NH: Free Staters kill statewide smoking ban

NHfree.com, Concord Monitor ^

[Dada Orwell]

Freepers...your thoughts?

From NHfree.com 5/15/06

New Hampshire's Free Staters kill smoke ban

Acting nearly alone against the American Cancer Society and a massive juggernaut of established lobby groups, a few dozen Free State Project members have managed to preserve New Hampshire's hands-off approach to smoking in bars and restaurants. N.H. is currently the only state in New England which allows consumers and businesses to make the "smoking decision" for themselves, and last month's vote assures that the market - rather than state regs - will determine smoking policies in 2007.

While Free Staters have been on the winning side of many lobbying efforts in Concord, this victory for property rights is significant, because it's virtually certain things would have gone the other way were it not for the Free Stater immigration.

Since the Free State Project targeted New Hampshire for libertarian migration in 2003, about 150 hardcore freedom activists have trickled into the state, aiming to preserve its Live Free or Die culture and roll back government there to a third of its present size. Aided by the state's predisposition toward liberty and their own relentless involvement, these incoming activists had already achieved an impact completely out of proportion to their numbers.

But past Free Stater victories involved alliances with other groups such as gun rights organizations and homeschoolers. This is the first they have won on their own, with only the pro-liberty legislators as allies.

And it was a close fought battle. With the rest of New England now under the thrall of smoking bans, many of the state's traditional ban opponents (such as restaurant and bar owners) switched sides, leaving the novice liberty activists holding the line nearly unassisted. Libertarian volunteer-lobbyists were outnumbered about three to one in the hallways and hearing rooms, losing on this issue in the House of Representatives, lacking support from the governor and winning in the Senate by only a single vote. To become law, a New Hampshire bill must pass all three elected branches.

Narrow or not, the victory changes the course of New Hampshire history a bit, and for the first time ever, Free Staters can say they did it virtually alone.

May 14 article in the Concord Monitor:

http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060514/REPOSITORY/605140337/1265/48HOURS

Details on the Free State Project: www.FreeStateProject.org

[whd23]

You are wrong.

And you're not listening (reading?). I told you I had been to the site and not found any mention of the smoking ban bill.

The "news" section's (http://freestateproject.org/news/) latest entry is April 23, 2006.
The "press release" section's (http://freestateproject.org/news/releases/) latest entry is February 12, 2006.
And the current newsletter on the web site (http://freestateproject.org/news/fspnews/may2006) May 15, 2006 doesn't mention this smoking ban bill at all.

So how the heck am I wrong?

[CzarNicky]

about 150 hardcore freedom activists have trickled into the state,

150 people did this?

[Freedom4US]

I must say that this motto - "Live Free or Die", is extremely offensive, despite the fact that I live several states away, I implore the good residents of New Hampshire to choose something sensible.

[TYVets]

I must say that this motto - "Live Free or Die", is extremely offensive.

How about "Safe but a Slave"?

[AFreeBird]

What the heck is offensive about "Live Free or Die"?

[Calpernia]

>>>>And you're not listening (reading?). I told you I had been to the site and not found any mention of the smoking ban bill.

How many forums need I copy to satisfy you?

SMALL excerpt FROM their site:

The fire brigade has been activated in response to the likely passage of HB 1177, banning smoking in bars and restaurants. The bill will come to a vote for the full house on Thursday March 9. If it passes the house, it will become unstoppable, as the sentiment is clearly there in the senate for passage. This bill requires immediate attention and effort if it is to stop and the right of business owners to allow smoking on their property is to be respected.

If you are on the Fire Brigade and have not received the relevant email, please contact me ASAP. If you would like to join the brigade and help stop bad bills or support good ones, please contact me and I'll get you on the list. See the relevant thread to see what the Fire Brigade is and what you'll be asked to do.

---

Thanks Reardon; I've made a calendar entry for this.

so do we want our legislators to vote no or yes on the 1177 item that comes before them? I assume we want them to vote NAY on a committee's OTP recommendation? \\

Also Reardon could you please post right here some things that all of us can do about this whether we are on the fire brigade or not? why keep it a secret or keep it confined to email?

---

We want HB 1177 removed from the consent calendar -- and that WILL happen, regardless of our actions, and then we want the House to vote NAY on the OTP.

Here's what we're doing:

Each member is calling AND writing their own representatives.

Each member is emailing all 400 representatives.

Each member is then also calling an equal number of the representatives, to ensure they're all reached.

Each member will do his or her damndest to be at Concord on Thursday March 9 so we can speak to the representatives before they go into the chamber.

---

How about we get about 20 LTEs sent to the CM or MUL? One will probably be printed... maybe we can urge more people to contact their reps.

---

When is the full house vote on this?

