by James E. Rivers
You can chalk up another one for “transparency in government” in the New Hampshire House of Representatives today. In a private, closed-door, session in Concord, Speaker Terie Norelli brought together House Democrats on both the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules and the Ways & Means committee for a private briefing on the LLC tax with Revenue Commissioner Kevin Clougherty.
“By ignoring the Republicans who serve their constituents on those vital committees, Speaker Norelli is telling the people of New Hampshire that their opinion doesn’t count in this matter. Rep. Norelli is supposed to be the speaker of the entire House, but it is clear through this move that she considers herself the speaker of only House Democrats,” said Rep. David Hess (R-Hooksett), the Deputy House Republican Leader.
In sending an email only to Democrats on the committees, Speaker Norelli said that the update “should be very informative and helpful to us [Democrats] at this point in the session.”
“Apparently the speaker doesn’t feel that the issue is important enough to include all legislators on the committees,” added House Republican Leader Sherm Packard (R-Londonderry). “I find it interesting that while Commissioner Clougherty cannot find the time to ‘brief’ the public in the southern tier of the state, and has refused numerous requests to do so; he did manage to find time to be a part of this secret meeting.”
“I am very concerned that, after all the questions and concerns raised at the public forums about the enactment of the LLC Income Tax in the dead of night, without a public hearing, the Democrat leadership would have yet another closed door meting with the Commissioner of DRA. This is how we got into this mess to begin with,” said Senior Assistant House Republican Leader Gene Chandler (R-Bartlett).
The back-door meeting is just another example of a series of moves by the Democrats in the last three years to ignore the process. “Secrecy is not the exception, it has become the norm. They added this tax in the middle of the night, without a public hearing, and now they are trying to pervert the process with secret, one-sided briefings and preferential treatment,” concluded Hess.
James E. Rivers
House Republican Office
107 North Main St.
Concord, NH 03301
603-271-6277
www.nhhousegop.com