State Senate Republicans Statement on Senate Passage of HB 1459

This isn’t surprising but also flies in the face of what is best for New Hampshire.

Senate Democrats Pass Anti-Free Speech Bill

Concord, NH – Today, State Senate Democrats voted in favor of a measure which would infringe upon our freedom of speech. The bill was a last minute amendment to HB 1459 added in the Senate Commerce Committee. The underlying bill is a forty page bill amending laws designed to regulate and attract trust companies.

“This bill was pushed through at the last minute and is designed to muzzle free speech of a political nature. This is just another ominous piece of legislation that is part of the Democrats’ agenda to take away the citizens’ rights,” said Senator Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro). I believe we should be putting our efforts into fixing the budget crisis and the $295 million deficit; repealing the LLC tax still in effect and getting 50,000 New Hampshire citizens back to work. However the Democrats feel it is more important to limit free speech then get our economy growing.”

The legislation was amended in Committee of Conference last week and was pushed through the Senate with multiple revisions. It requires corporations’ spending money in elections in New Hampshire to cast a vote by their board of directors. Similar legislation in Florida was recently overturned by a U.S. District Court. This legislation is opposed by a broad coalition of groups including Cornerstone-Action as well as the American Civil Liberties Union.