New Hampshire Legislature gets down to work

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire lawmakers debated rules changes that reflected the dramatically divided House on Wednesday as the state’s new Legislature began its first official day of work.

The House convened with Republicans holding a razor thin 201-197 majority, with two seats vacant. That will make attendance extra important over the next two years, and several of the rules proposed Wednesday were attempts to deal with that new reality.

One rejected rule change would have allowed members unable to attend sessions because of illness to vote by proxy. Supporters argued that the change would help members stay healthy while also fulfilling their duty to constituents. Rep. Matt Wilhelm, the Democratic leader, noted that some members were absent Wednesday due to hospitalization or COVID-19 infection.

“Should any of us get sick or our family members get sick and we’re absent from a close vote in a House session, it’s an added blow even though it doesn’t have to be that way,” he said. “Please join me in looking out for one another’s health and well-being as we embark on this new session together. Let’s look out for our constituents and ensure that every Granite Stater is fully represented.”

The amendment failed 171-204, with 14 Democrats joining all but one of the Republicans in opposition. Arguing against the change, Deputy Speaker Steven Smith said lawmakers owe it to their constituents to show up.

“Challenges happen. Children get sick, you hurt yourself, you get sick, but you do the best you can,” he said. “It’s the very least that we owe them: to come here and not give our vote away to someone else.”

Lawmakers also rejected a rule change that would have allowed House members to attend public hearings and other committee meetings remotely, at the discretion of the House speaker. And eight Republicans joined all but one Democrat in voting down a proposal that would have given the GOP more power when bills come to the floor without a committee recommendation.

That’s expected to be a common occurrence with party control evenly split in committees. Under existing rules, the default motion is “ought to pass,” but an amendment proposed by Republicans would have let committee chairmen — all Republicans — decide whether lawmakers start with a vote to kill such bills instead.

One of the vacant House seats will be filled via a special election next month after a recount of a race in Rochester resulted in a tie. A special election also is expected to fill the seat won by a Nashua Democrat who was charged with stalking in November and resigned last month.

The state Senate, where Republicans maintained a 14-10 advantage, also convened Wednesday. Led by Senate President Jeb Bradley, they described an agenda focused on meeting the needs of the state’s most vulnerable residents while also protecting taxpayers and driving the economy. Also on their list: bail reform, expanding school choice and protecting the state’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary.

Asked whether the closely divided House could make the Senate more partisan, Bradley said, “Nope.”

“We disagree a lot, but I don’t think you’ll find us ever being disagreeable,” he said. “At the end of the day, we’re glorified volunteers. We’re here to serve the people of New Hampshire to get the job done.”