A PRESENTATION OF IDEAS CONCERNING NEW REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP IN THE NEW HAMPSHIRE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 8, 2010
The 2010 elections have given New Hampshire Republicans a great gift. That gift is the chance to start over. New Republicans must lead. We’ve not been elected to fine tune state government. We’ve been elected to reform it. New Republican leadership must compel the legislature to rise and fulfill the obligations and responsibilities given it by our State Constitution. We now have strength of numbers. We have the passion - and we now have a mandate to accomplish great things.
PART 1
OUR MISSION
Voters have given Republicans one last chance to end expanding government, runaway spending and ever higher taxes. Republicans been charged with responsibility for repairing the harm inflicted by recent Democrat rule. We’d better perform. Activists who worked on our campaigns have told us that if we do not reform government this coming session that they’ll never vote for a Republican again. They mean it. If we fail, we’re done.
We know intuitively that rules, laws, taxes and penalties that inhibit competition and individual expression are wrong. We know that the enactment of laws, rules and taxes that suffocate freedom of expression wastes lives and destroys cultural and economic growth and opportunity. Four years of wild and irresponsible promotion of big government and high taxes sent our state economy spiraling into the cellar. Democrats ended economic expansion. Entrepreneurs no longer see a future in moving to New Hampshire. Businesses and wealth have been leaving. We’re losing population for the first time in decades.
The over development and growth of state agencies, the over regulation of business [we’re now the second or third most regulated state in the country], the limitations on commerce and enterprise [we have 197 licensed professions and trades where California has only 35], and high business taxes [we’re one of the worst states], etc. are largely the result of legislation passed by previous Republican regimes. Prior to 2006, Republicans had controlled New Hampshire for 82 years. When Dan Eaton rose before the House last session to point out that all the taxes and fees that were being raised were all instituted by Republicans, he only stated the obvious. Our pension crisis and the bulk of regulation that currently plagues business and property owners can be traced to decisions made under Republican controlled legislatures. Decades of ‘entitled’ Republican rule failed to keep faith with Republican principles and values. That failure set the stage for the downfall of our Party in in New Hampshire in 2006. The federal Republican agenda just accelerated the inevitable.
PART 2
REFORMING THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS IN THE N.H. HOUSE
To succeed in passing and implementing an agenda the 2011-2012 Republican Leadership must become focused. If we want to restore New Hampshire as the preeminent state for economic growth, personal freedom, development of personal wealth and individual opportunity then our guide ought to be our Republican Party Platform.
Republican Caucus unity. We’re rich in bright, intuitive, imaginative, and dedicated members. Each member’s skills and abilities must be enlisted and applied to accomplish specific objectives if we’re to achieve our common goals. Unified, we can restore a vibrant entrepreneurial environment, preserve our treasured natural environment, create the best schools, produce the most able and well prepared graduates as well as encourage the growth of the most motivated and well rewarded workforce of all the states.
The Republican caucus must be made relevant.Where, in the past, the “Republican Caucus” simply referred to the aggregate of elected Republicans in the House and where, in the past, Republicans were for the most part, only called together on infrequent days during session so that leadership could inform its members of the House on how to vote on session day, our new caucus must meet regularly and frequently so all members can help organize, develop and flesh out leadership goals and then help coordinate and achieve our unified, legislative objectives.
GOALS
Our Republican Leadership Team must immediately organize a set of what it feels are generally achievable Goals and Objectives for Year One and Year Two of the forthcoming session that will in turn, generate legislation reflecting the ideas, goals and objectives articulated in the Republican Party Platform.
Republican Leadership must then organize a set of long and short term initiatives on the following suggested format.
FIRST YEAR - FIRST TIER BILLS:
Legislation having to do with the looming state budget deficit must take precedence over all other considerations, and would comprise the core of the first year – first tier legislative effort.
Legislation having to do with reorganizing government, promoting efficiency, and reducing waste that would help reduce the cost of government must be promoted within that first year – first tier initiative as well.
