HOUSE RECORD Second Year of the 163rd General Court State of Calendar and Journal of the 2014 Session New Hampshire Web Site Address: www.gencourt.state.nh.us Vol. 36 Concord, N.H. Wednesday, January 8, 2014 No. 5X HOUSE JOURNAL No. 20 (Cont.) Wednesday, June 26, 2013 The Speaker called the recessed Session of June 26, 2013 to order at 10:00 a.m. CLERK’S NOTE Although the June 26, 2013 Session continues here, the actual date is January 8, 2014. LEAVES OF ABSENCE Reps. Aguiar, Andrews, Ronald Belanger, Booras, Bradley, Charron, Connor, Susan Emerson, Hansberry, Helmstetter, Hoelzel, McCloskey, Menear, Merrill, Mary Nelson, Amy Perkins, Straight and Tamburello, the day, illness. Reps. Burdwood, Burtis, Emerson-Brown, Bianca Garcia, Grady, Haefner, Sally Kelly, Lerandeau, Meaney, William O’Brien, Oligny, Parison, Priestley, Rhodes, Sad, Todd Smith, Spainhower and Verschueren, the day, important business. Rep. Lawrence Perkins, the day, illness in the family. INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS Jonathan Bailey, son of Rep. Bailey. Pastor Garrett Lear, guest of Rep. Itse. Francis Ouma, guest of Rep. Bill Nelson. Franklin Police Chief David Goldstein, guest of Rep. Leigh Webb. COMMUNICATION November 26, 2013 David H. Thompson 53 Meadowfox Rd. Chester, NH To whom it may concern: I regret to inform you that I am resigning my elected position as representative to the Town of Derry. This is made necessary for the fact I have moved from Derry and cannot continue to represent the citizens of Derry. I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation for the cordiality extended to me by Speaker, Clerk and fellow representatives. Sincerely, David H. Thompson COMMUNICATION December 27, 2013 Dear Speaker Norelli: After a great deal of consideration of the seven years during which I have had the honor of serving New Hampshire as a Representative, with mixed emotions, I resign. With the possibility of another stroke sometime in my future and a major birthday in 2014, I am in the process of moving back to New Jersey where I grew up and a “new life” is waiting for me. I shall miss the part of my life spent in representing our state, and the many opportunities I was given for enrichment of my political knowledge. With sincere gratitude, Representative Joy K. Tilton Merrimack County, District 3, Northfield & Franklin Ward 3 307 8 january 2014 HOuSE RECORD COMMUNICATION January 4, 2014 Speaker Terie Norelli New Hampshire House of Representatives State House Room 312 107 North Main Street Concord NH 03301-4988 RE: House Seat Resignation Dear Madam Speaker: It is with very mixed emotions that I submit my resignation for Keene Floterial 16th effective January 6th. My part time teaching position at the community college has been changed to full time. I attribute the thrust of this change in my status at the college as a serendipity result of the ACA. I have thoroughly enjoyed this third term and appreciate your appointment to Criminal Justice and Public Safety. In contrast to my first and second term, I’ve experienced greater collegiality while appearing before various committees, all a result of your selection and expectations from leadership. Mixed up seating in the House and Committees was putting the contact theory to good use. I enjoyed John Burt to my right in House and Vaillancourt on one side and Mark Warden on the other in committee. Laura Pantelakos was just fine as Chair. I intend to run in two and half years when I am 70 and my wife turns 65. My life is richer for having experi- ence in all three branches of government in criminal justice. Kindest regards to you Terie. you have met my expectations during this tour. Delmar D. Burridge Keene COMMUNICATION To: Terie Norelli, Speaker of the House From: Hon. Nickolas J. Levasseur, State Representative Date: 25 November 2013 Madam Speaker, It is with the deepest regret that I offer my resignation as Representative of Hillsborough District 11, Man- chester’s Ward 4. I do so because I have taken new employment and will be unable to commit the necessary time to my duties and I will be moving out of my district. Serving in the New Hampshire House has been the greatest honor of my life. I have met many astonishing people, taken part in extraordinary events, and played my own small role in our state’s history. I will forever cherish the memories of my service as a pinnacle time in my life. I would like to thank you for your many years of leadership and dedication as well as that of every member of the House with whom it has been my pleasure to serve. To serve in the New Hampshire House is to give of yourself. you give to your constituents. you give to your issues. you give to your work. And you give to your fellow representatives. I leave having given much, but having received so much more. I leave having forged friendships that will last a lifetime. I leave with ex- periences that will guide the course of my life. I leave with the knowledge that our individual smallness is made into greatness by the collective will and dedication of the few who hold the title “New