Shockingly, this past Thursday, the New Hampshire House of Representatives, including many or the Republicans, ignored the concerns of the disabled community, veterans, and concerned New Hampshire citizens of all ages and cast its vote to legalize state-sanctioned suicide. Surprisingly, many representatives were not even present to vote. You can see the full roll call here: 33 Democrats voted against state-sanctioned suicide, 39 Republicans voted in favor.
HB 1283, relative to end of life options passed by the closest of margins in the NH House, 179-177, after lengthy debate. However, we are grateful to report there has been a request for a reconsideration vote, and so the bill will be going back to the full House again this coming Thursday, March 28 with the potential for a revote.
First, the House will vote on whether to reconsider. If the vote for reconsideration is successful, then the bill will again be voted on. If the reconsideration motion fails, the previously passed bill would move directly to the Senate.
The reconsideration vote is a true gift and our last chance to kill the bill in the House before it goes any further. Through the combined efforts of so many, we are so close to success. With one last push we can defeat this bill before it gets any closer to becoming law in New Hampshire.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
We urge you to contact your representatives to be present at the House session on Thursday, March 28 and to vote YES on the reconsideration vote and then NO on HB 1238 should the reconsideration motion pass.
Disappointingly, this past Tuesday, the House Health and Human Services Committee voted that HB 1607, relative to expanded safe-haven protections, be referred for interim study. The bill now heads to the full House to be voted on this coming Thursday, March 28.
Cornerstone strongly supports HB 1607. This bi-partisan bill would expand the protections offered to newborn babies at risk of abuse or exposure. It is extremely disheartening to see our legislators swayed by fabricated concerns over a common-sense measure that would result in children’s lives being saved.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Please contact your representatives, and ask them to vote against the Committee recommendation and instead, support a motion of Ought To Pass.
However, when the Senate Finance Committee took up the bill earlier this month, they gutted the bill’s enforcement mechanism. This renders the bill meaningless and without consequences for schools that willfully fail to report these expenditures to the public.
Thanks to diligent efforts by senate republican leadership this past Thursday, the Senate voted to pass the bill with an amendment that restored the penalties and enforcement mechanism of SB 219.
Thank you to Senator Gray, who introduced the floor amendment, and to all the senators who voted in favor of passing the amended bill.
