Then Maggie and Grace have an extended beginning of the session interview with NH House Minority Leader Rennie Cushing. They discuss the legislature’s attempts to meet in a socially distanced manner during this Covid-19 pandemic, as well as previewing a number of legislative issues that could or should come before the House this session.

The post State House Watch, January 11, 2021 appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.

State House Watch with AFSC’s Maggie Fogarty.

For the last State House Watch radio edition of 2020, Maggie reviews the remaining
legislative schedule, and then spends the hour with her co-host Arnie Alpert as he begins his retirement after nearly 40 years with AFSC-New Hampshire.

Maggie discusses covid-19 related NH Government response State House resources,
and the Governor’s commission on law enforcement, and more on the Governor’s activities.
The NH Senate will be taking up omnibus bills, which will then move to the House on
Tuesday. How many will the Governor veto?The State House Watch Newsletter will sum up the week’s legislative action, and later will be back with a wrap up of the 2020 session.

Special State House Watch feature interview: Arnie Alpert’s retirement.

Arnie’s first ever visit to Concord was in the aftermath of his Seabrook arrest in the 1970’s. He
met over a thousand other activists as a member of the Clamshell Alliance, which brought
him back to New Hampshire after college, where he eventually hooked up with the AFSC.
The Clamshell alliance, a no nukes movement, was more than just a single issue movement,
it had a local focus but a global reach. Music was a big part of the movement, as Charlie King was there, who went on to create Bright Morning Star, and the People’s Music Network.
Song: — Charlie King: “Acres of Clams” —
Experiencing the discipline and trust among thousands of Clamshell activists previously
unknown to each other inspired Arnie to spend his career deeply involved in active non-
violence. Women played an active and visible role in the movement.
Clamshell’s founding document was the “Declaration of Nuclear Resistance”.
Arnie served as Communications Coordinator for the  Martin Luther King Day movement in New
Hampshire. His tireless activism is based on relationships among people.
Song: –Lillian Buckley (of the Red Brick Baptist Church, Exeter) – “When in the Granite
State.” —
Arnie’s Role as an individual, and AFSC’s role.
Arnie’s learning about the operation of the Legislature, in service to others’ advocacy.
AFSC’s is based in Quaker values.
Just a few of Arnie’s highlights include work with youth activists; Bird Dogging at the New Hampshire Primary; Immigrants’ rights movement.
Song — Woody Guthrie’s “I Guess I Planted” with Billy Bragg & Wilco —
Song — John McCutcheon’s “Know When to Move” — Rebel Voices.–
Arnie retires during a time of extreme perils, and potential.
Act on short term goals while keeping an  ‘over the horizon’ perspective.
Song: — “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize”, Mavis Staples–
Closing song: — “There’s a Bright Side Somewhere”, Ry Cooder, and finally Rev. Gary
Davis.

The post State House Watch, June 29, 2020 appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.

Maggie spoke with Elissa Margolin of Housing Action NH, who gave an update on homeless services and the governor’s just-announced Housing Relief Fund.

We also played excerpts from Saturday’s Poor People’s Campaign Digital Mass Meeting, including a segment on challenging militarism and the war economy with powerful words from Asma Elhuni.

This week’s musical selections included old but disturbingly relevant songs from Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacColl, “Song of Choice” and “The Ballad of Accounting.”  We also played “America de los Indios” by Daniel Valdez from the “Rolas de Aztlan” collection and a new tune from Backline, “If Corona Don’t Get Me then the Quarantine Will.”

The post State House Watch – June 22, 2020 appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.

The NH House met last week at the Whittemore Center, normally a hockey arena at UNH in Durham but transformed for a day into a venue for almost 400 State Representatives to meet while safely spaced apart.  Members of Raise Up NH were there to prod lawmakers to re-establish and raise the minimum wage to one that enables workers to meet essential needs.  Maggie and Arnie were there, too.  Arnie captured the sounds of legislators getting health screenings on the way in an spoke to Representatives Mary Jane Wallner, Howard Moffett, Suzanne Vail, Ryan Buchanan, and Judith Spang.   He also spoke with some of the activists, including Viola Katusiime of the Granite State Organizing Project and the Rev. David Grishaw Jones from the Community Church of Durham.  As Maggie and Arnie describe, Republican legislators blocked most bills from approval.  They’ll be back in two weeks, with some of the same issues incorporated into bills now in the care of the Senate, which meets on June 16.