---

So far I got 7 responses:
3 on the fence they will wait for the debate.
3 This bill sucks and will vote against it.
1 I suck because I want to make our country like Europe... This Repbulican read only my first two sentences(I assume).. I said I don't smoke. I don't like smoking. Yet I 100% disagree with this law. Then I listed several reasons why the bill sucked.
I emailed her back asking her to read my entire email and then comment.

[whd23]

How many forums need I copy to satisfy you?

Well this might be your first post of substance, so the jury's out on how many you'll need to copy.

"We want HB 1177 removed from the consent calendar -- and that WILL happen, regardless of our actions, and then we want the House to vote NAY on the OTP."

From the Concord Monitor article: "The smoking ban passed the House in March, 189-156..." So I guess they didn't have any effect on the house vote.

Look, it's a good thing this bill was defeated, I just haven't seen any proof that the Free Staters had anything to do with it.

[Calpernia]

"We want HB 1177 removed from the consent calendar -- and that WILL happen, regardless of our actions, and then we want the House to vote NAY on the OTP."

From the Concord Monitor article: "The smoking ban passed the House in March, 189-156..." So I guess they didn't have any effect on the house vote.

---

You obviously have some issue with the Free Staters. I really don't care what it is. I'm through with posting to you.

Below is from their activism that encompasses your bill number issues.

Welcome to my ignore list.



Anyone that cares about what the movement is doing, the Underground Forum is the Free Staters network of bloggers and activism.


Join the NH Underground Forum!


Senate Committee not recommending smoking ban

By Anne Saunders, Associated Press Writer | March 30, 2006

CONCORD, N.H. --A proposed ban on smoking in all restaurants and bars in New Hampshire is headed for a battle in the Senate next week.

With a tie vote, the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday ended up recommending against a statewide smoking ban.

But the issue has hardly been decided.

"There's strong feelings in both directions," noted Sen. Chuck Morse, who heads the committee. "I don't think there's any doubt there'll be speeches on the floor."

Six finance committee members divided equally for and against the legislation to ban smoking in all restaurants and bars. Without a majority recommending the bill, it goes to the full Senate with a report calling it "inexpedient to legislate."

Senate Democrats who endorsed the bill were upset that the smoking ban didn't get the committee's support, especially after dozens of people -- including one woman battling lung cancer attributed to second-hand smoke -- testified in favor of the ban Wednesday.

"This is not an economic issue. This is not a referendum on our great state motto, 'Live Free or Die.' This is simply a health issue, and a matter of doing what is right for our great state," Sen. David Gottesman, one of the bill's sponsors said in a statement.

Opponents argue it should be left up to restaurant and bar owners to decide whether to make their businesses smoke-free, noting that a majority already have taken that step.

The House passed the ban last week 189-156. The Senate is scheduled to vote on the bill on April 6. If it passes, the smoking ban would become law after 90 days.

Read


Senate panel split on smoking ban
By Tom Fahey
The 3-3 vote on House Bill 1177 means that under Senate procedures, the bill will emerge from committee with an “inexpedient to legislate” recommendation. The language is a polite way of saying the bill should be killed.

[whd23]

Welcome to my ignore list.

Thanks, it's nice to be here!

I don't have a problem with the Free Staters, I just don't accept, without proof, that they are actually having an effect on NH politics. Nothing you've posted has demonstrated that they are.

[traviskicks]

Wahoo! :)





Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.

[Eagle Eye]

Radicals.

Why can't they just let the politicians do as they please?

[EGPWS]

N.H. is currently the only state in New England which allows consumers and businesses to make the "smoking decision" for themselves,...

Gee, what an old, worn out, "rode hard and put away wet", concept!

[EGPWS]

I must say that this motto - "Live Free or Die", is extremely offensive.

How about "Safe but a Slave"?

Both motto's deemed politically incorrect.

After all, either motto is bound to offend somebody! ; )

[Freedom4US]

I bet "Shut Up And Die/Don't Ask Too Many Questions" is out of the running?

[EGPWS]

I bet "Shut Up And Die/Don't Ask Too Many Questions" is out of the running?

(gasp) Don't offend the blithering, droning on, and incoherent idiots for crying out loud!

[Cheapskate]

YIKES!

[TYVets]

"Disarmed and Dead"

Politically incorrect?

[Gabz]

I don't have a problem with the Free Staters, I just don't accept, without proof, that they are actually having an effect on NH politics. Nothing you've posted has demonstrated that they are.

But there has been nothing posted here to demonstrate that they are NOT.

I know plenty of people that sent emails and faxes and made phones calls (I know I'm repeating myself) on this issue, including myself and my husband (he's from NH).we have just as much right to claim we had something to do with this decision as anyone else that did the same thing, and we don't live in NH.

We get it that you don't like them claiming credit, fine, but you haven't shown anything to prove they had no impact on this issue, have you?

[TEEHEE]

"Give Me Safety or Give Me Death!"

[lesser_satan]

Yeah, but they just took over one little area (Galt's Gulch), not the whole state.