Merrimack County Democrats

Why are so few bills listed?
A short lesson on the legislative process

Why are there fewer bills listed right now?

You may have noticed that lately there are fewer requests to sign in or testify on bills. That’s because the legislature is approaching an important deadline called Cross-Over

What is Cross-Over?
Cross-Over is the date by which the House and Senate must finish acting on all bills that started in their chamber

Before a bill can move forward, it usually goes through:
a public hearing (where people can sign-in and testify)
a committee vote
a vote of the full House or Senate

If the bill passes, it is sent to the other chamber to go through the same process. That’s called “crossing over.”

When is the deadline?

This year the Cross-Over deadline is March 26.
Because that date is approaching, most hearings have already happened. Right now lawmakers are mainly voting on bills during House and Senate floor session.

Why things will pick up again soon:
The slowdown in hearings is temporary. After Cross-Over:
House bills go to the Senate for hearings and votes.
Senate bills go to the House for the same process.

So starting in early April, there will again be many opportunities to sign in and testify, especially in the Senate.

What happens after both chambers pass a bill?
If both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the Governor to be signed or vetoed.
If they pass different versions, they may negotiate a compromise through a Committee of Conference. Most of those negotiations happen toward the end of the legislative session. (More on that later)

As we move through the session, there will be more and more action alerts asking you to contact Governor Ayotte. Put her office telephone number in your speed dial now.
(603) 491-1795

Thanks to our friends Kent Street Coalition for this helpful collation of info!

How New Hampshire’s House majority leader is leading Republicans’ backward charge • New Hampshire Bulletin The architect of New Hampshire’s current Republican legislative agenda, House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, seems to have a different perspective on the concept of local control, among other things.

🚨✉️ Click to send an email to the Senate Election Law Committee asking that they vote NO on SB 223: https://ujoin.co/campaigns/4053/actions/public?action_id=5930 🚨

The NH Senate Election Law Committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday, October 23rd at 1:30PM to discuss bills it re-referred this past spring.

This includes SB 223 (https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/billinfo.aspx?id=591&inflect=2), which seeks to remove college and university identification cards from the list of valid photo identification for obtaining a ballot. It also directs the State College and University System and Community College System to provide in-state tuition to every student who registers to vote in New Hampshire.

Everyone who is 18, a U.S. citizen, and lives in New Hampshire has the right to vote, and they need to show proof of identity. If the law stops accepting certain forms of ID, like college student IDs, eligible voters could be turned away just because they don’t have the “right” document. By singling out college IDs, this bill makes it harder for students to vote. ❌

In addition, voting and the rules for getting in-state tuition are two entirely separate standards. The University system would have an “indeterminable decrease” in tuition because of this bill, according to the fiscal note.

If you prefer, you can also call. Feel free to use the email template linked above as a script! 📞

Chairman James Gray (R-Rochester): 603-271-4980
Vice Chairman Timothy Lang (R-Sanbornton): 603-271-2117
Sen. David Rochefort (R-Littleton): 603-271-8631
Sen. Pat Long (D-Manchester): 603-271-3045
Sen. Rebecca Perkins Kwoka (D-Portsmouth): 603-271-3207

Look how many places In NH are having No Kings events on October 18th! Pick a place, grab a friend and get your signs ready. Go to our website to access functional links: https://www.thepeoplescompass.org/upcoming