FIRST YEAR - SECOND TIER BILLS:
Legislation related to improving the state’s general economy and that primarily has to do with incentivizing business and job growth, making New Hampshire more competitive among the states, and removing or modifying regulation that pointlessly inhibits entrepreneurial activity, general economic growth and the ability of individuals to freely act in their own economic interests should form the core of the Republican first year - second tier legislative effort.
SECOND YEAR – FIRST TIER BILLS:
Legislation following from government reorganization and budgeting initiatives and legislation related to economic growth and jobs creation.
SECOND YEAR - SECOND TIER BILLS:
Legislation with a social or cultural component.
EXCEPTIONS:
Constituent generated requests and especially those from political subdivisions of the state. These should be considered as first year – first tier bills.
REPUBLICAN CAUCUS ORGANIZATION
The Republican Caucus must convene as soon as possible following the creation of a proposed Year One and Year Two agenda by those it has chosen to lead it. The caucus must remain engaged throughout the entire two year session in the molding and fine tuning of the Republican agenda. While we accept that the nature of political decision making requires fluidity and the ability of leadership to act instantly with respect to issues in play, leadership nevertheless, must meet weekly with the caucus in order to apprise of progress and status and to seek input from all members on improving performance. These meetings would focus solely on caucus business and be separate from informational meetings held to coordinate caucus floor activity on session days.
The Republican Whip and Committee Whips should be wholly responsible for organizing, counting and delivering votesat committee executive sessions and on session days. The Republican Whip therefore should also be responsible for all communication with members having to do with coordinating all House Republican initiatives. Committee whips should be responsible for coordinating respective committee activity, holding committee caucuses, organizing support for Republican initiatives and counting votes to make sure that caucus expectations will be met. Following the publication of each House Calendar, Committee whips should schedule committee caucuses in order to organize the Republican position for scheduled hearings and in order to garner the required votes. Committee Whips should always provide the first line of communication between Republican leaders and members of the caucus.
The 2012 Republican re-election campaign began November 3, 2010. Every leadership act from November 3 forward ought to promote a positive view of the Republican agenda. Republicans have two years to convince voters that there is no substitute for Republican leadership. One way to keep Republican initiatives in the news will be to reinstate the practice of making sure that press releases that highlight constructive work on the part of individual Republican members are sent regularly to local media by the House Republican Office. A Republican press office dedicated solely for the promotion of individualmembers and our Republican agenda must be established immediately and put to work.
IMMEDIATE LEADERSHIP TASKS
PART 3
PROPOSED REPUBLICAN INITIATIVES FOR THE 2011 – 2012 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
The idea that all individuals ought to be able to seek and achieve their unique destinies is our core belief. The Republican Party was founded by abolitionists to end slavery. We should be proud of our Party’s freedom legacy. We must re-dedicate ourselves to our Party’s originating ideas and ideals if we’re to grow and thrive once again as a political force.
In conformance with the broad range of ideals, goals, and objectives outlined within our Republican Party Platform, here’s a presentation of numerous legislative initiatives that have been suggested by legislators, candidates and activists that could form the nucleus of a 2011-2012 Republican legislative agenda. The first six address money issues and were drawn from the expanded list below their listing. The first year of the coming session should focus primarily on spending and taxation.
SIX INITIATIVES TO GET CONTROL OF STATE SPENDING
Prioritize ALL functions of government and analyze costs accordingly.
Repeal all unwarranted increases in size and cost of government enacted during the 2007–2008 and 2009-2010 sessions.
Repeal all related tax and fee increases enacted during the 2007–2008 and 2009 2010 sessions.
Initiate Sunset Review for all state agencies.
Reform New Hampshire’s State Employees’ Pension System
Return oversight and control over curriculum, administration, and funding of education to the smallest forms of political subdivision capable of educating New Hampshire’s children.
