl in 1985, and sentenced to die in Maryland’s gas chamber, was the first to be exonerated by DNA evidence after serving 8 years on death row. Before being exonerated, an Innocence Project case study reports that Malcolm Alexander holds the record for having served the most time in prison, 38 years, for a crime he did not commit. The most common reasons for wrongful convictions are witness misidentification, government misconduct, incompetent legal counsel, and faulty forensic evidence.
The Innocence Project has concluded that among other Texas executions, Cameron Todd Willingham was likely put to death wrongfully. Willingham was convicted of intentionally setting fire to his home with the intent to kill his 3 daughters. The opinions of forensic experts regarding how the fire started was questioned before and after the execution. NPTV Frontline documentary on the Willingham investigation: https://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-death-by-fire/
Many more examples of wrongful death or imprisonment: https://www.innocenceproject.org/all-cases/
Due to the number of appeals advanced on behalf of those convicted, sometimes spanning decades, it is less expensive to sentence a person to a lifetime of imprisonment than to sentence to death. The fiscal note attached to HB 455 recognizes the statement above as factual.
View In Depth NH’s video coverage of the history-making senate session, including the views of senators pro and con on death penalty repeal, as presented by Chair of the Senate Election Law and Municipal Affiairs Committee, Rep. Melanie Levesque (D-Brookline); and Sen. Lou D’Allesandro (D-Manchester): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0V8khVppfY&feature=youtu.bewww.youtube.com/watch?v=O0V8khVppfY&feature=youtu.be
The three sentencing goals of long standing established by our judicial system to establish justice are punishment, deterrence and rehabilitation. Vengeance and political gain are not among them. Death is final. Once executed, the result is the same, and no amount of post-death exculpatory evidence collection will ever matter.
How did Strafford’s representatives and senator vote on whether to support the governor’s veto?
Sen. John Reagan – supported the governor’s veto
Rep. Michael Harrington – supported the governor’s veto
Rep. Kurt Wuelper – supported the governor’s veto
“And so, to the end of history, murder shall breed murder, always in the name of right and honor and peace, until the gods are tired of blood and create a race that can understand.” - George Bernard Shaw
Committee Chair Bob Perry attends a Democracy in Action breakout session at the New Hampshire Technical Institute in November of 2018. The day of training was sponsored, in part, by the Coalition for Open Democracy in Concord. Bob has been a board member of Open Democracy since 2010.
Learn more about the Coalition for Open Democracy. |
Although the NH State House is currently closed, you can make a risk-free visit online by way of Virginia Drew's guided tour sponsored by C-SPAN 3. Ms. Drew is Director of the NH State House Visitor Center.
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