Bradford E. Cook, Sheehan, Phinney Bass + Green

Welcome to another year of Capitol Insight, the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce service designed to keep members updated on developments of interest to the business community and in general during a session of the New Hampshire legislature.

This year's legislative session, the second session of the biennium, commenced with a session day on Wednesday, January 4, as required by the state constitution. It is scheduled to go through the beginning of June, but legislative leadership undoubtedly would like to wrap up business earlier, both in order to save money and energy, but also because 2012 is an election year. Also, the second year of the biennium is not a budget year since the state operates on a two-year budget, so all of the activity surrounding the formation of a budget is absent from deliberations.

Many major controversial issues were postponed from 2011 to 2012 so the budget could be handled last year, so there will be no shortage of news coming from the State House this year.  The proposed repeal of same-sex marriage, several bills concerning firearms, and hundreds of other proposals will come before the legislature and be voted "ought to pass," or "inexpedient to legislate." Those viewing the bills filed and printed are struck by the range of bills and subjects legislators include, as well as the range of philosophical or ideological views represented. 

On Wednesday, the state House of Representatives took action on a number of bills and gubernatorial vetoes. It voted to overturn Governor John Lynch's veto of House Bill 542, which would give parents the right to restrict the materials to which children are exposed in school. Also, a bill making certain health insurance coverage for specific procedures optional instead of mandatory passed, as did several gun bills, including the right to carry guns on public college and university and other public property. The House also overrode the governor's veto of the "title loan" bill and passed a bill making the knowing causing of the violent death of a fetus a crime. In other action, the House failed to override the governor's veto of the repeal of the Rail Transit Authority, so that entity survives to study the restoration of railroads in New Hampshire.

Political focus will be on legislative action soon, but for the next few days, it is on the New Hampshire Primary, which is in high gear between now and Tuesday. Candidates and press are covering the state, with many appearances, press conferences, debates on Saturday night and Sunday morning which will be televised nationally, and all the related excitement (and economic contribution to the state). After the inconclusive action of the Iowa Caucus process, New Hampshire votes have a chance to make a decisive statement about the future of the country at the polls in a real election (as opposed to whatever it is they do in Iowa). Readers should not only avail themselves of the education and fun of the campaign's finale, but they, Republicans and Democrats, should study all of the candidates and be sure to vote on Tuesday since, as was seen last Tuesday in Iowa, every person counts, and New Hampshire's tradition of a high turn-out should continue!

Will Stewart, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce 

Happy New Year and welcome to another year of Capitol Insight! The Chamber would like to once again extend its thanks to Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green and the Sheehan Phinney Capitol Group for its sponsorship and support of this program. Without member support, programs like Capitol Insight would simply not be possible.

Capitol Insight keeps you abreast of the critical issues happening in the state legislature that impact your business. Each week the government relations professionals from Sheehan Phinney Capitol Group will provide a recap of the week's critical legislative activities. The Chamber will also provide an update on our legislative activities and priorities. 

For those of you I have not yet met, I am the Chamber's new Vice President of Economic Development and Advocacy and will be penning this portion of Capitol Insight each week.

The 2012 legislative session officially kicked off on Wednesday, but only after the legislature closed out business left undone during the 2011 session, namely attempting to override several of Gov. John Lynch's vetoes.

Of these veto override attempts, the Chamber was most concerned with House Bill 218, which sought to repeal or cripple the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority, a volunteer, non-taxpayer funded body that oversees commuter rail development in the state. Thankfully the override failed by a five-vote margin, meaning the Authority remains intact as originally created. This is a great victory for the Chamber, which pushed for the creation of the Authority in 2007.

As for 2012, returning legislators are once again promising to focus on economic and job creation issues. And maybe they will.

Nearly 1,000 pieces of legislation were submitted by returning legislators. And some of these bills do, in fact, deal with business matters. Indeed, the Chamber is currently tracking several dozen bills that fall into such key categories as Education, Employee Issues, Healthcare, Energy and Utilities, Taxes, Regulations, and General Business.

The Chamber's Government Affairs Committee, led by new Chairman John Weaver of McLane Law Firm, is currently hard at work reviewing these bills to ensure the Chamber is effectively advocating for the best interests of your business. Stay tuned to future editions of Capitol Insight for specific information on the legislative proposals the Chamber will support and oppose in 2012.

Interested in helping the Chamber's efforts in Concord? The Government Affairs Committee is looking for new members with an interest in local and state policy issues impacting the business community. No experience is necessary. To learn more, email me at wills@manchester-chamber.org or call me directly at 792-4107.