Week in Review: Hurry Up & Wait

As previously reported, the Senate last Wednesday passed HCR 31, commending pregnancy care centers. This straightforward legislative pat on the back to an invaluable pro-life resource must go to the House for agreement on some changes.

HB 217, fetal homicide, was put off by the Senate until next Wednesday. The amendment printed in the calendar should not create any further delay, but then again, there have already been two delays that caught me and the chief sponsor by surprise.

HCR 41 was killed in the Senate. This resolution asking Congress to scold the feds for funding PPNNE over the objections of the Executive Council would have had no substantive effect but would have sent a message to our Washington representatives.

Legislators annoyed by the financial end-run in PPNNE's favor should now focus on HB 228. There will be other contract proposals before the Exec Council, and HB 228 sits on the table in the Senate. That's not a good place for it.

Fate unknown, possibly being taken up this week:

• HB 1679, partial-birth abortion ban. House & Senate must reconcile language.
• HB 1653, respecting conscience rights for medical professionals, was tabled by the House months ago and seems unlikely to be taken up.

The legislative session runs through the end of June, but the state budget dominates the last weeks of a session. The life bills are likely to be dealt with soon.

The House will meet next week on Tuesday & Wednesday, and possibly Thursday if the lengthy calendar requires that much time. The Senate will meet Wednesday.

2012 NH Republican Women's Summit #5

Last one. I'll skip remarks on the upcoming luncheon speaker, Nashua mayor Donnalee Lozeau, whose topic is "How to find balance and do it all." Puh-leeze. There's balance, and there's doing it all, and there's a difference, and I say that with due respect to the accomplished Mayor Lozeau. I once heard a quote attributed to actress Katharine Hepburn, who was asked whether a woman could have it all. "Yes," she replied, "but not all at once."  To me, a married woman with five grown kids and a job and therefore some experience in this area, that has the ring of truth.

Phyllis Woods mentions plans for 2012 "victory offices" statewide - satellite offices of the GOP, which proved so effective in 2010 - which of course are dependent on financial support for the GOP. Volunteers will be needed in these offices as well. When I worked for John Stephen in 2010 on his gubernatorial campaign, those offices and the people in them were tremendously helpful. Even as an independent, I knew a good thing when I saw one. Of course, these offices will help any GOP man or woman, including the ones who will earn the title of RINO and the ones who will vote against every imaginable piece of pro-life legislation. That's where pro-life PACs & activist groups come in. I'm glad to be with Cornerstone.

Alicia Preston, communications whiz & consultant: "I talk to people about how to talk to people." Oh, and "how to not get in trouble with the media ... Be cautious, but never fear them...Be concise and be accurate." Reasonable advice. I like the way she handles Q&A. She talks a mile a minute and manages to be clear at the same time.

All this good nuts-and-bolts information is probably being spread by both parties in forum after forum. I'm not sure where the seeds will take root. It's interesting to see the turnout here today & to hear the applause for things like parental notification. The filing period in a few weeks will tell me if all this training is a step in the right direction.

2012 NH Republican Women's Summit #4

Morning break means going to the literature table in the lobby. I note that the NH House Republican Victory PAC has a flyer for a candidate training class in Concord June 16, 9 a.m.-noon.

Next speaker: Christine Peters, NH Federation of Republican Women, talks about her 13-year involvement in the NHFRW and how the group fosters political involvement. The money they raise goes in large part to GOP women running for office. (By the way NHFRW has one of the more useful handouts in the lobby: "Running for NH House 101.") Christine promotes the Lilac Luncheon, coming up May 21 in Nashua, with Anita Moncrief (of exposing-ACORN fame) speaking on "Integrity of the Ballot Box" (voter ID).

Jen Wrobleski on the role of a delegate and state committee member: I, your faithful blogger, leave the details to those who want to contact the state GOP. (Sorry, Ms. Wrobleski.) I will add that running for delegate gives you a seat at the party convention this fall, allowing one to vote on the party platform. I was a delegate several times in my far-distant Republican past. Filing period and election are the same as for state reps.

As Wrobleski is peppered with questions about the somewhat convoluted state committee process, I look around the room and note that there's a broad age range represented in this room. That goes for presenters as well as attendees. That's good to see. I wonder if there's good geographic distribution as well. I'm pleased to see one rep from Littleton, and I hope she brought some friends with her.

And now for first-term Rep. Regina Birdsell, who's not only a terrific state rep but someone I respect very much for her work on Sen. Santorum's recent presidential campaign. (And she's running for re-election - good news!) She's here today to speak about NH's unique Vesta Roy Excellence in Public Service Program, which has become one of the most respected political training programs in the state. She graduated from the program in '09. The program is nine months long, with a new group of GOP women participating every year. This is worth looking up: www.vestaroyseries.com.

2012 NH Republican Women's Summit #3

Next up: panel with Sen. Nancy Stiles, Rep. Laurie Sanborn, and Rep. Lynne Blankenbeker, discussing how they decided to run and what it's like being in office.