EDUCATION REFORM
Despite New Hampshire’s high standing relative to other states, too many children graduating from High School in New Hampshire are unprepared for life. Decline in performance in schools across the state has been in proportion to the growth of staff and programs promoted by state and federal education departments. State building standards and state funding formulas precipitate ever more expensive and extravagant school building projects at the expense of the delivering and funding of basic education. Seventy to eighty percent of all property taxes are spent on schools. Here are four suggested objectives for improving education outcomes in New Hampshire:
Return to local control of education.Return control of education and control of all spending, taxing and decision making to the smallest political subdivisions capable of delivering a curriculum specifically tailored to serve the educational needs of the children served by that political subdivision.
Returning to local control of education will require the nullification of the NH Supreme court’s Claremont Decisions.
Establish tax abatements or tuition tax credits to assist in school choice.
Opt out of No Child Left Behind and remove NH schools from all other federal influence.
Indemnify teachers from frivolous lawsuits .
Institute merit pay for teachers.
Recodify education rules and statutes.
JUDICIAL REFORM
Establish an independent Administrative Office of the Courts on the federal model.
The suspension of jury trials by the justices for budgetary reasons revealed the need to improve the method of administrating NH’s court system so that the justices as well as judges throughout NH’s judicial system are better able to focus on the caseload before the courts.
Extend right-to-know to the non-adjudicatory functions of the judicial branch.
Establish a standing House Committee to hear citizen petitions for redress of grievances.
Adopt a constitutional amendment to Part II, Section 73-a of the New Hampshire Constitution to restore the traditional role of our General Court as New Hampshire's supreme legislative authority.
ENTERPRISE, JOBS AND COMPETITION
Establish a standing House Committee on Enterprise Jobs and the Economy.
Analyze the tax systems of all fifty states as well as high performing foreign city states and other relevant political subdivisions to determine the degree to which New Hampshire might adopt fiscal, tax, and regulatory policies that would make it a more competitive place for entrepreneurship and the creation of new business and jobs.
Repeal all regulations and increased taxes imposed upon New Hampshire businesses between 2004 and 2010 that have served to suppress business growth and the creation of New Hampshire jobs.
Determine the degree to which tobacco taxes and other taxes could be reduced to stimulate cross border retail sales and improve overall state tax revenues and then restructure said taxes accordingly.
Reduce electric rates on businesses and residential customers by extracting NH from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Reform statewide land use regulations to ensure a competitive housing market for all family income levels.
GOVERNMENT AGENCY REFORM
Prioritize ALL government services according to constitutional criteria and need.
Establish zero based budgeting for all agencies and departments.
Establish incentives and rewards for state employees who provide implementable and effective ways to more efficiently and cost effectively serve public needs.
Establish a method of Sunset Review for all state agencies.
Reform New Hampshire’s State Employees’ Pension System.
Establish a defined contribution plan for state workers [A 401(k) is a “defined contribution plan].
Establish the line item veto.
Provide for the Peoples Veto
Require legislative approval of all proposed agency rules prior to implementation.
Require a legislatively approved cost/benefit analysis of any and all proposed federal grants and aid prior to acceptance federal funding by any agency of the state.
TAXES AND SPENDING
Repeal evergreen clauses in government employee contracts.
Authorize municipal spending caps.
Repeal state codes and regulations that prevent the economical rehabilitation of public buildings for municipal and school use.
Recodify laws, rules and regulations that are presently exempt from falling under the provisions of Part I, Article 28-a.
Amend the NH Constitution to prohibit any new tax on income.
Repeal the view tax.
Review the efficacy and impact of all taxes that inhibit enterprise, investment, and saving such as the Interest and Dividends Tax and Business Enterprise and Business Profits Tax.
HEALTH CARE
Increase providers of NH health insurance.
Allow for purchase of health insurance across state lines.
Repeal health insurance mandates.
Opt out of national health care.
ELECTION LAW
Require a photo ID to vote.
Establish a proper definition of domicile for the purpose of voting.
ENVIRONMENT
Promote land use reform that will encourage more sensible subdivision of land and innovative creation of open space that will also improve a towns property tax base.
Promote land use reform that will increase the value of every community’s tax base.
