Act Now: Contact your representatives to vote “YES” on HB 396
Last week, the New Hampshire House passed HB 396, relative to state recognition of biological sex, by a vote of 192-184. HB 396 is a critical, straightforward bill that preserves the state’s ability to differentiate between biological sexes in areas such as athletic competitions, prisons, restrooms, or places of intimate privacy.
Our celebration proved short-lived, however, as Representative Mike Cahill, a Democrat who voted for the bill, called for reconsideration the next day in an apparently calculated maneuver. As a result of the notice of reconsideration, the bill must again be voted on by the House in an upcoming session.
HB 396 addresses the very real threats to the safety of our women and young girls that arise from the careless use of only self-declared gender identity to separate sensitive areas such as bathrooms, locker rooms, athletics, prisons, and other private areas.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
We urge you to contact your representatives and ask them to vote “YES” on HB 396 when it returns to the House. Additionally, because of the narrow margin in the House, we ask you to urge your representative to attend the next House session and highlight the critical importance of their attendance in ensuring we have sufficient votes to pass the bill once again.
Last week, the House Judicial Committee heard testimony on CACR 23: relating to the right to abortion.
As a constitutional amendment that, practically speaking, would allow for abortion up to the moment of birth, CACR 23 is one of the greatest legislative threats to life in the Granite State.
This proposed constitutional amendment masquerades as a right to abortion prior to 24 weeks; however, the text of the amendment throws the door wide open to unlimited abortion in the Granite State. CACR 23 asserts that abortion will be allowed before 24 weeks, but after that allows abortion if a doctor determines it is needed, which could be for any reason, including the desires of the mother. In other words, it legalizes all abortion both before and after 24 weeks, including when the child is viable
CACR 23 will have an Executive Session in the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, Jan. 18th, at 9:00 am. The committee will decide whether to recommend the bill pass (Ought to Pass or OTP) or fail (Inexpedient to Legislate or ITL) before sending to the full House for consideration. This is the first step in passing or defeating a bill, and the committee recommendation typically carries great weight when representatives consider how to vote.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
We urge you to email the members of the House Judiciary Committee to make your voice heard, and ask them to vote ITL on CACR 23 as a direct threat to preborn life. You can find the committee contact info here, or you can email committee members at HouseJudiciaryCommittee@leg.state.nh.us
Due to the extremely low number of individuals who registered their opposition before the committee hearing (only 303 individuals signed up in opposition while 1713 came out in support of the amendment), the prolife community must come out in force to make sure our voices are heard by the committee.
If CACR 23 comes to the House floor from the committee with an Ought to Pass recommendation, it has a real chance of being approved. By speaking up now, we can help ensure CACR 23 will lose momentum as it heads to the full House floor, preserving our hard-won protections for unborn late term children.
Act Now: sign in in support of SB 562
Senator Kevin Avard (R-Nashua) is sponsoring SB 562, relative to state recognition of biological sex, as part of a two pronged approach should HB 396 fail in the House.
SB 562 is very similar to HB 396; SB 562 clarifies state recognition of biological sex, and the ability to differentiate between biological sex in spaces such as bathrooms, locker rooms, athletics, and prisons.
SB 562 is necessary, as school districts around New Hampshire are faced with a crisis of extreme gender ideology. Progressive advocacy groups and New Hampshire’s Department of Justice have spread the false and dangerous idea that New Hampshire law prohibits any separation on the basis of biological sex.
These claims have deceived many schools and other public entities into bowing to gender ideology. Most now use self-declared gender identity alone to separate athletics and private areas, without regard to whether someone has even received medical transitioning.
SB 562 will preserve the state’s ability to differentiate between biological sexes in areas such as athletic competitions, prisons, restrooms, and locker rooms, and will directly address the immediate issue of already known instances of biological males not only using the female locker room, but deliberately insulting the privacy and dignity of biological girls.
SB 562 has been scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 1:30pm in State House, Room 100.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
1. Register your support of SB 562 by signing in in support of the bill here.
You can find step-by-step instructions on how to sign in here.
2. Submit written testimony. You can do this when you sign in. Simply hit “choose file” under step number four to upload a document with your testimony, or type your testimony into the provided box.
3. We urge you to come and testify in person. We have step-by-step instructions on how to testify here. You can also reach out to us at cornerstone@nhcornerstone.org if you have any questions about the testifying process.
Important Note: Some have had issues with the Senate remote sign-in page. If you are encountering problems, you can also email the committee to directly register your support for the bill and/or submit written testimony. You can find their contact info here.
Support Detransitioners in Their Legal Battles
Act Now: sign in in support of SB 304
Senator Avard has introduced SB 304, creating a cause of action for medical injuries resulting from the administration or prescription of gender transition surgery, cross-sex hormones, or puberty-blocking drugs and providing protections for individuals who receive medical detransitioning.
This important piece of legislation will add clarity around the statute of limitations for medical malpractice suits involving detransitioners, and allow for greater straightforward opportunities for detransitioners to file lawsuits against the doctors who harmed and mutilated them.
SB 304 has been scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 1:45pm in State House, Room 100.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
1. Register your support of SB 304 by signing in in support of the bill here.
You can find step-by-step instructions on how to sign in here.
2. Submit written testimony. You can do this when you sign in. Simply hit “choose file” under step number four to upload a document with your testimony, or type your testimony into the provided box.
3. We urge you to come and testify in person. We have step-by-step instructions on how to testify here. You can also reach out to us at cornerstone@nhcornerstone.org if you have any questions about the testifying process.
Important Note: Some have had issues with the Senate remote sign-in page. If you are encountering problems, you can also email the committee to directly register your support for the bill and/or submit written testimony. You can find their contact info here.