Hampshire State Representative.” Madame Speaker I bid you, my fellow representatives, and this esteemed institution good luck, Godspeed, and a heartfelt farewell. Respectfully submitted, Hon. Nickolas J. Levasseur COMMUNICATION December 20, 2013 Ms. Karen Wadsworth Clerk of the House of Representatives State House Concord, NH 03301 Dear Karen: Please be advised that the following representative-elect was sworn into office by the Governor and Executive Council on this day: Strafford District No. 6 (Durham, Madbury) Amanda Merrill, d, Durham (8 Meadow Rd.) 03824 Sincerely, William M. Gardner Secretary of State 8 january 2014 HOuSE RECORD 308 GOVERNOR’S VETO MESSAGE ON HB 183 By the authority vested in me, pursuant to part II, Article 44 of the New Hampshire Constitution, on July 24, 2013, I vetoed House Bill 183, relative to processing absentee ballots. Maintaining confidence in our elections through a transparent and straightforward system for processing ballots is essential to the ongoing health of our democracy. After reviewing HB 183 and hearing the concerns expressed by the Secretary of State’s office through the legislative process, I believe that this legislation would cause increased confusion about the tim- ing of processing absentee ballots, potentially undermining the transparency of the election process. under current law, all communities across New Hampshire are instructed to begin processing absentee ballots at 1 p.m. This ensures a transparent process where all members of the public and those tasked with oversight of our elections know when ballots are being reviewed. HB 183 would eliminate that set time and leave it to poll workers at each individual voting location to determine when to begin processing absentee ballots with- out any requirement for advanced notice, so long as the processing begins at least two hours after the polls open. The Senate appropriately realized the problems with this approach, and made changes to ensure that each voting location provided advanced notice to the public of the time that absentee ballots would begin to be processed. unfortunately, that provision was not agreed to in the committee of conference and the bill as passed provides for no advanced notice. I appreciate the dedication of our local election officials who make our democracy work, and I know that HB 183 was a well-intentioned attempt by sponsors to ease the process for election officials. However, the final version of this bill improves flexibility and efficiency without adequately preserving the element of transparency that is the foundation of our elections system. Efficiency and trans- parency are not mutually exclusive, and I am confident that we can all work together to pass a bill that will achieve both before the next state-wide election, and I will work with the Legislature to do so. Transparency and public involvement are essential to upholding our long-standing traditions of fair and trusted elections, and I have therefore vetoed this legislation. July 24, 2013 Respectfully submitted, Margaret Wood Hassan, Governor The question being, notwithstanding the Governor’s veto, shall HB 183, relative to processing absentee bal- lots, become law? Rep. Gary Richardson spoke against. Rep. James Belanger spoke in favor and yielded to questions. Rep. Burt spoke in favor. Pursuant to the New Hampshire Constitution, Part II, Article 44, a roll call, requiring a two-thirds vote of the House for approval, was taken. YEAS 176 - NAYS 163 YEAS - 176 Belknap Burchell, Richard Comtois, Guy Cormier, Jane Fields, Dennis Fink, Charles Flanders, Donald Greemore, Robert Holmes, Stephen Sylvia, Michael Tilton, Franklin Vadney, Herbert Worsman, Colette Carroll Ahlgren, Christopher Chandler, Gene Cordelli, Glenn Crawford, Karel McConkey, Mark Merrow, Harry Nelson, Bill Schmidt, Stephen Umberger, Karen White, Syndi Wright, Donald Cheshire Hunt, John Johnson, Jane Parkhurst, Henry Phillips, Larry Roberts, Kris Robertson, Timothy Coos Coulombe, Gary Rappaport, Laurence Richardson, Herbert Rideout, Leon Thomas, Yvonne Grafton Bailey, Brad Brown, Rebecca Doolan, Ralph Gionet, Edmond Ladd, Rick Lauer, Linda Massimilla, Linda Mulholland, Catherine Piper, Wendy Reilly, Harold Shackett, Jeffrey Hillsborough Barry, Richard Belanger, James Boehm, Ralph Burt, John Byron, Frank Cebrowski, John Christiansen, Lars Coffey, James Culbert, Patrick Daniels, Gary Danielson, David Dobson, Jeremy Flanagan, Jack Gagne, Larry Gale, Sylvia Gargasz, Carolyn Graham, John Hansen, Peter Hikel, John Hinch, Richard 309 8 january 2014 HOuSE RECORD Hopper, Gary Jasper, Shawn Kelley, John Lambert, George LeBrun, Donald LeVasseur, Richard Marston, Dick Martel, Andre McCarthy, Michael Murotake, David Murphy, Kelleigh Murphy, Keith Notter, Jeanine Ober, Lynne Ober, Russell Palmer, Stephen Pellegrino, Tony Peterson, Lenette Pratt, Calvin Renzullo, Andrew Sanborn, Laurie Sandblade, Emily Stroud, Kathleen Sweeney, Shawn Takesian, Charlene Ulery, Jordan Villeneuve, Moe Willette, Robert Winters, Joel Merrimack Burns, Scott Carey, Lorrie Ebel, Karen Hess, David Hoell, J.R.