The House took up 38 bills, in the order told below.
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.
@misc{session-H-2020-03-05,
title = {The House, Thursday, March 5, 2020},
howpublished = {Granite Record},
url = {https://graniterecord.org/session/H/2020-03-05},
note = {Accessed 19 Oct. 2026}
}The House assembled at 1:00 PM, a prayer was offered and Rep. Alicia Lekas (R - Hills 38) led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Presiding over the House during the day: Rep. Steve Shurtleff (D - Merr 15), Speaker of the House.
The journal records 29 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. James Bosman (D - Hills 38) Rep. John Callum (R - Sull 6) Rep. Gerri Cannon (D - Straf 12) Rep. Edward DeClercq (R - Rock 8) Rep. Elaine French (D - Graf 14) Rep. Kenneth Gidge (D - Hills 33) Rep. David Lundgren (R - Rock 5) Rep. Linda Massimilla (D - Graf 1) Rep. Lee Oxenham (D - Sull 1) Rep. Jeffrey Salloway (D - Straf 5) Rep. Alan Turcotte (D - Merr 11) Rep. Suzanne Vail (D - Hills 6) Rep. Richard Barry (R - Hills 21) Rep. Fred Doucette (R - Rock 25) Rep. John Fothergill (R - Coos 1) Rep. Peter Hayward (R - Straf 1) Rep. Timothy Josephson (D - Graf 11) Rep. David Luneau (D - Merr 10) Rep. Donna Mombourquette (D - Hills 5) Rep. David Morrill (D - Ches 4) Rep. Judith Spang (D - Straf 6) Rep. Charlie St. Clair (D - Belk 5) Rep. Harry Viens (R - Belk 1) Rep. Mary Beth Walz (D - Merr 23) Rep. Gerald Ward (D - Rock 28) Rep. Karel Crawford (R - Carr 4) Rep. Gregory Hill (R - Merr 3) Rep. Robert L'Heureux (R - Hills 21) Rep. Abigail Rooney (R - Straf 1)
Suspend the Rules (Set a rule aside; needs two thirds)
Motion Passed: Rules Suspended on a voice vote
In the record: Suspend House Rule to extend reporting deadline (Reps. Ley, Hinch)
House Criminal Justice and Public Safety recommended Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA) with amendment 2020-0270h, 19–1.
Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA, Pass the bill with changes) 2020-0270h
Motion Passed: Bill Passed with Changes on a voice vote
In the record: Ought to Pass with Amendment 2020-0270h (NT)
House Criminal Justice and Public Safety recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 17–3.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed on a voice vote
Spoke for the motionRep. John Bordenet (D - Ches 5)
Spoke against the motionRep. David Love (R - Rock 6)
House Executive Departments and Administration recommended Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA) with amendment 2020-0203h, 19–1.
Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA, Pass the bill with changes) 2020-0203h
Motion Passed: Bill Passed with Changes on a voice vote
House Executive Departments and Administration recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 19–1.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed 339–8 on a division
Spoke for the motionRep. Jaci Grote (D - Rock 24)
Spoke against the motionRep. Max Abramson (R - Rock 40)
House Finance recommended Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA) with amendment 2020-0359h, 19–1.
Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA, Pass the bill with changes) 2020-0359h
Motion Passed: Bill Passed with Changes 259–90 on a division
House Finance recommended Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA) with amendment 2020-0048h, 21–0.
Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA, Pass the bill with changes) 2020-0048h
Motion Passed: Bill Passed with Changes on a voice vote
In the record: Ought to Pass with Amendment 2020-0048h (NT)
House Finance recommended Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA) with amendment 2020-0290h, 21–0.
Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA, Pass the bill with changes) 2020-0290h
Motion Passed: Bill Passed with Changes on a voice vote
House Finance recommended Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA) with amendment 2020-0321h, 21–0.
Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA, Pass the bill with changes) 2020-0321h
Motion Passed: Bill Passed with Changes on a voice vote
In the record: Ought to Pass with Amendment 2020-0321h (NT)
House Finance recommended Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA) with amendment 2020-0457h, 13–7.
Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA, Pass the bill with changes) 2020-0457h
Motion Passed: Bill Passed with Changes 202–146 on a division
House Judiciary recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 18–2.
Lay on the Table (Set the bill aside)
Motion Passed: Resolution Tabled 244–105 on a division
Moved by Rep. Douglas Ley (D - Ches 9).