Reform highway policies to permanently ensure efficient and timely transport of goods and services using EXISTING state highways.
New Hampshire’s topography works against cost effective creation of new highway rights of way and the laying out of new roads is further hampered by environmental regulations. New Hampshire needs to address highway development and maintenance requirements for the future, focusing on preserving and enhancing use of existing rights of way that will preserve speed and ease of use. Added curb cuts diminish speed and efficiency. NH can’t afford to promote highway inefficiencies that diminish trade and commerce.
PERSONAL FREEDOM
Enhance the Right of Self Defense.
Enact the Castle Doctrine in NH permitting the right of self-defense wherever a person has the legal right to be.
Revise existing statutes to ease or eliminate concealed carry laws.
Reform privacy laws:
Prohibit unauthorized surveillance of individual acts wherever a person would normally have the expectation of privacy.
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY
Advocate a presumption in favor of joint custody and favor equitable treatment of both parents in child custody and child support determinations.
Guarantee due process in the Family Courts and especially with respect to the rights of those accused of child abuse or neglect.
Require parental consent for minors seeking abortion.
The 2010 elections have given New Hampshire Republicans a great gift. That gift is the chance to start over. New Republicans must lead. We’ve not been elected to fine tune state government. We’ve been elected to reform it. New Republican leadership must compel the legislature to rise and fulfill the obligations and responsibilities given it by our State Constitution. We now have strength of numbers. We have the passion - and we now have a mandate to accomplish great things.
PART 1
OUR MISSION
Voters have given Republicans one last chance to end expanding government, runaway spending and ever higher taxes. Republicans been charged with responsibility for repairing the harm inflicted by recent Democrat rule. We’d better perform. Activists who worked on our campaigns have told us that if we do not reform government this coming session that they’ll never vote for a Republican again. They mean it. If we fail, we’re done.
We know intuitively that rules, laws, taxes and penalties that inhibit competition and individual expression are wrong. We know that the enactment of laws, rules and taxes that suffocate freedom of expression wastes lives and destroys cultural and economic growth and opportunity. Four years of wild and irresponsible promotion of big government and high taxes sent our state economy spiraling into the cellar. Democrats ended economic expansion. Entrepreneurs no longer see a future in moving to New Hampshire. Businesses and wealth have been leaving. We’re losing population for the first time in decades.
The over development and growth of state agencies, the over regulation of business [we’re now the second or third most regulated state in the country], the limitations on commerce and enterprise [we have 197 licensed professions and trades where California has only 35], and high business taxes [we’re one of the worst states], etc. are largely the result of legislation passed by previous Republican regimes. Prior to 2006, Republicans had controlled New Hampshire for 82 years. When Dan Eaton rose before the House last session to point out that all the taxes and fees that were being raised were all instituted by Republicans, he only stated the obvious. Our pension crisis and the bulk of regulation that currently plagues business and property owners can be traced to decisions made under Republican controlled legislatures. Decades of ‘entitled’ Republican rule failed to keep faith with Republican principles and values. That failure set the stage for the downfall of our Party in in New Hampshire in 2006. The federal Republican agenda just accelerated the inevitable.
PART 2
REFORMING THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS IN THE N.H. HOUSE
To succeed in passing and implementing an agenda the 2011-2012 Republican Leadership must become focused. If we want to restore New Hampshire as the preeminent state for economic growth, personal freedom, development of personal wealth and individual opportunity then our guide ought to be our Republican Party Platform.
Republican Caucus unity. We’re rich in bright, intuitive, imaginative, and dedicated members. Each member’s skills and abilities must be enlisted and applied to accomplish specific objectives if we’re to achieve our common goals. Unified, we can restore a vibrant entrepreneurial environment, preserve our treasured natural environment, create the best schools, produce the most able and well prepared graduates as well as encourage the growth of the most motivated and well rewarded workforce of all the states.
