December 2020: What to Expect in the Minority
Defend Democratic achievements and hold Republicans accountable
The guest speakers in the final UVDems program for 2020 advocated an aggressive but thoughtful approach towards dealing with the Republican-led New Hampshire legislature. Senator Sue Prentiss, Past senator Matthew Houde, House Minority Leader Renny Cushing, and State Representative George Sykes articulated a realistic, sober, but nevertheless encouraging course of action as our Democratic legislators determine what it means to legislate from the minority in the Republican-led House and Senate.
Senator Prentiss conveyed the necessity of protecting past Democratic legislation when possible, while “leaning in” to get bi-partisan support for new legislation proposed by Democrats. She noted that the rules adopted in the opening day of the new legislature allow for a bipartisan Select Committee in the Senate to consolidate bills as a means of expediting the passage of complementary legislation. Sue also
noted that there are points in the legislative process where a senator may take “another bite at the apple” in an ongoing effort to influence legislation.
Past Senator Matthew Houde laid out ways to modify deleterious Republican bills to make them less destructive. He stated the importance of “planting a flag” with the introduction of legislation on progressive topics. Matt noted that relationships among legislators still count, especially in the twenty-four-member Senate. The Senate might even act as a safety net in a Republican effort to protect Governor Sununu from having to sign bad bills. An important avenue for citizens to affect legislation is
for those people who are most influenced by proposed legislation to make their voices heard at legislative hearings on specific bills. Matt concluded by expressing optimism that Sue’s past experiences in dealing with the New Hampshire legislature make her well positioned to build relationships and to be an effective senator.
Representative George Sykes began by asserting that Democrats should begin our efforts to take back the House by organizing the next campaign on a countywide basis in order to help those rural districts that we lost this year. He noted that “politics is a long game”; for example, it took decades for Representative Renny to get legislation passed to abolish the death penalty. George noted that representatives need local support and that voters can affect Governor Sununu’s response to legislation by inundating the governor’s office with comments—especially since Sununu is probably planning to run for the U.S. Senate next term and will therefore probably respond to citizen pressure. George is optimistic about working with some Republican colleagues by building on his past successes with them in passing legislation.
Minority Leader Renny Cushing expects a contentious legislative session in a House led by a Republican majority leader affiliated with the Free State Project. That very fact, however, may lead to fissures within the Republican caucus. The Trump factor is alive and well among the Republicans, with a segment of their majority being part of the pro-COVID-19 reactionary forces. We can expect the Republicans to
target public education by reducing state funding. We can expect them to assault public health programs, reproductive health funding, and environmental standards. We will therefore need to hold their feet to the fire. It will be a series of day-to-day battles to prevent things from getting worse. Nevertheless, Renny expressed some optimism by noting that the “arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”
October 2020: From the Front Lines
From the front lines, indeed!
During the UVDems Monday Night program on October 26, one Democratic heavy hitter after another inflicted body blows to the extremist Republican slate of candidates that the voters of New Hampshire must send to the showers on November 3.
Senator Maggie Hassan spoke from the front lines in Washington, D.C., where she stood ready to cast her vote that evening against the shameful nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Barrett’s confirmation by the Senate is a prime example of Republican hypocrisy and its attack on basic human rights.
Representative Annie Kuster followed up with a succinct summary of all that is at stake in the State of New Hampshire if Democrats do not fully return our powerful Congressional delegation to Washington, recapture the governorship, and retain control of the Executive Council. Maintaining and expanding our control of the New Hampshire Senate and House of Representatives is crucial to undoing the harm produced by the present governor and his 86 vetoes of crucial legislation.
Executive Councilor Mike Cryans provided a litany of his personal contacts with constituents in need of support during the Covid -19 pandemic. Mike is proof positive that constituency service is the soul of an effective Executive Councilor and that his presence on the Executive Council is crucial to staving off Sununu’s efforts to cripple health care for women, suborn the integrity of our judicial system, and destroy the professionalism of the State Department of Education.
The cleanup hitter was Senator Dan Feltes, our candidate to replace Sununu and inject integrity back into the Governor’s office. Senator Feltes delivered a true stem-winder of an oration laying out his vision for New Hampshire and decrying the sleaze and ineptitude of the Sununu administration. The Senator outlined the numerous ways that Sununu has damaged the state’s ability to address the needs of its citizens—weakening our social safety net and raising property taxes across all communities.