In the record: Lay on Table
House Judiciary recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 19–1.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Resolution Killed on a voice vote
Spoke for the motionRep. Jason Janvrin (R - Rock 40)
Spoke against the motionRep. Josh Yokela (R - Rock 7)
House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 16–3.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed on a voice vote
House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services recommended Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA) with amendment 2020-0256h, 11–6.
Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA, Pass the bill with changes) 2020-0256h
Motion Passed: Bill Passed with Changes 210–139 on a roll call
House Judiciary recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 17–2.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed on a voice vote
House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services recommended Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA) with amendment 2020-0444h, 12–7.
Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA, Pass the bill with changes) 2020-0444h
Motion Passed: Bill Passed with Changes 209–134 on a roll call
In the record: Ought to Pass with Amendment 2020-0444h (NT)
Spoke for the motionRep. Brian Sullivan (D - Sull 1)
Spoke against the motionRep. Brian Seaworth (R - Merr 20)
House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services recommended Ought to Pass (OTP), 11–6.
Ought to Pass (OTP, Pass the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Passed 207–137 on a roll call
Spoke for the motionRep. Robert Renny Cushing (D - Rock 21)
Spoke against the motionRep. Jack Flanagan (R - Hills 26)
House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services recommended Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA) with amendment 2020-0449h, 11–8.
Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA, Pass the bill with changes) 2020-0449h
Motion Passed: Bill Passed with Changes 205–142 on a roll call
Spoke for the motionRep. Brian Sullivan (D - Sull 1)
Spoke against the motionRep. Jonathan Mackie (R - Belk 2)
House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 11–6.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed 211–136 on a roll call
House Municipal and County Government recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 17–3.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed 310–31 on a division
Spoke for the motionRep. Clyde Carson (D - Merr 7)
Spoke against the motionRep. Werner Horn (R - Merr 3) Rep. Max Abramson (R - Rock 40)
House Municipal and County Government recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 19–0.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed on a voice vote
Spoke against the motionRep. Jack Flanagan (R - Hills 26)
House Municipal and County Government recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 17–2.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed on a voice vote
House Municipal and County Government recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 17–3.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed 301–39 on a division
House Municipal and County Government recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 19–1.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed on a voice vote
House Municipal and County Government recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 10–8.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed 216–122 on a division
Spoke for the motionRep. Jim Maggiore (D - Rock 22)
Spoke against the motionRep. Max Abramson (R - Rock 40) Rep. Peter Torosian (R - Rock 14)
House Municipal and County Government recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 17–1.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed on a voice vote
House Municipal and County Government recommended Ought to Pass (OTP), 10–8.
Ought to Pass (OTP, Pass the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Passed 203–141 on a roll call
Spoke for the motionRep. Susan Ticehurst (D - Carr 3)
Spoke against the motionRep. John MacDonald (R - Carr 6)
House Municipal and County Government recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 16–1.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed 271–74 on a roll call
Spoke for the motionRep. Tom Dolan (R - Rock 5)
Spoke against the motionRep. Michael Harrington (R - Straf 3)
House Municipal and County Government recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 12–7.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed on a voice vote
House Municipal and County Government recommended Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA) with amendment 2020-0552h, 16–2.
Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA, Pass the bill with changes) 2020-0552h
Motion Passed: Bill Passed with Changes 276–60 on a roll call
Spoke for the motionRep. Willis Griffith (D - Hills 18)
Spoke against the motionRep. Max Abramson (R - Rock 40)
House Science, Technology and Energy recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 11–8.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed 201–130 on a roll call
Spoke for the motionRep. John Mann (D - Ches 2)
Spoke against the motionRep. Michael Vose (R - Rock 5)
House Transportation recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 19–0.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed on a voice vote
House Transportation recommended Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA) with amendment 2020-0619h, 13–6.
Ought to Pass with Amendment (OTPA, Pass the bill with changes) 2020-0619h
Motion Passed: Bill Passed with Changes on a voice vote
House Transportation recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 16–3.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed on a voice vote
House Transportation recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 16–4.
Lay on the Table (Set the bill aside)
Motion Passed: Bill Tabled 193–141 on a roll call
Moved by Rep. Douglas Ley (D - Ches 9).