The Republican caucus must be made relevant.Where, in the past, the “Republican Caucus” simply referred to the aggregate of elected Republicans in the House and where, in the past, Republicans were for the most part, only called together on infrequent days during session so that leadership could inform its members of the House on how to vote on session day, our new caucus must meet regularly and frequently so all members can help organize, develop and flesh out leadership goals and then help coordinate and achieve our unified, legislative objectives.
GOALS
Our Republican Leadership Team must immediately organize a set of what it feels are generally achievable Goals and Objectives for Year One and Year Two of the forthcoming session that will in turn, generate legislation reflecting the ideas, goals and objectives articulated in the Republican Party Platform.
Republican Leadership must then organize a set of long and short term initiatives on the following suggested format.
FIRST YEAR - FIRST TIER BILLS:
Legislation having to do with the looming state budget deficit must take precedence over all other considerations, and would comprise the core of the first year – first tier legislative effort.
Legislation having to do with reorganizing government, promoting efficiency, and reducing waste that would help reduce the cost of government must be promoted within that first year – first tier initiative as well.
FIRST YEAR - SECOND TIER BILLS:
Legislation related to improving the state’s general economy and that primarily has to do with incentivizing business and job growth, making New Hampshire more competitive among the states, and removing or modifying regulation that pointlessly inhibits entrepreneurial activity, general economic growth and the ability of individuals to freely act in their own economic interests should form the core of the Republican first year - second tier legislative effort.
SECOND YEAR – FIRST TIER BILLS:
Legislation following from government reorganization and budgeting initiatives and legislation related to economic growth and jobs creation.
SECOND YEAR - SECOND TIER BILLS:
Legislation with a social or cultural component.
EXCEPTIONS:
Constituent generated requests and especially those from political subdivisions of the state. These should be considered as first year – first tier bills.
REPUBLICAN CAUCUS ORGANIZATION
The Republican Caucus must convene as soon as possible following the creation of a proposed Year One and Year Two agenda by those it has chosen to lead it. The caucus must remain engaged throughout the entire two year session in the molding and fine tuning of the Republican agenda. While we accept that the nature of political decision making requires fluidity and the ability of leadership to act instantly with respect to issues in play, leadership nevertheless, must meet weekly with the caucus in order to apprise of progress and status and to seek input from all members on improving performance. These meetings would focus solely on caucus business and be separate from informational meetings held to coordinate caucus floor activity on session days.
The Republican Whip and Committee Whips should be wholly responsible for organizing, counting and delivering votesat committee executive sessions and on session days. The Republican Whip therefore should also be responsible for all communication with members having to do with coordinating all House Republican initiatives. Committee whips should be responsible for coordinating respective committee activity, holding committee caucuses, organizing support for Republican initiatives and counting votes to make sure that caucus expectations will be met. Following the publication of each House Calendar, Committee whips should schedule committee caucuses in order to organize the Republican position for scheduled hearings and in order to garner the required votes. Committee Whips should always provide the first line of communication between Republican leaders and members of the caucus.
The 2012 Republican re-election campaign began November 3, 2010. Every leadership act from November 3 forward ought to promote a positive view of the Republican agenda. Republicans have two years to convince voters that there is no substitute for Republican leadership. One way to keep Republican initiatives in the news will be to reinstate the practice of making sure that press releases that highlight constructive work on the part of individual Republican members are sent regularly to local media by the House Republican Office. A Republican press office dedicated solely for the promotion of individualmembers and our Republican agenda must be established immediately and put to work.
IMMEDIATE LEADERSHIP TASKS
- Organization of Staff.
- Appointed positions
- Legislative staff, secretaries and other hires.
- Organization of Republican Agenda [see below].
- Establish whip structure and communications network.
- Public network
- Private network
- Establish Press Office.
- For Caucus
- For individual Republican members.
- Analyze and determine range of skills and abilities of each and every elected Republican.
- Review ‘resumes’ of all members and especially consider past legislative experience and skills.
- Seek and determine level of interest and energy level of each member.
- Seek and determine individual work load and time available for legislative activity.