Senator Hennessey, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, described the process by which Senators have been assembling omnibus bills with multiple provisions attached to ones already approved by the House.  One of them, covering several criminal justice issues, bars police from using chokeholds, requires law enforcement officers to report malfeasance committed by other officers, and in most cases blocks the state from privatizing its jails and prisons.

Amanda Sears of the Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy provides an update on proposals to create a system of family medical leave, the importance of which has been made more apparent by the coronavirus pandemic.  The bill has already cleared the House and Senate, which means after some paperwork gets done it will move to the governor’s desk.  Last year, he vetoed a similar bill and made deceptive claims that the financing mechanism for the program is an “income tax.”

The pandemic and the exposure of police brutality against African Americans has stimulated an outpouring of creativity.  This week we’ve got several powerful new songs plus a couple of old ones reminding us that the fight against fascism never ends.

The post State House Watch – June 15, 2020 appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.

We’ll also hear from Jeanne Hruska, the political director for the ACLU-NH, about legislation bearing on police accountability and the disparate impact of school discipline on students of color and those with disabilities.  She and Maggie also discuss how the legislature is approaching its final weeks of the 2020 session.

At his news conference Friday, Governor Chris Sununu described the status of his Main Street business bailout plan and the latest timelines for opening up access to beaches, restaurants, and outdoor activities.  We’ve got highlights.

On the culture side, we’ve got a spirited rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” from the We Are the Future Big Band, the classic Sam Cooke song, “A Change is Gonna Come,” and a recitation of Langston Hughes’ “Let American Be America Again” by Charles Belfor.

The post State House Watch – June 8, 2020 appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.

Our interviews this week were with Senator Melanie Levesque, who chairs the Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee; Rogers Johnson, president of the Seacoast branch of the NAACP and chair of the Governor’s Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion; and Fiona Davis-Walsh, who organized a Black Lives Matter demonstration Sunday in Conway.

Senator Levesque’s comments were recorded from a presentation to Open Democracy’s Granny D Legacy Committee.  After praising the example of Doris “Granny D” Haddock, she spoke about the challenge of getting money out of politics and described her efforts to expand voting rights.  Senator Levesque said she will propose an “aspirational” voting reform bill when the Senate reconvenes, as well as a proposal reflecting the work of the Secretary of State’s Committee on Emergency Elections Support, which is expected to complete its recommendations this week.

Speaking with Maggie, Rogers Johnson expressed his reaction to recent acts of racist violence and expressed hope that relationships built up over time between community groups representing people of color and law enforcement leaders can still generate forward steps.  He said he finds encouragement in the actions of young leaders who are stepping up even in such distressing times.  He also described the creation last week of a special task force looking into disparate impacts on people of color from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fiona Davis-Walsh told Arnie that the Conway demonstration was called in response not only to the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and others, but also as a reaction to the recent violent arrest of Jean Saint Preux in Albany, New Hampshire, close to where she lives. “Racism and police brutality are health crises,” she said.

Our first musical selections this week was “Ella’s Song” from Sweet Honey in the Rock, based on the words of Ella Baker, whose essential role in the 20^th century African American freedom movement was largely behind-the-scenes and in support of young activists.  We also played Phil Ochs’ “Rehearsals for Retirement,” expressing his despair after the state violence he experienced in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic Convention.

The post State House Watch – June 1, 2020 appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.

Rep. Schultz told Maggie what she’s expecting – and hoping for – when the House convenes at the Whittemore Arena at UNH in Durham on June 11.  She’s expecting a pared down agenda from where the 2020 legislative session started, with a focus on bills deemed responsive to the coronavirus pandemic.  That should include her bill to raise the state’s minimum wage, in steps over several years, to $15 an hour.  Other progressive priorities she mentioned include sentencing reform, paid sick leave, and no-excuse absentee voting.  She also described the importance of giving more attention to the needs of workers by committees looking at procedures for re-opening businesses.

