Summer meals for low-income youths clears House
May 23—CONCORD — A proposed summer meals program for low-income youth cleared the House of Representatives over the objection of Republican budget writers who charged it was too expensive and relied upon uncertain federal support.
The 192-178 vote marked a major victory for the N.H. Hunger Solutions campaign. The bill would make all families that receive federal welfare benefits eligible to get an additional $40 a month during the summer months to be spent on food.
Rep. Laura Talerski, D-Nashua, said it will help families get $4.5 million in fully-financed federal grants.
The state would pay 50% of administrative costs, which in the amended bill would consist of $1.1 million of state dollars over the next two years to set the program up.
"We know that food insecurity has a negative effect on children's development," Talerski said.
The House Finance Committee had recommended instead that $50,000 be spent to seek proposals for how to run such a program.
"This is too much right now for a new program and the federal funding is too uncertain to rely upon," said Rep. Maureen Mooney, R-Merrimack.
A move to pass the smaller amount failed on an unrecorded vote of 185-182.
The House spent much of Thursday trying to revive its own bills that the state Senate had rejected in recent weeks.
The Senate spent a good part of its session Thursday doing the same thing, resurrecting measures the House had set aside or significantly changed.
On the hunger bill, Rep. Judy Aron, R-Acworth, convinced the House to add language identical to her failed bill (HB 1466) to permit the state to assist cities and towns with disaster relief while communities are awaiting help from the federal government.
"I don't appreciate this important bill being dismissed by the other body," Aron said.
Background check loophole bill revived
Likewise, Rep. Terry Roy, R-Deerfield, asked for and the House voted, 202-165, to revive his bipartisan bill (HB 1711) to close a loophole so those who are deemed by a judge to be criminally dangerous are reported to the federal firearms criminal background check system.
The House tacked it onto an unrelated bill (SB 476) earmarking $10 million to design a new state prison for men to replace the aging facility in Concord.
The shooting death of New Hampshire Hospital security officer Bradley Haas highlighted the loophole. The man who shot him was able to obtain high-powered guns even after a judge had ordered all weapons be taken away from him.
Last week, the Republican-led Senate voted along partisan lines to reject the bill by tabling it.
"What good is it that 99 percent of the states put their information in there and we don't," Roy said.
Rep. J.R. Hoell, R-Dunbarton said "every gun group" in the state opposed the bill and it could put the mentally ill at risk.
"These people potentially might be in danger of suicide, but this will cause them to not seek the mental health that they need," Hoell said.
While Roy's bid passed, House Republicans opposed it by a 163-27 margin and tempers flared after the vote.
Speaker Sherman Packard, R-Londonderry, called a recess after Roy and Rep. Cyril Aures, R-Chichester, got into a heated argument and were separated by House Sgt. At Arms J.B. Cullen.
Rep. Josh Yokela, R-Fremont, asked the House to reprimand both members for "conduct unbecoming," but the House tabled both requests.
"Can we stop the nonsense? Vote this down, move along and let's get back to our business," said Rep. Kevin Verville, R-Deerfield.
Hampstead pilot payment
The House approved giving the town of Hampstead about $190,000 to cover lost property taxes since the state bought Hampstead Hospital with plans to put a replacement Youth Development Center on the property (SB 311).
The only change the House made was to use federal American Rescue Plan Act grant money to make this payment if it's available.
Firefighter cancer screening nears final approval
On voice vote, the House approved a pilot program for cancer screening for all current and retired firefighters (SB 352).
The legislation now heads back to the Senate after the House removed from the bill a screening for skin cancer and requires a report on how much first responders have to pay out of pocket for follow-up tests after they are screened.
Out-of-state placements of troubled kids approved
The House approved changes aimed at limiting children being placed for treatment outside New Hampshire after the child advocate learned last year that two boys had been severely abused at Bledsoe Academy in Gallatin, Tennessee.
By a 186-178 vote, the House altered a Senate-passed bill (SB 417) and raised the legal standard the Division of Children, Youth and Families must demonstrate to remove a child from a home and makes it easier for a parent not charged with abuse or neglect to receive custody of that child.
"This is about a parent not charged with abuse. We might have a divorced couple where mom may be charged with abuse," Hoell began.
"Today's law requires that the other spouse has to go to the court and demand that they be seen as innocent. This changes that."
Critics charged Hoell's changes could put children at greater risk of harm. Hours later, the Senate voted to place its own proposal onto a second bill and sent that back to the House.
DWI enhanced penalties shot down
By an overwhelming 251-103 margin, the House rejected doubling from six months to a year the time someone could lose their driver's license for refusal to submit to a blood alcohol test (SB 418).
Roy said 70% of motorists charged with driving under the influence refuse to take the test, the second highest refusal rate in the nation.
But Rep. Loren Selig, D-Durham, said the enhanced penalty would adversely affect low-income residents or people living in rural areas without access to alternative transportation.
Abortion reporting bill voted down
The House voted 201-164 to kill a Senate-passed bill (SB 461) that would have New Hampshire join 46 other states that require health care providers report on abortions performed here.
Rep. Lucy Weber, D-Walpole, said as written the bill would have allowed providers to give the state personally identifiable information about pregnant women.
"The violation of privacy are numerous in this bill," Weber said.
