Nope, it's not too late to help protect civil rights and liberties in New Hampshire:
- Book ban: Gov. Ayotte has the power to veto a bill meant to create a chilling effect for educators while making it easier to ban books in classrooms and school libraries. This has to do specifically with HB 324. Tell her to veto this bill when it gets to her desk.
- An anti-liberty budget: Lawmakers are putting together a state budget which contradicts our state's values of freedom, equality, and community. It would strip away the civil rights and liberties of NH citizens. Every two years new budgets are passed, focusing on state finances. Unfortunately, legislators in the majority party have run with this opportunity to add a bunch of non-financial, grossly harmful, hateful and unpopular policies into the budget. A few examples; a vague and broad state ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), a devastating rollback of anti-discrimination protections for transgender people which would allow policies like bathroom bans to become law in NH, eliminate the NH Family Planning Program, which supports vital reproductive and sexual health care services like no-cost and low-cost birth control, cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, pregnancy testing and counseling, and more. Send your message here.
- Attacks on birth control: There are two bills that could ban confidential birth control for teenagers. These bills are brought to you by the same people who would force a young woman to give birth and a few years later deny the child school lunches. A little more information on SB 72 and HB 10, the bills in question. Let your voice be heard here.
- More government interference in healthcare: There are two bills, HB 377 and HB 712 that not only meddles in the private healthcare decisions of families but would ban some healthcare options for young transgender people. The majority party is always touting their belief in “freedom”, “personal choice” and “liberty”, except when it comes to issues they have no business meddling in. Protect bodily autonomy here.
- Raising the human cost of sentencing: Lawmakers are also considering two "mandatory minimum" bills, which are arbitrary, one-size-fits-all sentences that have been proven to be ineffective, unjust, and expensive. NH doesn’t need more mass incarceration, amounting to over punishing people for certain drug-related crimes. No to mandatory minimum.
There is still time to make your voice heard and let your elected officials know that, as their constituent, you want them to oppose this terrible legislation.
We are stronger when we stand together!