- Seek and determine desire for individual involvement.
- Calling of the Caucus for dissemination of preliminary agenda
- Review and critique of proposed agenda by caucus .
- Organization of legislative initiatives and activities based upon caucus response.
- Establish a Republican agenda for the two year session.
- On the basis of understanding the makeup or the caucus and the individual interests of members, encourage responsibility for sponsoring of specific agenda oriented bills and for initiating, carrying out and completing other legislative tasks to all members of the caucus.
- Assign members to specific committees based upon legislative agenda, skills and interests but most of all –with regard to achieving Republican Party legislative goals.
- Establish a regular and predictable meeting schedule for the Republican caucus in order to coordinate its legislative agenda, member skills and organizational activities.
- Propose rules changes that would improve ability of Republicans to achieve their legislative agenda.
- Develop a critical path analysis/schedule for all legislative initiatives factoring in all relevant dates.
- Develop an activist network.
- Develop an index of lobbyists and determine client interests.
- Establish liaison with lobbyists and lobbyist clientele.
- Develop Republican roundtable to promote agenda – seek input..
- Establish liaison with all activist groups that supported Republicans in last election.
- Establish liaison with all individuals that significantly supported Republicans in last election.
- Establish liaison with all individuals that gave significantly to Republicans in the last election.
- Establish liaison with other Republican office holders.
- Towns and Cities
- State
- Federal
PART 3
PROPOSED REPUBLICAN INITIATIVES FOR THE 2011 – 2012 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
The idea that all individuals ought to be able to seek and achieve their unique destinies is our core belief. The Republican Party was founded by abolitionists to end slavery. We should be proud of our Party’s freedom legacy. We must re-dedicate ourselves to our Party’s originating ideas and ideals if we’re to grow and thrive once again as a political force.
In conformance with the broad range of ideals, goals, and objectives outlined within our Republican Party Platform, here’s a presentation of numerous legislative initiatives that have been suggested by legislators, candidates and activists that could form the nucleus of a 2011-2012 Republican legislative agenda. The first six address money issues and were drawn from the expanded list below their listing. The first year of the coming session should focus primarily on spending and taxation.
SIX INITIATIVES TO GET CONTROL OF STATE SPENDING
Prioritize ALL functions of government and analyze costs accordingly.
Repeal all unwarranted increases in size and cost of government enacted during the 2007–2008 and 2009-2010 sessions.
Repeal all related tax and fee increases enacted during the 2007–2008 and 2009 2010 sessions.
Initiate Sunset Review for all state agencies.
Reform New Hampshire’s State Employees’ Pension System
Return oversight and control over curriculum, administration, and funding of education to the smallest forms of political subdivision capable of educating New Hampshire’s children.
EDUCATION REFORM
Despite New Hampshire’s high standing relative to other states, too many children graduating from High School in New Hampshire are unprepared for life. Decline in performance in schools across the state has been in proportion to the growth of staff and programs promoted by state and federal education departments. State building standards and state funding formulas precipitate ever more expensive and extravagant school building projects at the expense of the delivering and funding of basic education. Seventy to eighty percent of all property taxes are spent on schools. Here are four suggested objectives for improving education outcomes in New Hampshire:
Return to local control of education.Return control of education and control of all spending, taxing and decision making to the smallest political subdivisions capable of delivering a curriculum specifically tailored to serve the educational needs of the children served by that political subdivision.
Returning to local control of education will require the nullification of the NH Supreme court’s Claremont Decisions.
Establish tax abatements or tuition tax credits to assist in school choice.
Opt out of No Child Left Behind and remove NH schools from all other federal influence.
Indemnify teachers from frivolous lawsuits .
Institute merit pay for teachers.
Recodify education rules and statutes.
JUDICIAL REFORM
Establish an independent Administrative Office of the Courts on the federal model.
The suspension of jury trials by the justices for budgetary reasons revealed the need to improve the method of administrating NH’s court system so that the justices as well as judges throughout NH’s judicial system are better able to focus on the caseload before the courts.
