HB 440, the Civil Liberties Defense Act, Restored to House Version – Thank Your Republican Senators!
This past Thursday, 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 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 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
Important Update
House GOP leadership has assigned HB 1673 – a bill to repeal the Fetal Life Protection Act and return to abortion up to birth – to the House Judiciary Committee.
The House Judiciary Committee is controlled by pro-abortion extremists, including two Republicans. House GOP leadership has ignored repeated calls to remove these Republicans from the committee despite their complete betrayal of the GOP platform. By leaving these Republicans in place and assigning HB 1673 to the committee, House Republican leaders are actively facilitating a return to abortion up to birth in New Hampshire.
Contact Speaker Packard and contact Majority Leader Osborne, and call on them to remove Chairman Ned Gordon and Rep. Joe Alexander from the House Judiciary Committee.
Speaker Packard: sherman.packard@leg.state.nh.us
Majority Leader Osborne: Jason@Osborne4NH.com
To learn more about the Fetal Life Protection Act, see our FAQ.
HB 622 Tabled by House – Be on Guard: the Tabling of HB 622 was not a Victory for Life
HB 622, an obscure house bill which had been amended by pro-abortion Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee with the intention of gutting the Fetal Life Protection Act, was voted on by the full house this past Thursday, January 6.
Had the bill passed as amended, it would have removed our pro-life law’s ultrasound requirement, rendering the law unenforceable. Cornerstone was hoping that this outcome would be thwarted by the introduction and passage of a floor amendment, one which would preserve the integrity of the Fetal Life Protection Act, by Rep. Matt Simon. Instead, the House voted to table HB 622.
While a number of pro-life Republicans voted for the tabling motion—a decision we respectfully think was strategically incorrect—so did every Democrat and every pro-abortion Republican. Democrats would not have voted unanimously for the tabling motion if it was a win for life. Instead, they have now bought time to unfairly attack and further weaken support for the Fetal Life Protection Act on terms of their own choosing. This is not good for those who support protecting the right of these late term babies to live.
Nor should you let Thursday’s vote on 622 give you a false sense of confidence. Numerous gutting and repealing bills targeting our abortion ban are coming up in both chambers. Democrats’ unanimous support for tabling was part of their long-term plan to destroy the law and return our state to unrestricted abortion up to birth. The late-term pre-born in New Hampshire are in grave danger once again and need your help now more than ever.
It is important to note, however, that even if every pro-life representative had voted against tabling, their votes would not have been enough to stop the tabling motion. It would be unproductive to continue to argue this issue within the pro-life community. We must now be forward-looking: our united focus must be on how we can work together to go on the attack to protect the Fetal Life Protection Act.