Olivia Zink’s comments focused on voting rights at a time when town and city halls are closed and when polling sites could be places where physical distancing is hard to achieve.  Reforms that Open Democracy advocates include making it easier for voters to register and cast absentee ballots, a point being made at the Secretary of State’s Select Committee on 2020 Emergency Election Support and in legislation likely to come up next month.  Olivia has additional, specific suggestions for how the state should use CARES Act resources to make voting more fair and more accessible.  She also encourages everyone who cares about the health of democracy to listen in on the Secretary of State’s Select Committee meetings.  (Find the schedule and more information here.)

Our Memorial Day music included songs from Billy Bragg, Buffy Saint Marie, John Prine, Nina Simone, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, and Little Steven.

The post State House Watch – May 25, 2020 Memorial Days Songs and Interviews appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.

Last Friday, Governor Sununu outlined plans to spend $595 million, roughly half of the state’s share of the federal CARES Act appropriation.  Under the governor’s plan, most of the funds would go out in grants to private businesses according to criteria that have not yet been developed.

Councilor Volinsky said the governor has cut the Executive Council out of decisions on how to spend the money, despite the Council’s constitutionally defined role as a check on the governor’s authority.   Moreover, Volinsky said the governor has offered only the thinnest of details on his plans.  Volinsky objected to plans to spend public funds on religious education and commented on the governor’s refusal to conclude a collective bargaining process with unions representing state workers.

Volinsky, who as a private attorney spent 30-years representing a man on death row in Georgia and finally won commutation for Jimmy Meaders in January, said the police reaction to the recent killing of Ahmaud Arbery is disturbingly typical of Glyn County.

Victoria Adewumi described a recent report from NH FPI showing the coronavirus is having a disproportionate impact on people of color in New Hampshire, just as it is in other states.   The report says, “Economic factors such as poverty and lower incomes, and the related implications for housing options, access to health care services, and available alternatives for avoiding the virus related to distancing, work, and providing care are likely contributing to these disparities.”  That points to underlying injustices, she said, which existed long before the pandemic hit and for which solutions have likewise been well understood by public health experts for some time.

Arnie brought a recording device to yesterday’s “Never Again Means Now” rally outside the Strafford County Jail in Dover.  Today’s show will give you a bit of the flavor of the action, with the voices of Tess George, Mary Provencal-Fogarty, Isaac Grimm, and Sebastian Fuentes, followed by commentary from Maggie on the current status of efforts to free civilly detained immigrants from detention in a hazardous environment.

With so much change in the air, we had to play a selection from David Bowie.

The post State House Watch – May 18, 2020 appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.

Senator Feltes, who represents Concord, Hopkinton, Henniker, and Warner and serves as Senator Majority Leader outlined policy choices he supports, for example increasing access to testing and protecting the rights of workers.  He also explained the conflict between the governor and other elected officials over authority to spend federal COVID-19 relief and recovery funds.  Senator Feltes told Maggie he believes legislators will get back to work on their 2020 agenda in June.

Joan Ascheim, Executive Director of the NH Public Health Association, spoke with Arnie about the work of the Equity Task Force convened by the Association last month.  In recent weeks, the Association has sent letters to the governor urging attention to vulnerable workers and those who reside and work in correctional facilities.  She also spoke about changes need to address food insecurity intensified by the pandemic and its economic consequences.

Maggie and Arnie reviewed recent developments, including the Stay-at-Home 2.0 process, which includes re-opening of several sectors.  They gave a shout-out to Nancy West and InDepthNH, which has been covering the state’s response to the pandemic and trying to make them more transparent.  Check out InDepthNH, too, for call-in information about the various task forces now meeting to allocate federal funds and adjust the voting system.

On the music side, we played two songs Joyce Andersen performed at her 3^rd annual Mother’s Day Concert last Saturday over YouTube.  From a thoroughly great set of traditional and original songs, we selected Joyce’s anti-war anthem, “Filled with Love,” and the traditional hymn, “Bright Morning Star Arising,” both performed with accompaniment from Harvey Reid.  Go to joyscream.com for information on Joyce’s concerts, recordings, and postcards.

And since Maggie spent the weekend painting her living room, we also played a live version of Lou and Peter Berryman singing and asking, “Why Am I Painting the Living Room?”

The post State House Watch – May 11, 2020 appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.

