My votes in the NH House session
of February 20, 2025

HB 169-FN

I was the prime sponsor for this bill, and I got to give the first floor speech of the day, against the ITL motion for the bill.

The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) sets our electric rates. The PUC comprises three commissioners, one of whom chairs the PUC, and a small staff. Current statute says that the Chair of the PUC can make rules on their own and that the PUC can hold a hold a hearing with just one commissioner present. This bill would have required at least two commissioners to make rules or hold a hearing. In the public hearing on the bill, we learned that the PUC commonly holds hearings with just one commissioner or even just staff and no commissioners. I amended the bill to leave the part about hearings alone and just require two commissioners to make rules. The Republicans on my committee would not even consider my amendment. I tried to overturn the ITL in my floor speech so that the full House could consider the amendment, but we were just outnumbered.

HB 504

This bill is a rehash of HB 1623 from 2024, rewriting the state energy policy. It ignores the health and environmental impacts of fossil fuels. It claims to be technologically neutral, but clearly shifts the state away from energy diversity. The bill ignores that fossil fuels are not as reliable as many people think they are: we’ve seen fossil fuel plants fail during cold-weather events. Moreover, home heating has priority over electricity production for natural gas, so during cold-weather events, power plants might not get enough natural gas to satisfy demand. Again, we just didn’t have the votes to stop it.

HB 682

This bill eliminates all support for offshore wind. I gave the parliamentary inquiry against it. Granted that offshore wind is not having its moment currently. In hearings, the fishing industry made it clear that they are solidly against offshore wind. Technology changes, and market conditions change. At some point, offshore wind might be technologically and economically advantageous, and we should not be shutting ourselves off from it going forward.

HB 255-FN and HB318-FN

These bills would have redirected 19% of business tax revenue away from the general fund into the education trust fund. I am as big a supporter of funding public education as anyone, but taking money away from the general fund is not the way to support the education trust fund.

HB 75-FN

Another cannabis bill. This one would legalize it for anyone 21 or older. It would also annul cannabis-related offenses. We overturned the ITL motion and passed it on a voice vote. The bill will now go to the Senate, where it will likely die.

HB 352-FN

So what do you think about people openly carrying firearms in a polling place? Yeah, what could go wrong? This bill would have prohibited either open or concealed carry in a polling place. Of course it went down.

HB 53

We voted to permit qualifying patients and designated caregivers to cultivate cannabis for theraputic use. I doubt that the Senate will pass it.

HB 66-FN

This bill allows anyone to make a “right to know” request, even if they are not a New Hampshire resident. Although the caucus recommended supporting the OTPA motion on the bill, my colleague on the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Zoe Manos, convinced me to vote against it. The OTPA motion passed overwhelmingly, however.