The House, Thursday, March 31, 2011

The House took up 1 bill, listed below by bill.

Journal
House Journal 35
Assembled
9:00 AM
Votes Taken
17 roll calls, 1 division
Cite this page

Granite Record indexes the General Court’s record; it is not that record. Where a citation allows only one source, cite the General Court — every page here links to what it is drawn from. The date below is the day the page was read.

MLA
“The House, Thursday, March 31, 2011.” Granite Record, https://graniterecord.org/session/H/2011-03-31. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
APA
Granite Record. (n.d.). The House, Thursday, March 31, 2011. Retrieved 19 Oct. 2026, from https://graniterecord.org/session/H/2011-03-31
Chicago
Granite Record. “The House, Thursday, March 31, 2011.” Accessed 19 Oct. 2026. https://graniterecord.org/session/H/2011-03-31.
BibTeX
@misc{session-H-2011-03-31, title = {The House, Thursday, March 31, 2011}, howpublished = {Granite Record}, url = {https://graniterecord.org/session/H/2011-03-31}, note = {Accessed 19 Oct. 2026} }

How the Day Began

The House assembled at 9:00 AM, a prayer was offered and Rep. Laurie Sanborn (R - Hills 2) led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Presiding over the House during the day: Rep. William O'Brien (R - Hills 5), Speaker of the House, and Rep. Shawn Jasper (R - Hills 37).

Excused for the Day

Show the 21 members excusedRepublican 18Democrat 2

The journal records 21 members as having leave of the House for the day, that is, permission to be away. A member on leave may still have voted on part of the day, and the roll call record does not always agree with the journal about who was excused.

Rep. Ronald Belanger (R - Rock 8) Rep. Patricia Dowling (R - Rock 6) Rep. Samuel Hawkes (D - Ches 3) Rep. Karen Hutchinson (R - Rock 3) Rep. Robert Kingsbury (R - Belk 4) Rep. Leo Pepino (R - Hills 11) Rep. Kris Roberts (D - Ches 16) Rep. Marie Sapienza (R - Rock 8) Rep. Kathleen Stroud (R - Hills 21) Rep. Thomas Beattie (R - Hills 17) Rep. Charles Brosseau (R - Graf 6) Rep. Sean Coughlin (R - Hills 6) Rep. Cameron DeJong (R - Hills 9) Rep. Richard Dwinell (R - Ches 5) Rep. Donald Flanders (R - Belk 3) Rep. Thomas Keane (R - Merr 13) Rep. Larsen, Rep. Frederick Leonard (R - Straf 7) Rep. James Parison (R - Hills 25) Rep. Michele Peckham (R - Rock 22) Rep. Tyler Simpson (R - Belk 1)

What the House Did That Day

The record does not say what order these came in: the journal page is cited on only a few of them, so they are listed by bill.

HB 1-A (2011)Became Law
making appropriations for the expenses of certain departments of the state for fiscal years ending June 30, 2012 and June 30, 2013.
Rep. Kenneth Weyler (R) House Finance Senate Finance State Government

House Finance recommended Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA) with amendment 1172h, 18–7; a minority, Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL).

Adopt the Floor Amendment (Change the bill from the floor) 2011-1250h

Motion Failed 94–255 on a roll call

Moved by Rep. Susan Almy (D - Graf 11).

In the record: Adopt Floor Amendment 2011-1250h

Spoke for the motionRep. Susan Almy (D - Graf 11) Rep. Robert Foose (D - Merr 1)

Spoke against the motionRep. Stephen Stepanek (R - Hills 22) Rep. Shawn Jasper (R - Hills 37) Rep. Steve Vaillancourt (R - Hills 15)

Adopt the Floor Amendment (Change the bill from the floor) 2011-1237h

Motion Failed 105–234 on a roll call

Moved by Rep. David Campbell (D - Hills 33).

In the record: Adopt Floor Amendment 2011-1237h

Spoke for the motionRep. David Campbell (D - Hills 33)

Adopt the Floor Amendment (Change the bill from the floor) 2011-1246h

Motion Failed 97–243 on a roll call

Moved by Rep. Bernard Benn (D - Graf 12).

In the record: Adopt Floor Amendment 2011-1246h

Spoke for the motionRep. Charles Weed (D - Ches 16)

Adopt the Floor Amendment (Change the bill from the floor) 2011-1248h

Motion Failed 111–243 on a roll call

Moved by Rep. Robert Foose (D - Merr 1).

In the record: Adopt Floor Amendment 2011-1248h

Spoke for the motionRep. Anne Grassie (D - Straf 11)

Adopt the Floor Amendment (Change the bill from the floor) 2011-1249h

Motion Failed 107–243 on a roll call

Moved by Rep. Bernard Benn (D - Graf 12).

