Priorities, priorities

OK, let’s take a breath and try to figure this out together.

The For the People Act, a bill making its way through Congress, seeks to expand access to voting nationally, with such provisions as requiring at least a 15-day voting period and allowing no-excuse absentee voting in all states. It also would make Election Day a national holiday. All in an effort to expand voting access and prevent states from suppressing voter turnout.

Obviously, the bill is not without controversy, but for the most part Dems are behind it and GOPers … not so much.

Actually, the GOPers have a big problem with the bill, so much so that they’re throwing everything — sans kitchen sink — to attack it. Their claims include accusations that undocumented immigrants and 16-year-olds would be able to vote with its automatic voting provision (not true), that prisoners would be allowed to vote (not true, only people who have served their time would be) and that states in general would have no control over their election laws (also not true).

It’s that last accusation that has NH SOS Billy Gardner, and apparently the guv, in a state of frenzy.

You see, the SOS is already in 2022 mode in circling the wagons to protect NH’s sanctified prez primary.

According to his interpretation of the bill, the primary would be in the sights of Dems — particularly House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who he says is no fan of the NH primary. And if that happens, adios primary and that national spotlight certain politicos who shall remain nameless crave so much.

So are the wagon-circling and subsequent bashing of the NH’s Dem congressional delegation warranted?

Well … no. Because the primary schedules are the concern of both (that means Dems and GOPers) parties, not the fed. government. And while hand-wringing is always required by certain folks when NH’s prez primary comes up, it’s starting to smell like a distraction from a genuine debate over access to and expansion of voting in the U.S.

And if — if, mind you — the FTPA actually sets out to accomplish that, attacking the whole thing to save NH’s quadrennial ego trip starts to look a little small.

Doesn’t it?

You know what he means?

Mike Pompeo, the former secretary of state in the Trump administration, was asked by WMUR-TV whether his recent visit to New Hampshire was a sign that he was considering running for prez in 2024. He replied thusly: “I’m pretty focused on 2022. We’ll see what happens after that.”

What he meant to say:

“Obviously I want to run for president — why else would I be talking to a TV station in New Hampshire? But until Trump makes up his mind I’ve got to pretend otherwise.”

“The irresponsibility, frankly, of trying to take away emergency powers in a crisis situation is silly.”

– Guv Sununu offers one of his reactions to the House GOP bid to limit his ability to declare a state of emergency.

With friends like these …

It sure looks like the guv has his hands full with the current version of the GOP in the NH House.

Pretty much from the beginning, House GOPers have backed measures that either directly take aim at the guv or his budget.

It all started when a group of those errant GOPers — just fresh from election — floated a trial balloon last November that they wanted to impeach the guv for the way he acted during the pandemic. It’s pretty much been a collision in slow motion since then.

There’s that provision tacked on to the House budget proposal that would limit a guv’s power when it comes to declaring a state of emergency. And you know how much the guv has come to luv that power in this time of Covid.

Then there’s the debate over whether the state should refund fines to businesses that refused to follow the opening guidelines — in other words, masks — contained in the guv’s order.

There are the “little things,” like preventing DHHS from spending anything more on a new information system to track client services and events — something the guv bragged about in his budget address. And they started futzing with the guv’s proposal to set up a Department of Energy.

They also want to slow-walk the guv’s pet project: merging the university and community college systems, which he says has to be stat.

Oh, and there are all the non-germane bits stuffed inside the House budget, like preventing the teaching of actual history in the classroom in favor of a feelgood (for some) version and limiting access to health services and abortion rights.

All of it done to assuage the “House Freedom Caucus,” which is pretty much calling all the shots this year, at least so far. And to hell with what the guv wants.

MAKING THE ROUNDS

You know, the special NH House election in Merrimack to find a successor to the late Dick Hinch is living up to its “special” label, not only because of the huge bucks being spent on it (an expected $100k for a $100-a-year job) but also because Arkansas Sen. and prez wannabe Tom Cotton has butted in to give his endorsement to the GOP candidate.

Do you think the whole battle over whether the House should meet remotely or not has anything to do with all those mileage checks the reps haven’t been getting in Covid?

Considering its magnitude, it sure seems like the scandal over charges that over 200 children were physically or sexually abused by 150 staffers at the Sununu Youth Services Center from 1963-2018 is being back-burnered.