Episodios

  • Episode 32767: American Democracy Minute for March 14, 2022

    Episode 32767: American Democracy Minute for March 14, 2022
    Mar 14 2022
    You're listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping our government by and for the people. After months of promising an open and fair process, the NH Senate Election Law Committee voted last Monday to recommend two rigged voting districts for U.S. Congress and NH Executive Council to the full Senate. The NH Senate will vote on the gerrymandered maps on Thursday, March 17. Amendments to these maps have been rumored for months, but Republican party hardliners pressured the Election Law Committee to make no changes, despite almost universal condemnation in hearings in the NH House and Senate committees. The Congressional map gerrymanders to make both districts uncompetitive, guaranteeing the outcome of the election. The Executive Council map is a repeat of the 2010 “Dragon District,” which packs liberal-leaning towns into District 2, leaving adjoining districts more conservative. While Governor Chris Sununu has made statements asking for a redrawing of the maps, there is no evidence that the Governor's office has made counter proposals. It looks increasingly as if his comments were orchestrated for political cover rather than protection on the voters.  Whether floor amendments will be proposed Thursday is an open question. If the maps are approved, they head to Governor Sununu's desk.  Granny D said, “Democracy is not something we HAVE, it's something we DO.”  For the American Democracy Minute, I'm  Brian Beihl. 
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  • Episode 32767: Open Democracy Minute for February 28, 2022: A Light Week in the NH Legislature, but a Heavy Topic - Provisional Ballots

    Episode 32767: Open Democracy Minute for February 28, 2022: A Light Week in the NH Legislature, but a Heavy Topic - Provisional Ballots
    Feb 27 2022
    You're listening to the Open Democracy Minute, keeping Granite State government by and for the people.   It will be a light schedule in the NH Legislature this week, but we have a heavy topic to discuss:  “Provisional Ballots”. Senate Bill 418 had a hearing a few weeks ago and is coming up for a committee vote on March 7.   One of many “Stop the Steal” Big Lie bills this term, SB 418 aims to do away with New Hampshire’s system allowing a voter who doesn’t have all the necessary domicile documents or acceptable ID to sign a “Qualified Voter Affidavit,” vote, and have that vote count.   Doing so means you are subject to investigation by the Attorney General’s office, and potential fines or imprisonment if you lie.   SB 418 throws that system out, requiring any voter without those documents to fill out a “provision ballot” which does NOT count, unless you return within 14 days, incidentally after most elections have been called.  It also makes the ballot a different color and numbers it, ending the anonymity of the ballot.  AND, all voters who register same day, which in 2020 was just over 99,000 Granite Staters, would be subject to the same rule, as the town or city clerk verifies the registration information after the fact.   What’s this all about?   Who would keep 20% of voters from voting?   This voter suppression tactic targets young voters, particularly college students, to keep them from exercising their freedom to vote. NH Senators’ phone numbers can be found at the NH General Court website at gencourt.state.nh.us/ As Granny D said, “Democracy is not something we HAVE, it's something we DO.”  For the Open Democracy Minute, I'm Brian Beihl.
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  • Episode 32767: Open Democracy Minute for February 21, 2022: Gerrymandered NH House, Senate maps move forward; rigged Congressional, Exec. Council delayed until March

    Episode 32767: Open Democracy Minute for February 21, 2022: Gerrymandered NH House, Senate maps move forward; rigged Congressional, Exec. Council delayed until March
    Feb 21 2022
    You're listening to the Open Democracy Minute, keeping Granite State government by and for the people.   We billed last week’s report as a “reckoning” for NH Redistricting, which turned out to be only partially true.  February 14, as expected, the majority in NH Senate Election Law & Municipal Affairs committee did approve a modestly amended NH House redistricting map which denied 54 towns their own House districts, and a rigged NH Senate map proposal which locks in 15 to 16 majority seats – a veto-proof majority in a very purple state.  Then on February 16, the full NH Senate adopted both the maps, with the House maps returning to the House for a “concur” vote at the next full House session, and the NH Senate maps headed to a NH House Election Law committee which unlikely to find its moral compass. We HAD expected action on the Executive Council and Congressional maps, but the latest would indicate we won’t see any further action in the NH Senate until March.   Governor Chris Sununu has made statements that he would like both heavily gerrymandered maps changed.   Others in his party are urging the Senate Election Law & Municipal Affairs committee to make no changes and keep the rigged districts. Voters, despite hundreds testifying against the maps, have so far been ignored. As Granny D said, “Democracy is not something we HAVE, it's something we DO.”  For the Open Democracy Minute, I'm Brian Beihl.
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  • Episode 32767: Open Democracy Minute for February 14, 2022: A Week of Reckoning on NH Redistricting

