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I woke up on election day with the jitters of a child on Christmas Day. I couldn’t wait to get down to the polls. It’s the only day worth standing virtually still for over twelve hours. Getting to see all the people you’ve met throughout the campaign season come out to participate in the government of our State. To play their part in this great Republic of ours. Saying hello, getting last minute questions about the issues; the people who offer to bring food or water. It’s a day that showcases the best of our community. The weather was on our side that day too. With sunny clear skies over the armory building all day, ending with a beautiful late summer sunset.
As the clock strikes seven in the evening, all you as a candidate can do is trust you’ve put in all the work you can over the course of the election. The votes are in and it is now up to the people to make their determination on your time in office, and what each candidate is offering to bring to the 169th General Court of the State of New Hampshire.
It is an honor to have received the most votes in this election. It was thrilling to come out victorious in a campaign of where some tried to write us off as nothing more than a fluke. The flurry of messages from people telling me what the campaign and my work in the State House has mean’t to them has been encouraging beyond words.
Being in the legislature is a responsibility unlike many others. It is one which has many hard days and a few good ones. But every moment is worth it. I am ready to return to the State House to continue to work to make our State work for all it’s citizens. To address the pressing issues of our time of rising property taxes constricting people’s ability to stay in their homes or rent at a reasonable price, the public education system which is under threat of purposeful implosion from those in power who would rather see it fall, the environment which desperately needs our protection from the whims of industry.
To make this a State where all it’s citizens can be proud to live.
Thank you all for your confidence to return to the State House for the 169th General Court
The Criminal Justice and Public Safety committee got together for the last time to deal with the bills which it voted to deal with in an interim study. This would be the last time the Criminal Justice and Public safety committee for the 168th General Court would meet. The options before the committee on the legislation we had to handle was whether or not each bill should be recommended for further legislation in a future legislature. It is largely a symbolic vote although it can be important to a bills future to have a marker of ‘not recommended’ by a past committee. Some of the legislation we deliberated and voted on for recommendations were HB1039. Which sought to provide alternative sentencing for those who are also primary caregivers. This legislation aimed to address a gap with the primary caregivers. Who if arrested, and not given bail, are leaving their patients without care. It was an entirely admirable idea that went through a lot of work and ultimately the committee voted 9 yea to 8 nay for recommending the legislation to a future legislature.
One of the bills I co-sponsored alongside Representative Linda Massimilla, HB1500, also got a vote before the committee. The bill sought to prohibit the unlawful distribution of misleading A.I. material. It was an effort alongside a number of other A.I. related bills, to get the Speaker to create a special committee to handle this rising issue of concern with the new world of technology which rapidly looms over our world. The Speaker decided not to host such a committee, so the Criminal Justice, and other committees which were referred bills related to this subject held their own studies. Ultimately, a special committee on A.I. will be needed. The legislature has an obligation to do what it can to prepare the government for this changing paradigm.
Now it is time for the General Election. Now that the hardcore part of my election has ended, I will be going around doing what I can to elect other good people to the Democratic House caucus. Bringing the message I brought to Hillsborough’s 33rd district to districts across the State.
Thank you again for your support in my return to the State House. It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve in the legislature, and I am eager to get back to work.