Organized in 1975, the Philadelphia Area Project on Occupational Safety and Health (PhilaPOSH) was the second organization formed in the United States by unions, health and legal professionals that focused on health and safety issues faced by workers and their unions.  Barbara Rahke was their director until her recent retirement; that’s why we called on her to speak a bit about what workers need to know to stay safe on the job.

Arnie brought his recorder to Never Again’s third “car rally” at Strafford Corrections on Sunday, where activists called for release of immigrants from detention.   We’ve got the voices of Eva Castillo, Isaac Grimm, Sebastian Fuentes, Laura Aronson, and Josie Pinto in the story, plus songs and chants.  Next week’s rally will be on Saturday, not Sunday.

This week’s music included Anne Feeney, singing the labor classic, “We Just Come to Work Here, We Don’t Come to Die,” and Ben Grosscup’s story about Nancy the Med Surge nurse, to the tune of “Charlie and the MTA.”   We also played the haunting, “Sunset on Louisiane” by Hart Rouge and the song/chant, “Circle Round for Freedom.”

The post State House Watch – May 4, 2020 – Gov Sununu’s Stay-at-Home 2.0 appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.

With Rep. Wallner, we discussed the ongoing power struggle between the legislature and the governor over authority to accept and spend federal funds.  Last week, Judge David Anderson threw out a legislative lawsuit on procedural grounds.  Kile Adumene discussed how the coronavirus pandemic has affected people of color and placed stress on workers and people who are homeless.  Erin Hale described efforts to address food insecurity, including efforts to bolster local food production.  Visit NH Food Alliance’s resources on Covid-19 and the state’s food system here.

Musical selections included two versions of “There’s a Bright Side, Somewhere,” performed by Rev. Gary Davis and Ry Cooder.

The post State House Watch, April 27, 2020 appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.

Janice called attention to a petition posted at https://usmailnotforsale.org/.  Adam talked about two online petitions, one calling on President Trump to invoke the Defense Production Act and order GE to produce ventilators, the other calling on General Electric to implement measures to protect the health of its workforce.

Arnie and Maggie also provided brief updates on voting rights, the power struggle between the governor and the legislature over pandemic relief spending, and the recent lawsuit calling for release of immigrants from detention at the county jail in Dover.

Our musical selections for the week were “When I Get to Heaven” from John Prine, “Julian of Norwich” performed by Ann Mayo Muir, Ed Trickett, and Gordon Bok, and “Mister Lonely” from Bobbie Vinton.

The post State House Watch – April 20, 2020 – Workers on the Front Line appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.

On the theme of voting rights, our musical selections were Kim Harris’ version of “If You Miss Me at the Back of the Bus” and a rousing version of “Woke Up This Morning” led by the immortal Fannie Lou Hamer.   And since it spoke to the times in which we live, we played a reggae tune by Quito Rymer, “Mixed Up World.”

The post State House Watch – April 13, 2020 appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.

On this week’s episode, Senate President Donna Soucy provides an update on plans for legislative meetings despite the distancing required in the pandemic.  We have some audio clips from leaders of the Poor People’s Campaign, Rev. Liz Theoharis and Rev. William Barber, plus commentary from Debbie Opramolla of the NH PPC.  Sang Yeob Kim gives late-breaking news on the latest ACLU lawsuit calling for release of a Guatemalan asylum seeker now being held in theCounty Jail.  Our musical selections come from John Prine, Native Daughters, Malvina Reynolds, and Mister Cumbia.

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The post State House Watch, March 23, 2020 appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.

– “Better Get Yer Lernin” – Songs of Our Native Daughters –

Rep. Pat Long of Manchester, Chair of Child and Family Law, his background, What is the purview of the committee? The rights and interests of children; New resources: the Child Advocate; DCYF; Mobile Crisis Units; Cases per intake worker; Kinship not the only qualification to help children; Data shows the impacts on children of adverse experiences; money spent on minimizing adverse experiences is well spent; federal ‘Families First Act’; Medical marijuana funds insufficiently spent on recreational marijuana impacts. Legal representation for children. Guardian Ad Litum, vs. Court Appointed Special Advocate. Grandparents parenting; availability of social services; age of marriage;
– Langston Hughes introduces and recites “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” –
JerriAnne Boggis and the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. Used to be just Portsmouth but there is black heritage all over the state. Development of Inclusive History Curricula. Involve local historical societies as well as schools. Black Heritage Tea Talks are ongoing.
AFSC Announcements.