    Episode 32767: Open Democracy Minute for February 14, 2022: A Week of Reckoning on NH Redistricting
    Feb 14 2022
    You're listening to the Open Democracy Minute, keeping Granite State government by and for the people.  We expect a week of reckoning on the NH redistricting process.   Public statements by Governor Chris Sununu asked for changes to the gerrymandered Congressional map, one of a suite of rigged maps for NH Senate, Executive Council and NH House.   The House and Senate maps have now been approved by the Senate Election Law committee along party lines, and will be taken up by the full Senate this Wednesday.  Then HB 50 and SB 240 go back to the House, which is expected to “concur” on the amendments made last week.   For the Congressional and Executive Council maps, however, we are expecting a committee vote Monday, Jan. 14.  Whether we get amendments improving these maps is still not clear, and due to NH Senate rules, the public may not get another hearing, even if the substantial changes are made.  Last week’s amendment to HB 50 wasn’t available until the meeting started, no map was ever produced, and while the text of the amendment was finally shared - four days AFTER it was voted on in committee.  The redistricting process has been just about as transparent as a NH mud season.  As Granny D said, “Democracy is not something we HAVE, it's something we DO.”  For the Open Democracy Minute, I'm Brian Beihl.
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  • Episode 32767: Open Democracy Minute for February 7, 2022: Stop the Steal activists trying to stop the use of voting machines in NH towns

    Episode 32767: Open Democracy Minute for February 7, 2022: Stop the Steal activists trying to stop the use of voting machines in NH towns
    Feb 7 2022
    You're listening to the Open Democracy Minute, keeping Granite State government by and for the people.  A small but vocal group of Stop the Steal activists have been making the rounds in New Hampshire.  As a voter, you have reason to be concerned. For some weeks, proponents of the Big Lie of voter fraud narrative have been organizing a “petitioned warrant article” in 20 towns around the state which use the annual “Town Meeting” format.   This warrant article would remove the use of voting machines in town elections, under the misguided assertion that these optical ballot reading machines are subject to hacking and fraud.  This theory has been discredited, and a first attempt in the back in December 2021, the effort was defeated by sensible voters in the Town of Greenland, 1070 to 20.    Problem is, this Stop the Steal faction forgot to consult with the moderators, town clerks, supervisors of the checklist and ballot clerks who are the backbone of New Hampshire’s election system.   Ballot counting machines are more accurate, save hours of time, save taxpayer dollars, and have been proven over years of use to be very reliable.   More alarming, is the state legislature, where legislators who know better have proposed bills trying to restrict voting machines and require the use of paper ballots.  While the people espousing these bills might not understand, the legislators know that the true aim of these bills is to undermine our election system and implement deliberate barriers to voting.       As Granny D said, “Democracy is not something we HAVE, it's something we DO.”  For the Open Democracy Minute, I'm Brian Beihl.
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  • Episode 32767: Open Democracy Minute for February 1, 2022: A NH Senate Hearing on NH House and Congressional Maps