In the record: Lay on Table
House Ways and Means recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 20–0.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed 320–11 on a roll call
Spoke against the motionRep. Skip Cleaver (D - Hills 35)
Thank you, Mister Speaker. We don't have enough revenue my friends.…
Rep. Skip Cleaver (D - Hills 35)Thank you, Mister Speaker. We don't have enough revenue my friends. We just don't have enough revenue. Not for general purposes and certainly not for education. The recent budget was a significant improvement over the previous funding but still short of where we need to be in both K12 as well as higher education. We have overcrowded classrooms. We have limited art and music and athletic programs. We have teachers that are underpaid, infrastructure that is crumbling, instate tuition for our colleges and universities is the highest in the country and that's embarrassing. We struggle to barely pay for kindergarten and we should be paying for pre-K universally. This shameful shortfall cannot continue and we cannot further tax property. That is very unfair, grossly unfair to depend on property taxes again, again and again is just tremendously shortsighted. Zip code should not determine your quality of education whether it is Bedford to Berlin, Portsmouth to Peterborough, Nashua to Newport, Keene to Claremont, it should not limit the resources available. Any child should be having the same resources available no matter where in the state they are. We are responsible and have been charged with providing an adequate education. Are we doing that? Do we do that? The answer in some cases is no. Let alone an adequate education, we should be providing a superior education. That's what New Hampshire deserves. That's what our future deserves. We should have a duty to posterity to educate the children of today for the workforce of tomorrow. We should also attract families from out of state for our workforce, young families that would depend on the quality of schools. HB 1492 was designed and put forward to fund education in part to exercise some restraint on property tax. It is a narrowly focused bill based on a few specific products. Unlike what we heard earlier; it is not so general as to be difficult to define. It is very clear. Standalone products would be included. Integrated products such as automobile parts and electronics on major appliances would not. Standalone products only. It is narrowly focused, it is not a broad-based tax, but it is a tax and we have a very serious problem with that word, tax, in this state and that's why we have a revenue issue. It's time to stand up and say we need further funding and to decide how and when we are going to do it. 4.3% is not much and with the volatility of these products and the variability in pricing that is not noticeable in any major way. 4.3% is lower than our neighbors as far as our tax is concerned, sales tax, and it's not that difficult to implement. Similar to supermarkets where you have groceries that are not taxed and food preparation, prepared foods that are taxes. Taxes should be fair and reasonable. Property tax is not. It's gone beyond that. This is fair and it is reasonable. Please help to fund the education system by voting no on this recommendation. This ITL recommendation makes me very sad and the inability to discuss it and further develop it make me even more sad. We are committed to provide an education and it should be more than adequate. We should not be selfish and shortsighted in terms of the future. The future is our kids. Let's educate them properly. Please vote no on this motion so we can move forward and be responsible to provide funding for education as we should. Thank you.
Speaker ShurtleffWill the member yield to a question? The member does not yield. The question before the House is the recommendation that the bill is Inexpedient to Legislate. Rep. Jason Osborne has requested a roll call vote. Is that sufficiently seconded? It is sufficiently seconded. This will be a roll call vote. Members will kindly take their seats. The House will be in order. The question before the House is the recommendation that the bill is Inexpedient to Legislate. The Chair recognizes Rep. Bunker for a parliamentary inquiry.
Rep. Lisa Bunker (D - Rock 18)Thank you, Mister Speaker. Mister Speaker, if I know that increased funding for education is a laudable goal, but if I also know that efforts to tax one small sector of the retail economy will lead to problems. And if I know that these problems include the irksome puzzle of defining exactly what products would and would not be taxes as well as an inevitable negative impact on cross border sales that are essential to New Hampshire's retail economy, then would I follow the unanimous recommendation of the Ways and Means Committee of Inexpedient to Legislate by pressing the green button? Speaker Shurtleff: This will be a roll call vote. The question before the House is the recommendation that the bill is Inexpedient to Legislate. If you are in favor, you'll press the green button. If you are opposed, you'll press the red button. Voting stations will be open for 30 seconds. Have all members present had an opportunity to vote? The House will be attentive to the state of the vote. With 320 members voting Yea, 11 voting Nay, the motion fails.
House Ways and Means recommended Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL), 20–0.
Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL, Kill the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Killed 323–7 on a roll call
House Ways and Means recommended Ought to Pass (OTP), 12–8.
Lay on the Table (Set the bill aside)
Motion Failed 144–185 on a roll call
Moved by Rep. John Burt (R - Hills 39).
In the record: Lay on Table
Ought to Pass (OTP, Pass the bill)
Motion Passed: Bill Passed 172–142 on a roll call
Spoke for the motionRep. Dick Ames (D - Ches 9)
Spoke against the motionRep. Max Abramson (R - Rock 40) Rep. Patrick Abrami (R - Rock 12)
These belong to no bill. The House gives a member leave to address it, and what they said is part of the permanent record.