The post State House Watch, March 2, 2020 appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.

There was a hearing on HB 1493, which asks the State to pay attention to the ramifications of deportation on families. We hear from Andres Mata, whose father was taken from the family.
We hear from Abby Manukin who is one of many intent upon shutting down the coal-fired Merrimack Station in Bow.
Olivia Zink joins the conversation to remind us of the efforts of Granny D, the importance of fair re-districting, the financing of elections. Olivia and Arnie and Maggie review the recent New Hampshire primary election and it’s implications; election law and vehicle registration; impacts on both the elderly and students. HB 1700 which would allow asylum seekers to legally have drivers’ licenses, yet not lead to fraudulent voting as some fear.
Following Open Democracy, we hear from the NH Fiscal Policy Institute in the person of Executive Director AnnMarie French. NHFPI focuses on revenue and the economy. While they are a research agency, their research is publicly accessible and helps drive others’ advocacy. Their upcoming annual conference this week treats Housing, Health, and Education. Income inequality in New Hampshire is increasing at a higher rate than in many other states. There is also a discrepancy, for many reasons, between conditions in the southern tier of New Hampshire, and the North Country.

The post State House Watch, February 17, 2020 appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.

Arnie Alpert and Maggie Fogarty of AFSC-NH spend the hour with the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire.
Arnie Alpert Action Fund
SB410 and related minimum wage bill
Public sector health and safety
“Right to Work: anti-union bill
UNH union-busting, hired consultants
Governor will give “State of the State” address while state workers remain without a contract.
Sen. Melanie Levesque MLK observance and Rev. Renee Rouse, “Lift Every Voice”
Jeannie Hruska of ACLU-NH
and Joseph Lascaze, Smart Justice Organizer of ACLU-NH
Fair Chance Hiring, “Ban the Box”
ACLU’s broad legislative agenda for civil rights and criminal justice reform.
ACLU newsletter
Smart Justice Agenda – re: mass incarceration and other issues
RCC: prison resident communication committees
Get administration to focus on rehabilitation
Direct advocacy, with legislature, with public
Connect former inmates with legislators
HB1611, suspended sentences
Truth in sentencing
drug sentencing
Felon’s voting rights, absentee ballots for some inmates
Voter suppression, HB1264
Redistricting
Freedom of Speech/flag burning, wearing a mask, facial recognition
When is a constitutional amendment unconstitutional?
– “Somebody’s Watching Me” – Rockwell, 1984
Reproductive rights are privacy rights, out-of-state agenda, medical testimony
Trans student athletes, non-binary recognition, LGBTQ, Rep. Cannon’s bill.
ACLU Voter Program
Advocacy academies/voter rights
Civil liberties and the presidency fora
Voter eligibility

League of Women Voters
Closing announcements

The post State House Watch, February 3, 2020 appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.

On this State House Watch, Arnie Alpert and Maggie Fogarty of the NH American Friends’ Service Committee first review some of last week’s observances of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in New Hampshire. Then they will turn to the many topics of interest to State House Watch and their guest Representative Renny Cushing.

Minimum wage, SB 410, Senator Soucy, Rep. Schultz’s bill;

Red scare and hate and fear in NH, bill to posthumously exonerate Willard Uphaus and Goody Cole;

– “Brother Can You Spare a Dime” – The Weavers –

History of a ‘real’ witch hunt;
NH as the last holdout of the McCarthy scare;
Uphaus vs. Trump: Withholding of information as civil disobedience vs. personal self-preservation;
Do University and Legislative employees have the same right to associate and to organize as other sectors of the labor force?
Do citizens enjoy a right to privacy regarding their personal financial affairs?

– “The Death of Goody Nurse” – John Allison

Should law enforcement officers pass a psychological evaluation along with their firearms certification? What protocols apply to officer-involved shootings?
How will HHS handle psychiatric patients housed at the State Prison?
For-profit prisons vs. constitutional responsibility to rehabilitate offenders;
Dartmouth grant of 1807 – to benefit impoverished New Hampshire students – vs. renting out woodland cottages tax-free.
Corvin Park – private hunting reserve not requiring hunting license.

The post State House Watch, January 27, 2020 appeared first on WNHN FM 94.7 Concord, NH.