    Episode 32767: Open Democracy Minute for February 1, 2022: A NH Senate Hearing on NH House and Congressional Maps
    Feb 1 2022
    You're listening to the Open Democracy Minute, keeping Granite State government by and for the people.   A fascinating NH Senate Election Law & Municipal Affairs committee hearing on Monday, as the House-approved Congressional & NH House voting districts had a public hearing.   The House-approved HB 50 NH House district map has been updated with an amendment, giving one more rep to Manchester, changing a district in Concord, and giving Berlin its own House district.  Chairwoman Barbara Griffin also indicated that there is another amendment pending, which would give two unspecified towns in Rockingham County their own House districts. No amendments yet on the rigged HB 52 Congressional voting district map, which rendered both CD 1 and C2 uncompetitive.  Governor Chris Sununu has asked for the map to be changed, but reportedly there have been no amendments or conversations between the Governor’s office and the committee.  Behind the scenes there have been compromise amendments for both the gerrymandered Congressional and NH Senate districts which would make the maps competitive again, but so far there has been no indication that the Republican majority will budge from the rigged maps.   Voters testifying at the hearing almost universally condemned the maps, as majority appeared disinterested in their comments.   Observers think that the Senate committee will vote on the proposals within the next two weeks, and the full Senate the week after.  IAs Granny D said, “Democracy is not something we HAVE, it's something we DO.”  For the Open Democracy Minute, I'm Brian Beihl.
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  • Episode 32767: Open Democracy Minute for January 24, 2022: Two good democracy bills in the NH Legislature this Week - for a change!

    Episode 32767: Open Democracy Minute for January 24, 2022: Two good democracy bills in the NH Legislature this Week - for a change!
    Jan 24 2022
    You're listening to the Open Democracy Minute, keeping Granite State government by and for the people.  Happy Granny D Day, honoring America’s campaign finance reformer Doris “Granny D” Haddock on her January 24 birthday.   There are two good bills in the NH Legislature this week, after the two previous weeks of Big Lie-fueled voter suppression bills.   On Monday, January 24, the NH Senate hears SB 425, a reintroduction of 2021 proposal for an online voter information portal.   This would allow voters to directly upload registration documents, changes of address, or a change of party affiliation into a NH Secretary of State administered database, where town & city clerks would review the information before approval.  Such a system would be more convenient to voters, and save local election officials time and money, but it was killed last year by anti-democracy legislators in the NH House. Then on Thursday, January 27, the NH House Judiciary committee considers HB 1014, which would allow the public to testify via Zoom, but would also allow legislators to be able to participate and vote remotely.   A lawsuit is also pending in the NH courts which would allow immuno-compromised legislators to participate remotely.    Pandemic aside, when interactive online access was used in 2020 and early 2021, the number of voters testifying and listening surged.   As Granny D said, “Democracy is not something we HAVE, it's something we DO.”  For the Open Democracy Minute, I'm Brian Beihl.
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  • Episode 32767: Open Democracy Minute for January 17, 2022: Several Big Lie-Fueled bills before the NH Legislature

    Episode 32767: Open Democracy Minute for January 17, 2022: Several Big Lie-Fueled bills before the NH Legislature
    Jan 17 2022
    You're listening to the Open Democracy Minute, keeping Granite State government by and for the people.    It’s only January 17th, and already this year the majority in the NH House has passed gerrymandered House & Congressional maps, and introduced several bills based on fabricated accusations of voter fraud.    HB 1542 and SB 418 try to bypass New Hampshire’s Qualified Voter Affidavit, which allows registering voters who are missing a piece of documentation to vote and have it count.  The proposed provisional ballot system, used in other voter suppression states like Texas, could disenfranchise a voter unless they come back with the document that day. HB 1567 would allow citizens to bring lawsuits against their election officials if they perceive that the election official did something with which they don’t agree.   Several bills heard last week are attempting to stop the use of ballot counting machines, instead, demanding that all ballots be on paper, and that all ballots be counted by hand in even our largest cities.   NH election officials are understandably alarmed, because such a reckless move would make counting ballots take longer, be less accurate, and cost more money. Hearings on some of these Big Lie bills take place this week in NH House & Senate Election law. As Granny D said, “Democracy is not something we HAVE, it's something we DO.”  For the Open Democracy Minute, I'm Brian Beihl.
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