The House, Thursday, April 21, 2022

Speaker PackardRep. Bergeron offers minority amendment (1543h). The Chair recognizes Rep. Bergeron.

Rep. Paul Bergeron (D - Hills 29)Thank you, Mister Speaker. First, I'd like to start off by saying if there was a gentlemen's agreement between the two chambers that we would not amend certain redistricting bills that they were going to take control of and they would respect our wishes of those that we would take control of, I would just remind the house that, in fact, the state senate did change the house redistricting plan and it will have to go to a Committee of Conference. If SB 241 is not amended, 9 of the 10 counties will be split apart and 3 gerrymandered districts will be created, district 1, 2 and 5. On the map for SB 241, district 5 looks like an alligator's head, chomping at the foot of the district 2 Stay Puft Marshmallow man. District 1 is no longer a solid north country district. Under SB 241, the towns south of Carroll and Franconia and west of Waterville Valley have been moved out and district 1 would then extend all along the eastern border, south to Dover and Durham. Given the larger population areas in the southeastern portion of the state, the North Country could find itself without a seat on the executive council. The amendment would establish 5 executive council districts that are constructed to keep as many counties together as possible. Seven of the state's 10 counties remain whole within council districts, whereas under SB 241, 9 of the counties are split up. District 1, for example, incorporates 5 entire counties, Coos, Carroll, Grafton, Belknap and Sullivan counties. Under the amendment, district 2, which currently slivers across the width of the state from Hinsdale and Charlestown in the west to Somersworth and Dover in the east, will become much more compact and encompass Merrimack and Strafford counties in the northwestern part of Rockingham. District 3 remains similar to the existing district though 3 towns are moved to balance population shifts. District 4 becomes more compact. The only town that would not share a border with Manchester is Derry. And finally district 5 would encompass the entirety of Cheshire County and the vast majority of Hillsborough County, including Nashua. The Map-a-Thon Citizen Mapping Project pointed out that the amendment is relatively competitive with a slight lean towards Republicans so this is not a Democratic map it's just a better map. I would ask that you please press the green yes button to support the proposed amendment to SB 241. Mister Speaker, I would request a roll call on that vote.

Rep. Ross Berry (R - Hills 44)Thank you, Mister Speaker. I will be brief here. The Special Committee on Redistricting considered this amendment and we decided it was not in the best interests of the state. We voted it down. I'm asking the body to affirm the work of the committee and vote this amendment down. Since this may be my last time ever speaking about this subject in public, I want to point something out about the nonpartisan Map-a-Thon group that my good friend on the other side just mentioned. The nonpartisan group that is sponsored by 603 Forward, Granite State Progress and people who enter into lawsuits with the New Hampshire Democratic Party to sue the state, so that's about as nonpartisan as they get. Thank you, Mister Speaker.

Speaker PackardThe House will be in order. A request for a roll call has been made by Rep. Bergeron. Is that sufficiently seconded? It is sufficiently seconded. This is going to be a roll call vote on the amendment. The motion before us is the amendment (1543h). This is a roll call vote. 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 attend to the state of the vote. 145 voting Yea, 175 voting Nay, the amendment fails. The motion before us now is Ought to Pass on SB 241. The Chair recognizes Rep. Bergeron.

Rep. Paul Bergeron (D - Hills 29)Thank you, Mister Speaker. In my remarks on the amendment, I talked about some of the flaws in SB 241. I would just add to that some of the other issues with this bill are that it splits 17 High School Supervisory Unions. It gerrymanders Democratic leaning towns into one district, thereby making it unrealistic for a Republican to win in that district and as I mentioned before, it's splitting up 9 of our 10 counties. I would ask, therefore, that you vote in opposition to the motion of Ought to Pass. Thank you.

Rep. Len Turcotte (R - Straf 4)Thank you, Mister Speaker. Good afternoon, everyone. SB 241 updates the executive councilor districts based on the population data that was provided to us in 2020 federal census. The senate proposed districts distribute New Hampshire's population evenly with an acceptable deviation to 5 executive councilor districts and that deviation is just slightly above the 1%. Regarding the current executive councilor map, one of the complaints we frequently heard during our public listening sessions was that district 2 stretches and snakes from the Vermont border over to the New Hampshire Seacoast. That district no longer exists. Now, contrary to the fear grenades that have been lobbed onto the House floor today about gerrymandering and packing of districts, the senate have previously approved these districts and there are no, zero legal basis that warrants modification by the committee as the map meets all federal and state constitutional requirements. The majority of the Special Committee on Redistricting therefore asked that you support SB 241 by pressing the green button. Thank you, Mister Speaker.

Speaker PackardThe motion before us is Ought to Pass on SB 241. I was waiting for that. I'm not sure who called it, but a roll call is requested. Rep. Barbara Griffin has requested a roll call. Is that sufficiently seconded? It is sufficiently seconded. This will be a roll call vote. The motion before us is Ought to Pass on SB 241. This is a roll call vote. The Chair recognizes Rep. Espitia for a parliamentary inquiry.

Rep. Manny Espitia (D - Hills 31)Thank you, Mister Speaker. Mister Speaker, if I know the redistricting committee held public listening sessions in every county with Granite Staters providing us clear direction on the criteria, they wanted us to use when drawing maps for the next decade. If I heard our constituents ask us to keep districts compact, to keep counties together and to reject partisanship as the dominant factor in drawing new lines. If I see a map in front of me look like a jigsaw puzzle, letting 9 out of 10 counties into multiple districts with the obvious partisan goal of packing as many Democrats into district 2 as possible. And if I believe that the people of New Hampshire deserve fair, logical districts and that this ain't it, would I now press the red button to oppose the committee report of OTP?

Speaker PackardThe Chair recognizes Rep. Lynn for a parliamentary inquiry.

Rep. Bob Lynn (R - Rock 7)Thank you, Mister Speaker. Mister Speaker, if I know that virtually all of what I said before with regard to the senate redistricting applies here. And if I know that the other body's work as reflected in this bill reapportions executive council districts so that all districts are contiguous and so that all constitutional requirements are met, the deviation between districts being only slightly above 1%, then would I press the green button to approve this bill? Thank you, Mister Speaker. Speaker Packard: The motion before us the majority committee report of Ought to Pass on SB 241. This is a roll call vote. If you are in favor, you'll press the green button. If you are opposed, you'll press the red button. Voting stations are open for 30 seconds. Have all members present had an opportunity to vote? The House will attend to the state of the vote. 174 voting Yea, 146 voting Nay, the committee report is adopted.