NS: three terms in House before being elected to Senate in 2010. Her work with her professional association brought her to Concord to testify as a member of the public, and she found herself facing committees "full of men" who were not particularly responsive. Result: running for office. She serves on the Senate Education committee. In the Senate, "you look at all the stakeholders in the room, and ask 'can you all live with the language in this bill?' If so, we tend to support it."  Unlike the House, the Senate does not have time to "get down into the weeds"  on bills. She plans to run for re-election.

LS: Never considered herself politically active until about four years ago. The LLC tax passed a few years ago ("an income tax on small businesses") galvanized her and her husband (now-Sen. Andy Sanborn) into running. She challenged an 18-year incumbent, and "never thought in a million years I could win" in a college town, "but I did it." Useful piece of advice she got: "be an expert on something," which in her case is business. She looked around for a coalition of like-minded legislators, and when she couldn't find one, she started one. Praises House Republican Alliance for its support. "Women have a special bond ... we can do great things together." Will run again, but she's moving from Henniker to Bedford and so will have a new district in which to campaign.

LB: A nurse and naval officer by profession (recently returned from Afghanistan); went to law school "to build credibility" as she advocated for veterans. Working for former Congressman & NH Supreme Court Justice Chuck Douglas in his law/lobbying practice exposed her to day-to-day legislative work. Watching a parental notification vote from the gallery one day when the Democrats were in control, she was livid to see so many seats empty on the House floor. "I wanted to be part of the solution... I had no idea how hard this (campaigning) would be." She gets applause when she says how parental notification was eventually passed. She recommends the Vesta Roy program for GOP NH women, which she thinks would have helped her as a candidate. Won her House seat in a special election by 17 votes, and then won a regular election by 40 votes - no mean feat in Concord! Does not plan to seek re-election; she has been recalled to Afghanistan. "Step up," she concludes. She also gives a shout-out to homeschoolers for the effective way they tend to communicate with legislators - no canned emails.

In the Q&A, Rep. Laurie Pettengill asks "do you think about the GOP platform when you vote?" Stiles: yes, "but I also think about the people I represent. " Sanborn: "absolutely, and I also look at my palm card" to be reminded of her promises. Blankenbeker: "The first thing I look at is constitutionality ... [then] does this align with our party values ... [then] liberty ... and constituency."

2012 Republican Women's Summit #2

Rep. Pam Tucker, Deputy Speaker of the NH House, on women in the legislature: interesting that until 1998, GOP women outnumbered Democratic women in the NH House. Thanks to the 2010 GOP landslide, there are now 58 GOP women in the House and three in the Senate. "Can you imagine if we had a Republican majority of women in the House?" Says "there is a massive support system in the House & Senate" for women.

As for "women's issues", "we are making a difference to the future of the state." She goes on to list those issues: education; strong economy; strong families; public safety; environment; embracing new technology; health care.

(My comment: I give Rep. Tucker full marks for staying on message. Abortion and the life issues are being supported but not stressed by House leadership. Of course, we all know that Republican does not necessarily mean pro-life or conservative. One must vet one's candidates. I could add this to every post today, but I won't.)

"You will be a role model, whether you like it or not" if you're elected. True enough. In my opinion, that's why it's so heartbreaking when an elected Republican woman votes against things like parental notification and informed consent. On the other hand, it's good to see so many pro-life GOP reps here today. May their tribe increase.

Next speaker: Susie Hudson, Vermont's GOP National Committeewoman, on the Republican National Committee: she rightly starts with thanks & recognition to Phyllis Woods, who has just stepped down as NH's committeewoman. She notes that RNC has a rule that chair and co-chair must be of opposite genders. (Affirmative action? You decide.)  She gets applause when she says she'd like to get rid of that gender rule completely (Good!), but an attempt to change that rule has thus far not gained sufficient support. Hudson goes on to encourage involvement in party leadership on the state level, and RNC is developing training programs to make that easier.

2012 Republican Women's Summit Live Blog #1

A break in form today for this blog: I am a guest at "This One's For the Girls", the 2012 Women's Summit organized by Phyllis Woods, being held at the NH Institute of Politics at St. Anselm's. I will post periodically throughout the day, reporting on the various speakers. I am in debt to Phyllis for welcoming me as representative of Cornerstone Action, even though I'm not a Republican. Call me a lapsed Republican.

About forty women are here, either officeholders or those who are giving thought to a run.  Filing period is  in June, which is coming right up.

After prayer and pledge, program begins with greeting from NHGOP chairman Wayne MacDonald followed by an RNC video on the history of American women's suffrage. Let it not be forgotten that women's history is not the exclusive province of the Democratic party.

I can't thank Phyllis enough. Her service to NH through the years has been remarkable, and her friendship and mentoring to me means a great deal. This event is happening thanks to her.

What's With the Senate re HB 217?

