The 2013-14 New Hampshire legislature was sworn in this morning, with House Speaker Terie Norelli (D-Portsmouth) urging an end to “harshness.” Regular business starts in January. Reps and senators have until this Friday, December 7, to submit proposed bills (LSRs, or legislative service requests). Yes, I’m watching.
No surprises in either House or Senate leadership. Dems run the House, Republicans run the Senate, no quarrels about who gets to wield the gavels (Norelli in the House, Sen. Peter Bragdon of Milford in the Senate).
Yesterday, the House Republican Alliance elected Reps. Pam Tucker of Greenland, Al Baldasaro of Londonderry, and Carol McGuire of Epsom as co-chairs. This conservative & decidedly unofficial group was extremely effective in the minority two sessions ago. I look forward to their weekly “pink sheets” again.
I chatted at length this morning with Pastor Garrett Lear, who (so I hear) gave a remarkable opening prayer at this morning’s Executive Council meeting. I should have been there instead of fruitlessly searching for a seat in the packed House gallery. Pastor Lear and I have been in NH’s pro-life trenches for years now numbering in the decades. We spoke of loyal opposition and about being in the minority – hardly a new place for either of us! Minorities, like majorities, are temporary. Pro-life work, as with other development of our culture, goes on no matter who’s in charge.
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Which brings me to the news that I have returned to Cornerstone, or rather Cornerstone has returned to me as a client. I’m very happy to be back at the State House & the LOB to lobby, track bills, listen to hearings, and suchlike.
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The Family Research Council is having a webcast on the 13th with Karen Handel, the former Komen for the Cure executive who has gone public on the messy and outrageous details behind Planned Parenthood’s arm-twisting of Komen. Find & read Handel’s book Planned Bullyhood, if you haven’t already done so. Terrible (though accurate) title, compelling story.
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From the Diocese of Manchester web site:
Join over 300 people from NH traveling to Washington, DC for the March for Life and Pilgrimage of Faith from January 24-25, 2013. Limited spaces for packages with transportation and hotel are available. For more information, e-mail Valerie_lynn_somers@comcast.net or visit www.catholicnh.org/life.
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Observing Advent is an annual act of cultural defiance for me. Working retail for a few years made me appreciate how terrible is the rhythm of a two-month “Christmas” season that begins with Halloween and stops with a dead thud on December 26. Ste. Marie’s in Manchester NH had a wonderful Lessons and Carols service the other day. If a church in your area has such a program, check it out. Now if only I could find something like that the week after Christmas, which is after all during the real Christmas season. In the meantime, happy Advent!
Leaven for the Loaf 