My votes in the NH House sessions
of February 22-23, 2023

HB 639-FN-A

HB 639-FN-A, which would legalize cannabis, with restrictions, passed on a division vote of 234-127. The bill allows limited home cultivation, legal possession for those over 21, municipalities limiting or prohibiting locations selling cannabis products, and a 15% tax on revenue to commercial cultivators. All of our neighboring states have moved toward legal cannabis and are reaping the benefits of cannabis sales. Yet, despite my initials (THC), I voted against this bill. I had two reasons. First, I lived in the Santa Cruz area during the late 1970s and early 1980s. There was a lot of marijuana around, and I availed myself of it nearly every day, as did many of my close friends. Frankly, it made us stupid. That includes me, and it includes several of my friends who had raw intelligence but were limited by their frequent pot smoking. What we were smoking was “dirt weed,” and it was nothing compared with how potent today’s cannabis products are. My other reason for voting against HB 639 (and why was this bill not assigned HB 420?) is that there is no reliable roadside test for cannabis. I am concerned about cannabis-impaired driving and how difficult it is to prosecute. It is unclear what fate awaits HB 639 in the Senate or on the governor’s desk.

HB 44

HB 44 aims to help alleviate the state’s housing shortage by allowing homeowners in areas served by public water and sewer to convert their homes into duplexes, triplexes, or fourplexes. It was defeated in a roll call vote, 209-141. Most, but not all, Democrats voted for it, and most, but not all, Republicans voted against. I was torn on this bill, to the point that I did not decide how I was going to vote until the Speaker announced that our 30-second clock for voting was starting. I ended up voting against it, and I am catching flak for doing so. I understand, and I do not begrudge anyone for being disappointed in how I voted. As a representative, I have to make some tough calls that are going to displease constituents. I based my “no” vote on two factors. First, I thought about the neighbor who would see a fourplex spring up next door. I used to vacation on Long Beach Island on the New Jersey shore, where I saw house after house scraped and replaced by something considerably larger, much to the chagrin of the neighbors. Second, and my main reason for voting against this bill, was that I thought about Lebanon. As you surely know, our City has borne the brunt of new housing in the Upper Valley for a long time. Our surrounding communities (cough Hanover cough) have simply not stepped up to the plate to provide housing to anywhere near the degree that Lebanon has. Had HB 44 passed and become law, I did not see the surrounding communities creating much housing and Lebanon bearing the brunt of the conversions.

As I mentioned, I had a hard time deciding how to vote on this bill. We all understand the need for more housing in the state. Moreover, I have tremendous respect for the sponsor of this bill, Rep. Rebecca McWilliams, who is a terrific colleague of mine on the Science, Technology and Energy committee and has done an outstanding job as Interim Ranking Member. There is a Special Committee on Housing in the NH House this year (including Rep. Josh Adjutant from Enfield), and I hope that they will put forth some bills that gain wide support.

HB 489-FN-A

HB 489-FN-A would have established a tourism fund for the counties of New Hampshire. Sorry, but I just could not imagine ads saying “Come visit Grafton County,” “Come visit Sullivan County,” “Come visit Merrimack County,” etc.

HB 63

HB 63 seems innocuous enough: section I reads “No zoning ordinance or local land use regulation shall prohibit, regulate, or restrict the use of land or structures based solely on the religious nature of the use.” But I’m not keen on exempting religious organizations from zoning laws.

HR 9

HR 9 calls upon the federal government to create an “American Marshall Plan.” Several expensive acts have passed in Washington lately to shore up our nation’s infrastructure. I believe that we should see the results of the money already committed before committing another huge sum.

HCR 1

HCR 1 would have included New Hampshire among the states calling for an Article V Constitutional Convention. Such a convention would be to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution. I can think of plenty of amendments that I’d like to see ratified (for example, the Equal Rights Amendment, enshrining full reproductive rights for women, and overturning Citizens United), but just because I’d like to see certain amendments, that does not mean those are the amendments that would come out of a constitutional convention. I am concerned that because red states have outsize power compared with their populations, the amendments that would come out of the convention would be counter to those that I’d like. Hence, I voted against this resolution, which was defeated in a division vote, 198-150.