Extend right-to-know to the non-adjudicatory functions of the judicial branch.
Establish a standing House Committee to hear citizen petitions for redress of grievances.
Adopt a constitutional amendment to Part II, Section 73-a of the New Hampshire Constitution to restore the traditional role of our General Court as New Hampshire's supreme legislative authority.
ENTERPRISE, JOBS AND COMPETITION
Establish a standing House Committee on Enterprise Jobs and the Economy.
Analyze the tax systems of all fifty states as well as high performing foreign city states and other relevant political subdivisions to determine the degree to which New Hampshire might adopt fiscal, tax, and regulatory policies that would make it a more competitive place for entrepreneurship and the creation of new business and jobs.
Repeal all regulations and increased taxes imposed upon New Hampshire businesses between 2004 and 2010 that have served to suppress business growth and the creation of New Hampshire jobs.
Determine the degree to which tobacco taxes and other taxes could be reduced to stimulate cross border retail sales and improve overall state tax revenues and then restructure said taxes accordingly.
Reduce electric rates on businesses and residential customers by extracting NH from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Reform statewide land use regulations to ensure a competitive housing market for all family income levels.
GOVERNMENT AGENCY REFORM
Prioritize ALL government services according to constitutional criteria and need.
Establish zero based budgeting for all agencies and departments.
Establish incentives and rewards for state employees who provide implementable and effective ways to more efficiently and cost effectively serve public needs.
Establish a method of Sunset Review for all state agencies.
Reform New Hampshire’s State Employees’ Pension System.
Establish a defined contribution plan for state workers [A 401(k) is a “defined contribution plan].
Establish the line item veto.
Provide for the Peoples Veto
Require legislative approval of all proposed agency rules prior to implementation.
Require a legislatively approved cost/benefit analysis of any and all proposed federal grants and aid prior to acceptance federal funding by any agency of the state.
TAXES AND SPENDING
Repeal evergreen clauses in government employee contracts.
Authorize municipal spending caps.
Repeal state codes and regulations that prevent the economical rehabilitation of public buildings for municipal and school use.
Recodify laws, rules and regulations that are presently exempt from falling under the provisions of Part I, Article 28-a.
Amend the NH Constitution to prohibit any new tax on income.
Repeal the view tax.
Review the efficacy and impact of all taxes that inhibit enterprise, investment, and saving such as the Interest and Dividends Tax and Business Enterprise and Business Profits Tax.
HEALTH CARE
Increase providers of NH health insurance.
Allow for purchase of health insurance across state lines.
Repeal health insurance mandates.
Opt out of national health care.
ELECTION LAW
Require a photo ID to vote.
Establish a proper definition of domicile for the purpose of voting.
ENVIRONMENT
Promote land use reform that will encourage more sensible subdivision of land and innovative creation of open space that will also improve a towns property tax base.
Promote land use reform that will increase the value of every community’s tax base.
Reform highway policies to permanently ensure efficient and timely transport of goods and services using EXISTING state highways.
New Hampshire’s topography works against cost effective creation of new highway rights of way and the laying out of new roads is further hampered by environmental regulations. New Hampshire needs to address highway development and maintenance requirements for the future, focusing on preserving and enhancing use of existing rights of way that will preserve speed and ease of use. Added curb cuts diminish speed and efficiency. NH can’t afford to promote highway inefficiencies that diminish trade and commerce.
PERSONAL FREEDOM
Enhance the Right of Self Defense.
Enact the Castle Doctrine in NH permitting the right of self-defense wherever a person has the legal right to be.
Revise existing statutes to ease or eliminate concealed carry laws.
Reform privacy laws:
Prohibit unauthorized surveillance of individual acts wherever a person would normally have the expectation of privacy.
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY
Advocate a presumption in favor of joint custody and favor equitable treatment of both parents in child custody and child support determinations.
Guarantee due process in the Family Courts and especially with respect to the rights of those accused of child abuse or neglect.
Require parental consent for minors seeking abortion.
