In its first session of the year, the NH State Senate voted to restore the core structure of HB 440, the Civil Liberties Defense Act. After the bill had most of its legal substance stripped out, strong support for a restorative floor amendment by every Republican Senator helped ensure the bill meets its intended purpose – to prohibit a New Hampshire citizen’s civil liberties from being suspended during declared states of emergency.
The vote today also underscores the importance of the balance of power in the legislature as every single Democrat senator voted to allow individuals to lose their civil liberties at the discretion of the governor.
We applaud Rep. Jim Kofalt, the bill’s original sponsor who worked tirelessly to not only sponsor HB 440, but promote and lobby for its protections in the legislature and across the state. Today, we thank every Republican senator who spoke for and voted for their amendment to ensure HB 440 puts these critical protections in place. To personally thank Representative Jim Kofalt, please email him at staterep@jimkofalt.com.
This bill initially encountered significant opposition, and it’s very important that we thank all of our Republican Senators for doing the right thing. We’ve listed our 14 Republican Senators and their email addresses below. Please take a few moments and thank them now for standing up for your civil rights. To find your senator, go here.
Senator Erin Hennessey, District 1 : Erin.Hennessey@leg.state.nh.us
Senator Bob Giuda, District 2: Bob.Giuda@leg.state.nh.us
Senator Jeb Bradley, District 3: Jeb.Bradley@leg.state.nh.us
Senator James Gray, District 6: James.Gray@leg.state.nh.us
Senator Harold French, District 7: Harold.French@leg.state.nh.us
Senator Ruth Ward, District 8: Ruth.Ward@leg.state.nh.us
Senator Denise Ricciardi, District 9: Denise.Ricciardi@leg.state.nh.us
Senator Gary Daniels, District 11: Gary.Daniels@leg.state.nh.us
Senator Kevin Avard, District 12: Kevin.Avard@leg.state.nh.us
Senator Sharon Carson, District 14: Sharon.Carson@leg.state.nh.us
Senator John Reagan, District 17: John.Reagan111@gmail.com
Senator Regina Birdsell, District 19: Regina.Birdsell@leg.state.nh.us
Senator Chuck Morse, District 22: Chuck.Morse@leg.state.nh.us
Senator Bill Gannon, District 23: William.Gannon@leg.state.nh.us
