Legislative Scorecard
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2020 LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD 1 | www.AmericansForProsperity.org/NewHampshire TABLE OF CONTENTS 04 .........................................SCORING METHODOLOGY 05 ..................... LETTER FROM THE STATE DIRECTOR 06 .................................................... BILL DESCRIPTIONS 10 ............................................................... SENATE VOTES 12 ..................................................................HOUSE VOTES 32 ...................LEGISLATIVE CONTACT INFORMATION 2 | www.AmericansForProsperity.org/NewHampshire SCORING METHODOLOGY 4 = Voted with AFP-New Hampshire’s position 8 = Voted against AFP-New Hampshire’s position 3 | www.AmericansForProsperity.org/NewHampshire DEAR NEW HAMPSHIRE RESIDENT: Americans For Prosperity-New Hampshire is pleased to present our 2020 Legislative Scorecard. AFP-NH hopes that this Scorecard will aid you in your efforts to remain well informed regarding some of the key legislative activity that took place in Concord over this past year and its impact in lowering or increasing barriers to success and enhancing a free and open society. This year certainly saw a change in how the Legislature did business, in response to the pandemic. This led to fewer roll calls than in years past, especially in the State Senate. AFP-NH does not score every vote in the House or Senate. Rather, the focus of this Scorecard is to consider the most important votes cast in priority issue ares that impact our society, such as taxes and spending, health care, educational opportunity, worker freedom, regulation, free speech, property rights, ending cronyism, and having a criminal justice system that focuses on rehabilitation. This year, the Legislature had the opportunity to vote on important issues in these areas, which are laid out in the vote descriptions. Within this Scorecard you will find these votes that are essential to removing barriers to opportunity. We hope this helps you see a clear picture of how legislators performed in these important areas. In addition to information on how your state legislators voted on important pieces of legislation, you will find their contact information included in this Scorecard. AFP-NH hopes you will use it to reach out to your State Senator and State Representatives and encourage them to support policies that advance liberty. Sincerely, Greg Moore State Director, AFP-New Hampshire 4 | www.AmericansForProsperity.org/NewHampshire BILL DESCRIPTIONS INCREASING THE MINIMUM GROSS BUSINESS RELATIVE TO A FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE INCOME REQUIRED FOR FILING A BUSINESS INSURANCE PROGRAM | HB 712 PROFITS TAX RETURN | SB 223 Lead Sponsor: Rep. Mary Jane Wallner Lead Sponsor: Sen. Jeanne Dietsch AFP’s Position: Oppose OTP AFP’s Position: Support OTPA Outcome: Vetoed by Governor Outcome: Passed the Senate 22-2. Died on the table in the House. This bill would establish a mandatory paid family medical “This bill would raise the filing threshold to file for leave entitlement, funded by a 0.5% tax on wages. business profits tax from $50,000 to $75,000. This would remove the need for many small businesses to file these tax forms when it is unlikely they would even pay taxes. RELATIVE TO EXPENDITURES FROM THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY FUND | SB 122 Lead Sponsor: Sen. Martha Fuller Clark PROHIBITING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AFP’s Position: Oppose OTPA AGREEMENTS THAT REQUIRE EMPLOYEES TO JOIN Outcome: Vetoed by Governor OR CONTRIBUTE TO A LABOR UNION | SB 651 Lead Sponsor: Sen. Harold French This bill eliminates the residential rebate for the AFP’s Position: Oppose ITL Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, increasing Outcome: Killed in the Senate 14-9. consumers’ electricity costs. This bill would make New Hampshire a Right to Work state, ensuring that no worker would be forced to join RELATIVE TO THE STATE MINIMUM HOURLY or pay a union involuntarily. RATE | HB 731 Lead Sponsor: Rep. Kristina Schultz AFP’s Position: Oppose OTPA RELATIVE TO NET ENERGY METERING LIMITS Outcome: Vetoed by Governor FOR CUSTOMER-GENERATORS | SB 159 Lead Sponsor: Sen. Jeb Bradley This bill would raise the minimum wage to $12/hour, AFP’s Position: Oppose Veto Override making it harder for less experienced workers to Outcome: Veto Overridden find employment. This legislation would expand that amount of electricity that a generator could sell back to the grid at above- market prices from 1 megawatt to 5 megawatts, raising electricity prices for consumers. 