Lastly, in addressing the shameful attacks by Republicans against the integrity of our electoral process, Kristin Swan, poll moderator for Ward One in Lebanon, provided a detailed outline of all the steps that have been taken to insure that voting in New Hampshire will safe, that every vote on November 3 will be counted, and that all voting contingencies will be handled with well-thought-out action plans.
August 2020: Grafton County Elected Officials Update
If you were not able to join us for our program this month with four of our County officials, you should watch the recording.
We learned about a cutting-edge forensics lab, a prize-winning dairy herd, and an efficient county government that provides a widespread safety net for Grafton County residents. County Commissioner Wendy Piper, County Treasurer Karen Liot Hill, County Attorney Marcie Hornick, and High Sheriff Jeff Stiegler shared the operational details of their respective offices as they spoke and answered questions during the Upper Valley Democrats thirty-second fourth Monday programming event over Zoom on August 24. The picture they presented revealed the important role county government plays in all our lives, a role largely unknown but especially important during such times as these with a pandemic raging and a weakened economy.
Watch it here!
July 2020: Ninety-nine Days and Beyond: Will He Leave?
Guest speaker: Maynard Goldman
On July 27 there were ninety-nine days left before the Presidential election on November 3. What might happen during those ninety-nine days? Just as important, what might happen on day one hundred—on the day after the election and the days after that? We don’t know for certain at this time whether there will even be any Presidential debates and what their formats might be. We don’t know at this time what the nominating conventions will be like, masked or unmasked, virtual or hybrid. We don’t know how voting will be conducted under pandemic conditions—by mail-in ballots or at consolidated polling places, on the date scheduled or on a date to be determined because of a “national emergency. And we certainly don’t know what October surprise might be in store for us, especially with a floundering, totalitarian president willing to flout all the rules.
Watch the video now and see if Maynard was the prophet of doom or prophet of hope.
https://youtu.be/G9Nncfk4stM
June 22, 2020: Voting issues and Voting Suppression in NH
Guest Speakers:
Kelsey Klementowicz, voter protection director for the New Hampshire Democrats, and
Henry Klementowicz, staff attorney focusing on voting issues for the ACLU in New Hampshire
As it has become increasingly clear that voter suppression and the ongoing effects of the pandemic will play important roles in New Hampshire’s November election, the Plainfield Democrats, using the Zoom platform provided by the Upper Valley Democrats, sponsored a double-header presentation on these issues for Sullivan County and Upper Valley voters.
Kelsey Klementowicz, voter protection director for the New Hampshire Democrats, and her husband Henry Klementowicz, staff attorney focusing on voting issues for the ACLU in New Hampshire, provided in-depth analyses and background information on voter suppression and the efforts by the state to promote easier voter access to the ballot.
In a line-by-line explication, Kelsey reviewed the state’s absentee ballot request form, emphasizing the urgency for everyone to submit requests as soon as possible for absentee ballots for both the September Democratic primary and the general election in November. Kelsey also made an emphatic pitch for registered voters to volunteer to be poll workers in a NHDP effort to ensure all the state’s election sites remain fully open and available.
Henry provided an update on pending legislation directly affecting voter turnout this year, and he explained the pernicious role gerrymandering plays in skewing election results and contributing to voter suppression. The ACLU has focused on five election-related initiatives: 1) establishing election day as a state holiday, 2) providing ballot information in other languages besides English, 3) allowing for early voting, and 4) establishing an independent redistricting commission. Both speakers provided directions on how to access election information and urged everyone to become an activist in efforts to achieve a strong Democratic voter turnout in November.
Watch it here!
If you like our Monday night programs, please consider supporting them with a donation. Click HERE to make an online contribution.
May 18, 2020: Conspiracy Thinking in American Democracy Today
Guest Speaker: Russ Muirhead
If you like our Monday night programs, please consider supporting them with a donation. Click HERE to make an online contribution.
April 27: Could Covid-19 Infect the November 2020 Elections?
Guest speaker: Maynard Goldman.