The NH Senate just put off the fetal homicide bill for the second time, delaying it another week. There was no public debate or discussion. I am left to speculate on reasons. Our senators need to hear from us.

Pregnancy Care Resolution HCR31 Gets Senate OK

Midday report from the NH Senate: HCR 31, the resolution commending pregnancy care centers, passed on a voice vote. I heard Sen. Larsen say "no" quietly; other opponents were either quieter or silent. It will go back to the House for concurrence on a Senate amendment, which should NOT be complicated, but then again nothing going on between the chambers is uncomplicated nowadays.

HCR 41, the resolution calling on Congress to declare the end-run grant to PPNNE "unconstitutional and void", went down to defeat on a 20-4 inexpedient-to-legislate vote. My thanks to Sens. Forrester, Forsythe, Barnes, & DeBlois for resisting the ITL.

Next up: HB 217, fetal homicide. Tune in again after 1:30 this afternoon.

On WH Tours, Preborn Children Count

Do not adjust your sets, as the saying goes. This is a truth-stranger-than-fiction item. I have not seen the original document on which the story is based, and if it turns out to be bogus, I'll be right back to offer my profound apologies.

LifeNews.com reports here that pregnant visitors to the White House are supposed to register their preborn children as visitors in their own right when booking a White House tour. This is mind-boggling, coming from a consistently pro-abortion Administration. Anyone care to ask Jay Carney about this at the next press briefing?

O'Keefe: "I'm here to tell you how to do it"

James O'Keefe is a muckraker, prankster, or crusading journalist, depending on  your point of view.  He and his Project Veritas (theprojectveritas.com) came to New Hampshire & found that getting a presidential primary ballot was so easy in some towns that even a deceased voter could do it. Governor Lynch and Attorney General Delaney are not fans of O'Keefe & his work. O'Keefe posted on Facebook yesterday that Delaney has "attempted to serve a criminal subpoena" on him.  

Lynch & Delaney ought to be thanking O'Keefe. Even if New Hampshire's election laws are sound, O'Keefe has at the very least shown that the implementation of those laws can be careless. I'd hate to see the state go after O'Keefe without going after the irregularities he highlighted.

I heard O'Keefe speak at SNHU a few months ago. He looked tired. He must have been on a lecture circuit that had kept him on the road for awhile. The hall was full of Tea Partiers who were enthusiastic fans of what O'Keefe had accomplished with his ACORN videos. He took questions after his speech, and someone called out, "What's your next project?" O'Keefe, the tired kid, replied a bit impatiently, "I'm not here to tell you what I'm doing next. I'm here to tell you how to do it." He went on to say that he borrowed $2000 on his credit card to get the equipment to make his first video. He didn't need anyone's permission. He just acquired the equipment and went to work.

I was impressed. The last thing he wanted was for all of us to tell him how great he was. He wanted us to get busy.

Week In Review: bills in Senate; odds 'n' ends

The fetal homicide bill about which I wrote last week, HB 217, is on Wednesday's NH Senate calendar after being put off a week. Last-minute objections regarding the bill's potential unintended effect on the practice of in vitro fertilization have apparently been addressed to the GOP leadership's satisfaction. I'll be in the gallery to watch this vote. If the bill passes, and it should, it will be the culmination of twenty years of work stretching from the late Rep. Carolyn Brady (R-Manchester) to current Rep. Kathy Souza (R-Manchester). If the bill for some reason does not pass or is shelved, it will be the second time since 2009 that legislators have refused to act on the state Supreme Court's request in the Lamy case to "re-visit" homicide laws as they pertain to a fetus.

The Senate will also take up the resolution commending pregnancy care centers, HCR 31 (subject of another blog post last week). I expect this to pass on party lines, although I wouldn't be shocked if Sens. Odell & Stiles voted no. Why on earth should anyone vote no? But some legislators see threats to Roe the way three-year-olds see monsters in the closet: the monsters aren't there, but there's no reasoning with the three-year-old's imagination.

I don't see HCR 41 passing. That's the resolution calling the federal grant to PPNNE "unconstitutional and void." At the committee hearing last week, the resolution got a 4-1 "inexpedient to legislate" vote, and Sen. Molly Kelly (D-Keene) will present the report to the full Senate. The Senate does not seem to share the outrage in the House about the federal side-step of a NH decision.

A couple of items not NH-based, but of interest:

• Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law late last week a bill to de-fund abortion providers in her state. The legislation she signed is similar to New Hampshire's HB 228, which the Senate recently tabled over concerns that the bill might lead to litigation and loss of federal funds. Thank God there are legislators and governors willing to take on these threats. We should be standing with them. In Texas, a de-funding law was taken to court by Planned Parenthood affiliates, and a lower court granted PP an injunction in April which was promptly overturned by a higher court. That litigation will continue.
• The Family Research Council, based in Washington, DC, will have a webcast on Wednesday called "Pregnancy Resource Centers: Celebrating Mother's Day Every Day." Details here.