An election is a beginning, not an ending

As I write this, Election Day is here. I’m preparing to spend the afternoon serving as an election volunteer along with some neighbors. First, I’ll vote.

And then what?

Do you know what you’ll be doing when the election is over, no matter who wins?

Among my personal crusades is to eliminate catastrophic thinking among pro-life voters. I’ve fallen prey to it now and then myself, and I know what a time-waster it is. Here’s what I mean: So-and-so has to win or it’ll be a disaster. Life as we know it will end if this-or-that candidate wins. There’s no turning back if these people get re-elected.

Sound familiar?

Yes, election results can be awful. Life as we know it can change. There’s no going back to yesterday. Accept all that, and then keep going: and then what?

Concord watch begins; bookmark this page

The New Hampshire House and Senate will get down to the people’s business tomorrow, coincidentally giving me material for six months worth of blog posts.

Take down some basic information for future reference. Too basic, you say? Not to everyone. Thank God, more and more pro-life people are stepping into civic engagement. This is for anyone new to the process.

The legislative portal is http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/. It looks like this:

Links on this page will take you to contact information for your representatives in House and Senate. Use the State Legislation Dashboard session to find out about a specific bill or how your representatives voted. Roll call votes will be online a short time after they’re cast. House and Senate calendars are posted online weekly on Thursday evenings, with printed copies available in the House Clerk’s office on Fridays (State House, third floor). That’s where you’ll find out when and where hearings will be held. Few hearings are on the calendar yet, but things will pick up next week.

But wait, there’s more!

The executive branch wants to hear from you, too. Governor Hassan has her own pages, with contact information. Executive Councilors will be sworn in later this week, at which time the Council’s web page will be updated with current contact information (although the only change from the last term is the welcome return of David Wheeler to the Council in district 5).

Let’s keep track of the action in Concord together – not as spectators, but as pro-life New Hampshirites with vital concerns.