Right To Know NH requests you send an email in your own words to legislators explaining your position on these bills.
email for state Reps is HREPS@leg.state.nh.us
NOTE 1: To see their original post or learn more about Right To Know NH, please visit them here.
Note 2: To look up any listed bill, visit the General Court’s Bill Status service.
Right To Know NH’s Position on the Following bills on Judiciary Committee for January 23
HB 1153 sponsored by Dan McGuire to allow upfront deposits for Right to Know requests. How does the citizen know they can see stuff without paying a charge and only ask for copies of information they want? The law already allows for reasonable costs to be recovered. WE DO NOT SUPPORT
HB 1156 is the bill the Right to Know group worked on to assure all sections were in the interest of citizens and what needed to be done, introduced by Rep. Tasker for us. WE SUPPORT
HB 1450 that all Non-Profits will come under the Right to Know. We support passage. This puts non profit corporations who do business with towns or cities to have their contracts available under Right to Know. WE SUPPORT
HB 1379 to exempt firearm records from the Right to Know, This makes sense so criminals can’t know which homes have licensed firearms. WE ARE NOT TAKING A STAND EITHER WAY as a group or as individuals, 2nd Amendment supporters will have enough people there to speak to this bill without us.
HB 1470 Stating a quorum of a Board doesn’t have to be physically present and can attend if over 60 miles by electronic means. We object it is sometimes seeing the facial expressions and body language that allows you to know what is going on with a group. If they can’t attend then meetings should be moved. WE DO NOT SUPPORT
HB 1591 To set up a Right to Know Board who will hear cases brought by citizens against boards who violate. This will cost less than court and the precedence is set by other boards which can hear complaints and it won’t cost a citizen the court fees and sheriffs etc. They can still just go to court or appeal to court. WE SUPPORT
These will also be heard but we have not discussed them and made a decision as a group if we support or not. So as a group we will not be commenting. You may speak to these bills as you wish.
HB 1201 to make public officials who violate Right to Know or oath of office who willingly and intentionally violates can be charged with official oppression.
HB 1182 Increases membership on the State Transparency Board taking off some senators and putting more House members why not citizens who are people who have already done Right to Know cases. We support with an amendment to make board more citizens.
HB1435 requiring enforcement officials to disclose specific information relating to police checkpoints. This regards checkpoints in any instance instead of just DWI’s shall be required to have a court order a week in advance to be Heard in Criminal Justice committee.
91-A:1 Preamble. – Openness in the conduct of public business is essential to a democratic society. The purpose of this chapter is to ensure both the greatest possible public access to the actions, discussions and records of all public bodies, and their accountability to the people.
