Recently in House of Representatives Category
SEPTEMBER 3, 2009
We like this editorial by the Meredith News and here’s why. Finally, local representatives that actually keep the very people that they represent informed, without making them spend countless hours researching the happenings in Concord. It’s too bad that this is not happening in our town of Moultonboro. We would like the same here, as well as in Tuftenboro and Wolfeboro that are represented by our own Betsey Patten. We would like to encourage her to do the same for the good folks that elected her.
Fall may not officially be here for a couple more weeks, but with schools starting this week and Labor Day weekend right in front of us, it’s about time to say goodbye to summer. As cooler weather approaches, so will the return of news from the State House, courtesy of our local state representatives. What we’ve seen in the past year from reps like Kate Miller in Meredith, Bill Johnson in Gilford and Belmont, and Liz Merry in Sanbornton is not only willingness, but an eagerness to provide constituents with the lowdown on House debates and votes through their local newspapers. Before the summer break, Johnson had been regularly submitting capsules of pertinent information regarding what he saw happening in the House of Representatives. This has accomplished a couple of things: first, it has made state news more accessible, particularly because Johnson writes in layman’s terms and with a bit of color, so readers aren’t wading through the typical political jargon. Second, Johnson gives us insight into the whys and hows of the House voting process, candidly noting the reasons behind his decisions while acknowledging the other point of view as well. For Meredith, Miller has regularly submitted letters to the editor to keep her constituents informed. Although her district doesn’t cover Moultonboro, Sandwich or Center Harbor, what Miller has to say is pertinent to all of our Meredith News readers. Like Johnson, she provides updates of the goings on in the House and continuously invite conversation from her constituents. Merry has done the same for Tilton and Sanbornton with her letters and updates. At Salmon Press, we’re grateful that our towns’ representatives are readily providing vital statewide information to our readers, because while we pride ourselves on bringing readers news at the most local level, we also recognize the importance of knowing what’s happening at the state level, that the impact of House and Senate votes are often widely felt by the residents of our towns. The downside to being a truly local, weekly paper is that we don’t have the resources to report on state affairs ourselves – we’re busy attending local board meetings – and have to rely on outside sources to gather that information. Until this past year, our papers didn’t have a single state representative from any of the districts we cover actively sending us news we can use. Now, true to their campaign word, reps like Miller, Johnson and Merry are channeling such vital information through us. We hope their updates continue in the coming year, and that you appreciate reading them as much as we do.
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
TUESDAY, JUNE 9
MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT, Room 301, LOB
11:00 a.m. Full committee work session on Senate amendments to House Bills.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10
RIGHT-TO-KNOW OVERSIGHT COMMISSION (RSA 91-A:11), Room 304, LOB
8:00 a.m. Email subcommittee meeting.
MONDAY, JUNE 15
ASSESSING STANDARDS BOARD (RSA 21-J:14-a), Department of Revenue Administration, 109 Pleasant Street,
9:30 a.m. Regular meeting.
1:30 p.m. Low income housing subcommittee meeting.
COMMISSION TO
1:00 p.m. Regular meeting.
Leaders of Several New Hampshire Groups call on Senator Shaheen to oppose energy tax increases on New Hampshire Families to the tune of $1,600.00
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January 29, 2009
To the Editor:
On Jan. 14, we attended some hearings on proposed House bills that were sponsored by our State Representative Betsy Patten. Observing and participating in the hearings was certainly a learning experience and well worth the trip to
20 is very difficult to comprehend. A 1000 percent increase did not strike her as a bit over the top? But wait, there’s more. Oops, she did it again with HB71. This one will increase from $100,000 to $1,000,000 municipal bonds that would require a public hearing, another tenfold increase. For example, a bond of $950,000 would not require a public hearing. Outrageous, but at least she’s consistent. To me $950,000 is one fantastic pile of money. Rep. Patten introduced the house bill and said the $1,000,000 is a number she selected and it would be okay for the committee to drop it to $200,000 or what ever they wanted. See what I mean about consistency? Seems she puts out a very high numbermand hopes she gets at least something lower. Something is wrong with that method of proposing House Bills. We are hopeful both bills will be killed in committee.
On the last bill sponsored by Betsey Patten, HB114, she smartly threw in the towel and withdrew it.HB114 was an effort to weaken SB2 by eliminating the deliberative session. SB2 by the way is the way more than half the townspeople in
Jim Leiterman
Moultonboro
Editor, The Citizen: January 20, 2009
The Moultonborough Selectboard met 1-8-2009 and their published minutes under the section Legislative Update states Rep. Betsey Patten (Selectmen and also State Rep.) "added that she is proposing a bill to increase the number of voters required to request a secret ballot during the Town Meeting. Presently, only five registered voters must request a secret ballot and are not required to be present at Town Meeting. Her bill would set the number required based on the municipalities population. The (Moultonborough) Selectmen expressed their support of Betsey's proposed bill and asked Carter (Terenzini, Town Administrator) to draft a letter of support. Hollis Austin asked the purpose of the bill. She replied that presently only five people can request a secret ballot and not have to be present during the secret ballot, in an effort to make the Town Meeting unnecessarily lengthy."