5 | www.AmericansForProsperity.org/NewHampshire 2019 SCORECARD NEW HAMPSHIRE HOUSE BILL DESCRIPTIONS 1 1 7 3 2 4 5 9 6 e e 1 1 2 47 or Representative ad SB HB HB Sc Gr SB 27 HB 686 HB 61 HB 64 HB HB 62 HB 62 HB 36 HB 62 HB 30 Ward, Gerald W.R. 0% F Warden, Mark 100% A+ Warner, Anne L. NV NV NV 0% F Wazir, Safiya NV 0% F RELATIVE TO ALTERNATIVE LEARNING CREDIT RELATIVE TO THE MINIMUM ELECTRIC Webb, James C. NV NV NV NV NV NV NV NV 100% A RULES OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION | RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO STANDARDS | SB 124 Weber, Lucy M. 0% F HBWe lch,1454 David A. Lead Sponsor: Sen. Martha Fuller Clark 92% A LeadWe lls,Sponsor: Kenneth Rep. D.Linda Tanner AFP’s Position: Oppose OTPA 0% F AFP’sWeston, Position: Joy ceOppose OTPA Outcome: Vetoed by Governor 0% F Outcome:Weyler, VetoedKenneth by GovernorL. 100% A+ Whittemore, James R. This bill would increase the regulatory demands100% on aboveA+ Wilhelm, Matthew B. NV NV 0% F This bill would have stifled innovation in education and market electricity supplies, which would increase energy Williams, Kermit R. NV 0% F stripped away the alternative learning paths available through costs for New Hampshire residents and employers. Wolf, Dan H. NV NV NV NV 56% F theWoodbury implementation, David of the Learn EverywhereNV NV program. 9% F Woodcock, Stephen L. 0% F Woods, Gary L. 0% F Wuelper, Kurt F. 100% A+ Ya vich, Michael 100% A+ Yokela, Josh S. 100% A+ NV – L vote on this legislation 15 6 | www.AmericansForProsperity.org/NewHampshire 10% BILL DESCRIPTIONS 100% A+ NV 89% 10% RELATIVE TO THE REGULATION OF ART RELATIVE TO POINT OF SALE BAGS | HB0% 559 THERAPISTS | HB 546 Lead Sponsor: Rep. Judith Spang Lead Sponsor: Rep. Peter Schmidt AFP’s Position: Oppose OTPA 10% AFP’s Position: Oppose OTPA Outcome: Passed the House 205-158. Bill died on the table in the Senate. Outcome: Passed the House 218-144. Bill died on the table in the Senate. 100% This bill would create a 10-cent fee for paper and A+ This bill adds the licensure and regulation of art therapists plastic bags and would mandate the type of bags that under the board of mental health practice, making it more could be sold by retailers. This would drive100% up the A+ difficult for Granite Staters to enter the field. costs for consumers. 10% RELATIVE TO THE PRIVACY OF CERTAIN RELATIVE TO THE USE OF FUNDS IN THE DRUG INFORMATION CONCERNING PUBLIC FORFEITURE FUND | HB 1563 EMPLOYEES | SB 19 Lead Sponsor: Rep. James Spillane Lead Sponsor: Sen. Kevin Cavanaugh AFP’s Position: Support OTP AFP’s Position: Oppose OTPA Outcome: Passed out of first House committee 329-21. Failed to meet Outcome: Vetoed by Governor deadline for 2nd committee. The legislation would undercut the privacy rights of This bill would change the incentive structure in public sector workers by delivering their personal contact policing by directing a portion of the Drug Forfeiture information to the labor union for their bargaining unit. Fund towards treatment for addicts. 7 | www.AmericansForProsperity.org/NewHampshire BILL DESCRIPTIONS ESTABLISHING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION RELATIVE TO REPORTS ON EDUCATION TAX REDUCTION GOALS FOR THE STATE AND CREDIT SCHOLARSHIPS | HB 1423 ESTABLISHING A CLIMATE ACTION PLAN | HB 1664 Lead Sponsor: Rep. Linda Tanner Lead Sponsor: Rep. Craig Thompson AFP’s Position: Oppose OTP AFP’s Position: Oppose OTPA Outcome: Passed the House 192-135. Bill died on the table in the Senate. Outcome: Passed the House 197-123. Bill died on the table in the Senate. This bill would add to the requirements for scholarship This bill would shift direction of state environmental organization reports to the department of revenue policy from the legislature to unelected state officials. administration creating an additional burden for Additionally, it would drive up costs for state purchases. homeschool families. RELATIVE TO THE HOME CULTIVATION OF REQUIRING THE ADOPTION OF INNOVATIVE CANNABIS PLANTS AND THE POSSESSION OF VEHICLE EMISSIONS STANDARDS PURSUANT CERTAIN CANNABIS-INFUSED PRODUCTS | HB 1648 TO SECTION 177 OF THE FEDERAL CLEAN AIR Lead Sponsor: Rep. Carol McGuire ACT | HB 1444 AFP’s Position: Support OTPA Lead Sponsor: Rep. Rebecca McWilliams Outcome: Passed the House 236-112. Bill died on the table in the Senate. AFP’s Position: Oppose OTPA Outcome: Passed the House 179-109. Bill died on the table in the Senate. This bill removes penalties associated with personal possession, use, and home cultivation of cannabis. This bill would require vehicles sold in New Hampshire to comply with California emission standards, driving up the cost to purchase a vehicle. RELATIVE TO ELECTIONS IN COLLECTIVE BARGAINING | HB 1554 Sponsor: Rep. Hershel Nunez AFP’s Position: Oppose ITL Outcome: Bill was killed 211-136. This bill would ensure that public sector workers would have the opportunity to vote on whether to keep their existing union in place when a majority of current workers in that bargaining unit did not have a chance to choose their representation. 8 | www.AmericansForProsperity.org/NewHampshire SENATE VOTES Birdsell, Regina Birdsell, Jeb Bradley, Carson, Sharon Kevin Cavanaugh, Shannon Chandley,