State Budget on the Brink and we get Guns in the State House?

Posted By on Jan 5, 2011 | 7 comments

It was just a short month ago that I was privileged to sit down with NH’s incoming Speaker of the House William O’Brien and Senate President Peter Bragdon to gain insight to their respective thoughts regarding the election day message from November.

I was heartened to hear both of them, quite emphatically stating, that the only mandate was to get the economy moving again and the state budget back on track.

“Our mandate is to get back to the fiscally conservative roots of our state,” says Bragdon told me. “But there wouldn’t be a mandate if we hadn’t gone through four years of unbridled taxing and spending.”

Speaker O’Brien said, “the Democrats never talked about gay marriage or euthanasia during the 2008 campaign, and voters didn’t like the surprise when they got into office. Our concentration must be centered around fulfilling our campaign promises.”

So I had to wonder about the attendance of both Senator Bragdon and Speaker O’Brien yesterday at a committee vote to repeal the ban on guns on the State House grounds. Whether you agree with the outcome or not, the perception runs contrary to the impression both gentleman left me with just one month ago. I sincerely doubt that there were many, if any, voters who went to the ballot box in November hoping this would be the new legislature’s first official act.

Author: Shawn Millerick

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  • joekelly

    Is this a democrat talking points website? who gives a hoot what the republicans ar working on as lomng as it includes fixing the mess Lynch and his democrat pals left us with?

  • Jacklmack

    The second amendment protection is always on the short list of things to tent to. If your reporter can’t understand this basic principal perhaps you need to replace the reporter.

  • Joe Dion

    Whether or not you agree with the issue of guns in the State House Shawn Millerick is dead right. There are several more pressing issues that need to be addressed.

    • whocares

      dems spent four years on social issues and look what it did to the state, repubs can walk and chew gum at the same time, so relax with the dem talking points about the financial crisis that you beleieve every singl one of the 293 republican state reps are ALL supposed to ONLY work on. Do you realize what a bunch of idiots you people sound like when you trumpet the dem talking points about the one and ONLY job republciansare supposed to work on. Seriously, Dion, what happened to your mind?

      • Joe Dion

        Kelly I would have to say you should improve your reading skills and probably your mental capacity. As I did not agree or disagree with the “Gun Issue” at the State House I and many other sound minded Republicans realize that we as Rebulicans can right the ship with all issues but first must tackle the fiscal issues first. We must also remind ourselves that undeclared voter put us in office and take us out. Maybe if you could see through your clouded comments sometimes I could be calling you Senator Levassuer instead of Kelly in this reply.

  • Anonymous

    Had to follow outside links to really understand what this was about; one of the most disjointed, incoherent bits of allegedly professional writing (I shan’t even grace it with the dignity of ‘journalism’) I’ve come across in a while. Reads more like something from the sewers of Yahoo Answers. But I’m sure Shawn has terrific self-esteem and celebrates diversity with the best, and that’s what counts, right?

  • http://www.billohm.com Rep. Bill Ohm

    It’s just a rule change, among several others, to start the legislative session. A one day debate that is now over. Rules are established and voted on before the business of House can go forward. Now the real work begins.