NH House Leaders Comment on Governor’s Veto of Voter ID Law

CONCORD – House Speaker William O’Brien (R-Mont Vernon) and House Majority Leader Pete Silva (R-Nashua) today offered the following comments in response to news that Governor Lynch vetoed Senate Bill 289, requiring a voter present valid photo identification to vote.

House Speaker William O’Brien

“The vast majority of New Hampshire voters will be disappointed to learn that in one of his last acts on legislation, this Governor has chosen to favor his party’s discrimination mythology about voters being asked for photo identification instead of supporting a common sense solution to the pressing need to ensure honest elections.  This voter ID bill is a well-structured approach to ensuring clean elections. We need to protect the integrity of the ballot box and guarantee that the ‘one person, one vote’ principle is not diluted by dishonest votes. I call upon all candidates for governor to take a position in support of this reasonable legislation that ensures that our elections are as clean as possible and free of corruption.”

House Majority Leader Pete Silva

“Today, our citizens have to show an ID to get on a plane, on a bus, to pick up a package and to enter a federal building.  It certainly is not a major imposition to ask for a driver’s license or other ID in order to protect the integrity of voting.  The Supreme Court has consistently held that requiring a photo ID is not a barrier to our constitutional right to vote. Passing voter ID and strengthening voter laws in New Hampshire have been priorities of House Republicans and we will work to override this veto next week.”

NH House Majority Leader Comments on Veto of Early Offer Bill

CONCORD – House Majority Leader Pete Silva (R-Nashua) today offered the following comment in response to news that Governor Lynch vetoed Senate Bill 406, which would create an expedited process for those seeking malpractice claims. The bill was strongly supported by the New Hampshire Medical Association.

House Majority Leader Pete Silva

 “Senate Bill 406 would make New Hampshire the first state in the nation to give citizens the right to take an early offer of settlement and avoid the extra time required for trials. Early offer alternatives give patients the option to streamline the judicial process if they so choose, which could help lower the costs of healthcare, save valuable time, and avoid bogging down the court system. It also would give another option to those citizens who are unable to litigate or who are forced to wait for years to do so. It’s disappointing the Governor wants to take this option away from our citizens.”

NH House Leaders Comment on Governor’s Veto of Voter Forms Law

CONCORD – House Speaker William O’Brien (R-Mont Vernon) and House Majority Leader Pete Silva (R-Nashua) today offered the following comments in response to news that Governor Lynch vetoed Senate Bill 318, modifying voter registration to pre-2007 forms, which makes clear to voters that only domiciled New Hampshire citizens can vote in our elections.

House Speaker William O’Brien

“No explanation beyond a desire for non-New Hampshire voters to participate in New Hampshire elections can adequately explain why the Governor chose to veto this reasonable bill that merely makes clear that in order to vote in New Hampshire one must be a resident of New Hampshire. I call upon the candidates for Governor—Republicans and Democrats alike—to show they stand for integrity in our elections by expressing their support of these voter reform laws.”

House Majority Leader Pete Silva

“There is no reason we shouldn’t be informing voters that they can only be domiciled in one place and can only vote in one city, town or state in a given election. Providing more information and transparency in our voting process can only help to deter those who really should not be voting in a particular town from doing so and minimize the occurrences of voter fraud here.”

NH House Leaders Comment on Governor’s Veto of Collective Bargaining Oversight Bill

CONCORD – House Speaker William O’Brien (R-Mont Vernon) and House Majority Leader Pete Silva (R-Nashua) today offered the following comments in response to news that Governor Lynch vetoed Senate Bill 1666, which would require legislative approval of any collective bargaining contract entered into by the state.

House Speaker William O’Brien

“Oversight by elected officials in the collective bargaining process for the public sector means that taxpayers will finally be at the negotiating table and not just agency heads, which promotes accountability within state government. This bill would give the legislature a role in determining the fairness of contracts that the State negotiates and as stewards of taxpayers’ hard earned money we should support policies that bring government accountability and integrity.”

House Majority Leader Pete Silva

“This is one more example of the Governor favoring labor unions over the taxpayers of New Hampshire. We will work to override this veto next week.”

NH House Leaders Statement on Override of Governor’s Veto of House Redistricting Plan

CONCORD – House Speaker William O’Brien (R-Mont Vernon) and House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt (R-Salem) today offered the following statement in response to the House’s vote to override the governor’s veto on House Bill 592, a plan to redistrict state House of Representative seats.  The veto was override by a vote of 246-112.

House Speaker William O’Brien

“This redistricting plan returns our state to the type of local representation that the voters expected when they passed the constitutional amendment in 2006 to we have smaller representative districts.  By going from the current 103 districts to 204, our residents will have more of a chance to have a close relationship with their House members, and our representatives will have a greater chance to know their friends and neighbors who elect them.  In fact, prior to the last redistricting effort in 2002, the House had only 195 districts, so we have exceeded that high standard for local representation.  This is a good plan and the House has done a great job of giving the public even greater access to their elected officials.”

House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt

“The Governor’s veto was ill-conceived and purely political.  House Republicans have sent a clear message that if the governor wants to play partisan games with a great redistricting plan, he will get shot down.  Our caucus has put forth a redistricting plan that will ensure that our friends and neighbors will elect people in their communities to represent them in the State House.  Today, the voters can now be assured they will get people who will be in touch with their communities.”