What a program! We had over 40 people registered for our inaugural ZOOM program on Monday and Maynard didn’t disappoint.
Here’s the skinny on the takeaway, but you really should listen to the whole program. It was only an hour.
Why can’t the vast economic engine that powers the American economy produce a six-inch Q-tip—thereby long enough to test for the novo corona virus? During the Upper Valley Democrats April Monday Night program, which was carried live on Zoom, Maynard Goldman asked that question and many another conundrum regarding the impotency of the American political system to meet the challenges facing our nation during global pandemic and partisan gridlock. Maynard’s extensive experience in rough and tumble politics and his legal background threw light (actually, fire and brimstone) on the various scenarios we might face in the 185 days we have before the November 3 election—if we have an election! He pointed out that if Trump cancels the November election and the Democrats obtain the Senate majority because of the attrition of Republican senators up for reelection, Senator Patrick Leahy might well, Constitutionally, become the next in line to claim the Oval Office. Please watch the video to hear about the tangled political web that lies before us.
Watch it here!
If you like our Monday night programs, please consider supporting them with a donation. Click HERE to make an online contribution.
March 2020: Covid-19 Closed us down! BUT then we got a grant for a ZOOM license from the Grassroots Foundation, and we are back in business!!
February 24: Criminal Justice Reform in New Hampshire
The second evening of a two-part series on criminal justice reform did not disappoint.
Jeanne Hruska’s (political director of ACLU-NH) opening remarks set the stage for what was an informative, data-based presentation of the criminal justice system:
- Mass incarceration is a uniquely American disease;
- The United States has 5% of the world’s population, we have 25% of the world’s incarcerate population;
- If mass incarceration was so effective, if it was such a wonderful social policy, don’t you think other countries would do it?;
- Mass incarceration does’t solve crime, it doesn’t solve mental illness, it doesn’t solve homelessness;
- Mass incarceration is not a criminal issue, it is a political one.
Jeanne Hruska has a firm understanding of where New Hampshire stands on this issue and shares what she knows in an articulate and compelling way. Surprisingly, there are plenty of bright spots and areas of clear progress and many reasons to educate ourselves on this critical subject.
We have edited the videos from Monday’s program, Criminal Justice Reform with Dan Feltes and Jeanne Hruska. Please take the time to listen to the program.
Criminal Justice Reform Program:
Part 1: https://youtu.be/7-7FVM_cblk
Part 2: https://youtu.be/dT4nRo0cPvM
Part 3: https://youtu.be/PEr4lT_5wRs
Video by Bill Secord.
If you like our Monday night programs, please consider supporting them with a donation. Click HERE to make an online contribution.
We thank you in advance for your generosity.
****************************************************
January 27, 2020: It’s Criminal
Our Monday night kick off of our Criminal Justice Reform series was a resounding success.
It’s criminal how we make people criminals!
In the first part of a two-part program on criminal justice reform in New Hampshire, the Upper Valley Democrats sponsored a screening of the locally produced documentary film It’s Criminal in the spacious, high-tech auditorium at Mascoma Valley Regional High School. The hard-hitting, heart-rending portrayal of the lives of women incarcerated in the Sullivan County NH Department of Corrections was produced by local director Signe Taylor in collaboration with Dartmouth College students enrolled in a criminal justice course taught by Dartmouth Professor Ivy Schweitzer. After the screening of the film, a question-and-answer session led by a three-woman panel (the film’s director, Signe Taylor (R); the Dartmouth professor, Ivy Schweitzer (L); and Charlotte, one of the former female prisoners who appeared in the film) provided more insight into their experiences while making the film and how those experiences changed the lives of both the Dartmouth students and the incarcerated women.
It’s Criminal highlights the economic and social inequities that divide and define the United States and offers a vision of how disparate communities can communicate.
Follow this link to join a campaign for equal justice or learn more about incarceration issues:
https://www.itiscriminal.com/action
Follow this link for the program video: https://youtu.be/MwGmItw5oyw You can use CC close captioning to read the subtitles.
Video by Bill Secord.
If you like our Monday night programs, please consider supporting them with a donation. Click HERE to make an online contribution.
We thank you in advance for your generosity.