Hemp. Because CONTROL ALL THE THINGS...!

Having cleared the NH House handily in mid-March again (and again), the Senate Judiciary Committee now takes up HB494, "relative to industrial hemp as a controlled substance," 4/7/2015.

Words -- And Punctuation -- Mean Things

SB116, "repealing the license requirement for carrying a concealed pistol or revolver," having cleared the NH Senate, is now before the House Criminal Justice Committee, 3/24/2015. The House's own version, HB582, has been retained by the same House committee.

Oh, and do yourself a joyous favor, and catch Ian Underwood's testimony at about the 49:00 minute mark. He renders an argument I make constantly, myself, generally in the broader context -- although never so eloquently. And not like he hasn't done it before...

No Means No, DHS. Piss Off, Already.

The NH Senate Transportation Committee hears public testimony on SB262, "relative to the form of drivers' licenses and identification cards," 3/3/2015. The third NH coming of the seemingly-impossible-to-kill-actually-dead REAL ID Act.

Word is that they "Exec'd" the bill (voted on the committee's recommendation to the full Senate) before I'd even gotten home: "Inexpedient to Legislate." Evidently, at least some of the committee must remember the very public opposition to REAL ID back when we got the ban passed that this bill is trying to repeal -- for your convenience, citizen. Yeah, I wouldn't want to be on the pointy end of that, either...

Press

• NH Senate committee votes against REAL ID bill | Politics - WMUR Home
• New Hampshire Ends Brief Flirtation with National ID Compliance | Cato @ Liberty
• New Hampshire Rejects REAL ID Compliance. Again. | Tenth Amendment Center Blog
• NH Senate Committee Rejects REAL ID Adoption - myChamplainValley.com
• REAL ID Puts Personal and National Security At Risk - Reason.com
• Ready or not, REAL ID is coming | Public Safety | unionleader.com - (10/19/2019)

Stealing Is A Crime, Isn't It?

Taking property from those whom you have not convicted of any crime -- and as I understand it, are, in fact, therefore innocent until proven guilty -- is stealing. Even -- perhaps especially -- when government does it. "Equitable sharing" is equitable only among the thieves.

Last year's bill to restrict such actions (just a little, since it has no effect on the feds) has been retooled, and today, 2/19/2015, the NH House Judiciary Committee hears testimony on HB636, "relative to forfeiture of property" -- civil asset forfeiture.

This Just In: Criminals Don't Care About 'Constitutional Carry'

The NH Senate version, SB116, 'Constitutional carry,' had its hearing on 1/29/2015. Now the House takes a look at its own. HB582, "repealing the license requirement for carrying a concealed pistol or revolver," before the Criminal Justice Committee, 2/19/2015. Only about an hour and a half of it, though, since, having started about an hour and a half late, your humble chronicler had to depart early to catch HB636, "relative to forfeiture of property" -- civil asset forfeiture -- which shall follow anon.

NH Decrim. Again.

NH. The lone recalcitrant New England authoritarian holdout. HB618, "relative to penalties for the possession of marijuana and relative to the cultivation of marijuana plants," before the NH House Criminal Justice Committee, 2/17/2015. Again.

And the stumbling block - - again -- is most likely to be our "liberal" governor  (second such in a row). And this is just for 'decrim', not 'legalization' -- which is what a free society would do (since, y'know, the only lawfully delegated 'prohibition' authority was repealed quite some time ago, as acknowledgement of the profoundly expensive mistake that it was). Might wanna just start getting on her now about it...

But first, the preceding press conference.

Press

• Legislation to decriminalize 1 ounce of marijuana in N.H. returns | Concord Monitor
• State's marijuana laws debated | New Hampshire

Getting A Handle On Police Militarization

So far, NH local governments have consistently demonstrated arrogant disinterest in what the NH citizenry thinks of their acquisition of surplus military equipment (such as Bearcat vehicles) supplied to police departments by, well, by the military. Time to take it up the chain.

HB407, "prohibiting the state and political subdivisions from acquiring military-equipped vehicles or equipment which are not readily available in an open national commercial market," before the NH House Municipal and County Government Committee, 2/5 and 2/10/2015.

What If The Second Amendment Meant What It Said?

What if government weren't ever actually intended to be its (2A's) interpreter, its (government's) own arbiter, to decide the limits of its own authority, let alone with regard to an expressly acknowledged uninfringeable natural right?

Public hearing on SB116, "repealing the license requirement for carrying a concealed pistol or revolver." before the NH Senate Judiciary Committee, 1/29/2015. Some mighty fine testifyin'...

Pay No Attention To Those Facts Behind The Curtain...!

Yes, that's the position taken by your servants in the NH Dept of Safety. And that defiantly head-in-the-sand attitude was really the only articulable objection to the subject of HB150, "establishing a study committee on the legalization of marijuana," when it was heard by the NH House Criminal Justice Committee, 1/20/2015. Should we study it? No, gathering more information is just too dangerous to risk. Seriously: 'we don't want to know, and you shouldn't know either, employer,' is the argument to which they're reduced. "LA-LA-LA! I CAN'T HEAR YOU...!!!"

Fine. You're fired...

Weare PD Turmoil Continues - Voters Forgiving

Again.

Open Forum Meeting with [Weare, NH] Board of Selectmen - Public Welcome
On Wednesday, November 19th at 7 PM at the Weare Town Hall, the Board of Selectmen will be holding an open forum meeting. It will be an informational Q & A to discuss police matters and any other matters you may have regarding the Town. There has been a lot of news about our Town, let's get together and talk about it. Come share your concerns. Question your elected officials. Hope to see you there. Thank you.

Rah. Rah. Rah...

What's all this about? Ohhh, you've got some catching up to do...

Press

• Editorial: This time, Weare has to get it right | Concord Monitor (10/24/2014)
• Weare to hold public forum on embattled police department | Concord Monitor (11/8/2014)
• Weare selectmen seek public input on police department | New Hampshire Public Safety (11/12/2014)
• Public to air grievances at forum on Weare Police Department | Local News - WMUR Home (11/19/2014)
• Weare residents air grievances about police department | Local News - WMUR Home (11/20/2014)
• Weare crafting new hiring process for police chief | Concord Monitor (11/20/2014)
• Weare residents turn out to discuss police department concerns | New Hampshire Local & County Government (11/20/2014)
• Weare residents turn out to express police department concerns | New Hampshire Public Safety (updated) (11/20/2014)