Author Archive

The lopsided margin of the slots vote in the Senate yesterday, 16-8 with all Democrats on board except Martha Fuller Clark, would lead all but the least cynical to believe that the deal has already been cut, that Governor Lynch has flipped yet again and has sent behind the scenes signals to Democrats that the [...]

By the time the vote for House Bill 73, John Lynch’s forced feeding addition to the gay marriage bill, came in late afternoon, only the margin of victory (22 votes at 198-176) was at all surprising.  By 10:10 when the clerk read the list of approved absenses, it should have been clear to anyone who [...]

By Rep Steve Vaillancourt (wearing the numbers crunching hat)
I had such positive feedback with my numbers crunching on the gay marriage votes that I took all the roll calls with me as I hit the road Memorial Day weekend.  While sitting in a Second Cup Coffee Shop in Montreal, I reread some of the emails villifying [...]

Congratulations to Rep Neal Kurk for his work on the Hillsborough County budget, in particular today’s session of the $15 million conty nursing home budget.  In these tough times, Rep Kurk has it absolutely right.  It’s as important to pare back county govt as it is state and local govt.  Rep Kurk’s plan to ask [...]

I’m offering this exclusive for redhampshire.com not as a State Rep (although I am one) but as a numbers cruncher, someone who spends nights wading through roll call votes–I know it’s a strange way to get pleasure but hey, to each his own.  Just like with gay marriage, to each his own.  Having been villified by [...]

At 2:20 p.m. Thursday, May 14, Governor John Lynch told the press that he will sign the gay marriage bill (House Bill 436 with its accompanying fix) if further changes are made.  He apparently wants more guarantees in religious protections to come in SB73 which could fail when it comes back to the House.  If [...]

I’m one of 21 State Representatives who serves on the Hillsborough County Executive Committee which will be recommending a new county budget after Memorial Day weekend.  We’re going through various department budgets throughout the month, and all indications are that the County Commissioners (one Democrat and two Republicans) have passed along a budget with lots of increases [...]

This is my first in this new site and often, especially when it comes to fiscal issues, I will agree with the red forces, but today I am ashamed to say that I am one of only seven New Hampshire Republicans who had the courage to stand up, resist the pressure from outside special interest [...]