In the record: Adopt Floor Amendment 2011-1249h

Spoke for the motionRep. Bernard Benn (D - Graf 12) Rep. Gary Richardson (D - Merr 10)

Adopt the Floor Amendment (Change the bill from the floor) 2011-1253h

Motion Failed 111–239 on a roll call

Moved by Rep. Robert Foose (D - Merr 1).

In the record: Adopt Floor Amendment 2011-1253h

Spoke for the motionRep. Alfred Lerandeau (D - Ches 12)

Adopt the Floor Amendment (Change the bill from the floor) 2011-1254h

Motion Failed 123–228 on a roll call

Moved by Rep. Sharon Nordgren (D - Graf 12).

In the record: Adopt Floor Amendment 2011-1254h

Spoke for the motionRep. Steve Shurtleff (D - Merr 15)

Adopt the Floor Amendment (Change the bill from the floor) 2011-1255h

Motion Failed 105–244 on a roll call

Moved by Rep. Sharon Nordgren (D - Graf 12).

In the record: Adopt Floor Amendment 2011-1255h

Spoke for the motionRep. Mary Gile (D - Merr 27) Rep. Cindy Rosenwald

Adopt the Floor Amendment (Change the bill from the floor) 2011-1256h

Motion Failed 133–212 on a roll call

Moved by Rep. Sharon Nordgren (D - Graf 12).

In the record: Adopt Floor Amendment 2011-1256h

Spoke for the motionRep. Sandra Keans (D - Straf 23)

Adopt the Floor Amendment (Change the bill from the floor) 2011-1257h

Motion Failed 134–223 on a roll call

Moved by Rep. Sharon Nordgren (D - Graf 12).

In the record: Adopt Floor Amendment 2011-1257h

Spoke for the motionRep. James MacKay (D - Merr 11)

Adopt the Floor Amendment (Change the bill from the floor) 2011-1258h

Motion Failed 112–240 on a roll call

Moved by Rep. Sharon Nordgren (D - Graf 12).

In the record: Adopt Floor Amendment 2011-1258h

Spoke for the motionRep. William Butynski (D - Ches 1)

Adopt the Floor Amendment (Change the bill from the floor) 2011-1261h

Motion Failed 106–251 on a roll call

Moved by Rep. Robert Foose (D - Merr 1).

In the record: Adopt Floor Amendment 2011-1261h

Spoke for the motionRep. Robert Foose (D - Merr 1)

Adopt the Floor Amendment (Change the bill from the floor) 2011-1321h

Motion Failed 107–254 on a roll call

Moved by Rep. William Hatch (D - Coos 6).

In the record: Adopt Floor Amendment 2011-1321h

Spoke for the motionRep. Donna Schlachman (D - Rock 18)

Adopt the Floor Amendment (Change the bill from the floor) 2011-1322h

Motion Failed 106–249 on a roll call

Moved by Rep. William Hatch (D - Coos 6).

In the record: Adopt Floor Amendment 2011-1322h

Spoke for the motionRep. William Hatch (D - Coos 6)

Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA, Pass the bill with changes) 1172h

Motion Passed: Bill Passed with Changes 243–124 on a roll call

Spoke for the motionRep. Steve Vaillancourt (R - Hills 15) Rep. David Bettencourt (R - Rock 4)

Spoke against the motionRep. David Campbell (D - Hills 33) Rep. Susan Almy (D - Graf 11) Rep. Benjamin Baroody (D - Hills 39) Rep. Timothy Horrigan (D - Straf 7) Rep. William Hatch (D - Coos 6) Rep. Bernard Benn (D - Graf 12) Rep. Sharon Nordgren (D - Graf 12) Rep. Laurie Harding (D - Graf 13) Rep. David Pierce (D - Graf 9) Rep. Rich DiPentima (D - Rock 16) Rep. Judith Spang (D - Straf 6) Rep. Christine Hamm (D - Merr 4) Rep. Mary Jane Wallner (D - Merr 12) Rep. Carlos E. Gonzalez (R - Hills 48)

Reconsider (Vote again on a decision)

Motion Failed: Earlier Vote Stands 104–260 on a division

In the record: Reconsideration (Rep Jasper)

Spoke against the motionRep. Shawn Jasper (R - Hills 37)

Shall debate be limited

Motion Passed 248–114 on a roll call

Moved by Rep. David Bettencourt (R - Rock 4).

The docket has no line for this vote: the question is as the General Court’s roll-call file words it.

Uphold the Ruling of the Chair (Back the presiding officer)

Motion Passed 217–146 on a roll call

Moved by Rep. G.Richardson.

In the record: Shall ruling of chair be upheld

The docket has no line for this vote: the question is as the General Court’s roll-call file words it.

Also spoke during this billRep. Susan Emerson (R - Ches 11)the record does not say which of the day's motions

✓IntroducedMar 2, 2011✓HouseMar 31, 2011✓SenateJun 1, 2011✓GovernorJun 29, 2011✓LawJul 1, 2011