The above portion in quotation marks is per the Moultonborough Selectboard minutes of 1-8-2009. However our video of that meeting stated 50 voters and that was neglected in the above minutes but the number 50 appears on HB72. Chapter 40 Government of Town Meeting, Section 40:4-a states "5 voters who are present may make a request in writing prior to a vote by voice vote or division vote that the vote be taken by secret written ballot." In essence, it says the five voters must be present and that contradicts a portion of what is stated in paragraph one.
I vigorously state that the voters that submitted petitions did not intentionally delay the voting as implied in paragraph one. Also Moultonboro Citizens Alliance did not submit all the petitions that were presented to the moderator prior to the start of that Town Meeting. Other citizens, who are not members of MCA or proponents of it, collected signatures and signed them as well as they wanted the secret ballots for expenditures over $100,000 which makes sense to me.
The information we received at the 1-8-2009 Selectboard meeting prompted us to attend those house hearings in
On the evening of 1-15-2009, some MCA members attended the Selectboard meeting and were verbally criticized because we did not discuss our differences with Rep. Patten before voicing our opinion in
Rep. Patten, you have it backwards! You submitted HB0072 in June 2008 you waited until 1-8-2009, at the legislative update portion of the selectmen meeting, to let Moultonborough know you had submitted that bill. In true transparency you should have notified local voters you intended to submit a bill on this subject and ask for public input. Or at least notify your constituents after you submitted HB72 in June 2008. Instead you waited less than one week before the hearing in
Rep. Patten, why should we contact you when you are not fulfilling your responsibility to inform and represent those that have put their trust in you?
Jim Leiterman
Moultonborough
Editor, The Citizen: January 24, 2009
The arrogance of some members of the Moultonborough Board of Selectmen never ceases to amaze me. I often feel guilty not having to pay for such incredible entertainment.
On Wednesday January 14th there were hearings in Concord regarding the very bad legislation that Rep. Betsey Patten put forth months ago but was not brought to light until a very few days before the hearings. I have written about that legislation in previous missives so I won't bore you here with redundancy… just understand that these bills were poorly thought out, poorly written and vengeful in the motivation behind them. Little or no thought was given to what anyone in the "law making business" ought to know; research and re-research before putting forth a bill… consider "unintended consequences". Rep. Patten was only thinking about the town in which she sits on the Select board.
But beyond that (and this is where it gets entertaining) Thursday January 15th (the very next day) was the Moultonborough Board of Selectmen's meeting. As there were folks there that had testified at the above mentioned hearings against the legislation, as well as Representative Patten, "Selectman" Patten decided it was a good time to call out and lecture those citizens that had exercised their right to be heard at the Concord hearings.
Wait a minute … let's see … she wrote these bills in June; she waited until less than a week from the hearings before she revealed any information about one of the bills, and forgot to mention anything about the other two. And she expects the citizenry that has a problem with this, speak to her in private, as a courtesy, rather than at a public hearing as is their right. I am sorry.
I have voted for Ms. Patten from the get go and, in the past found her tolerable and sufficient in
Last March 56% and 58% respectively voted for SB2 for the town and the school district in Moultonborough. While SB2 needs 60% to pass, it was enough to threaten the comfort zone of those in opposition of SB2. If over half of the voters want an issue to pass, wouldn't you think their Representative would find better ways to spend her time than trying her level best to derail it? This is not open and transparent government. Watching these shenanigans is entertaining, yes but not at the voters and taxpayers' expense.
Rick Heath
Moultonborough
The Concord Monitor January 21, 2009
While Betsy Patten of Moultonboro serves as a selectwoman and a state representative, she is working to remove the right of citizens who attend town meetings. Her legislation, House Bill 72, would increase the number of voters required to request secret balloting and secret ballot recounts at meetings.
When I was in meetings with Betsy, when she chaired the House Municipal and County Government Committee, she said there was no need for SB 2. She wanted people to attend the town meeting and speak their mind. But what happens is this: The special interests want a quick meeting and don't want the ability of a secret ballot - so they can boo and hiss when someone doesn't give the special interests all they want.
Just Wednesday night here in
Is this what we call freedom of speech for everyone?
HARRIET E. CADY
November 8, 2008
The committee has issued a draft report on ways to ensure schools are delivering a constitutionally adequate education.
It recommends schools provide more information and report more frequently on how they are meeting standards. It's also recommending the state form a task force to report to the Legislature next May with a new system for measuring student performance.
The committee holds a hearing on its draft report on Monday.
Last year, the state defined an adequate education, but did not devise an accountability system. The committee was created to examine what measures are place now and recommend improvements.
The link to the report is below.
Joint Committee on Accountability for an Adequate Education - Draft Report for Public Comment
