New Hampshire House votes to defy Fed ID

[DadaOrwell2]

As always, eager am I to get the Volcotake on latest developments in the Free State...

New Hampshire House votes to defy Fed ID
March 12, 2006

Libertarians are celebrating after the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted 270-84 to refuse cooperation
with the hated "Real ID" act. Real ID is a Federal mandate which attempts to force states into a standardized drivers license system at taxpayer expense. Freedom advocates argue it would be at the expense of privacy as well, giving the Feds too much power along the way. Federal officials have said it would help them track terrorists and criminals.

"Give me liberty or give me death," said State Rep Neal Kurk, speaking in favor of the bill on the House floor. The chamber roared with applause.

House Bill 1582 forbids all state agencies from participation in Real ID mandates, and asserts that Real ID "is contrary and repugnant to Articles 1 through 10 of the New Hampshire constitution..."

The lopsided anti-Federal vote was a shock even to proponents of the bill. Real ID passed the U.S. Senate 100-0 last year and generated little debate. But as states like New Hampshire have taken a closer look at what it will require of them, liberty activists and local government officials have been teaming up to draw a line in the sand between Washington and their own states.

New Hampshire in particular has become increasingly restive since 2003, when it became a migratory destination for "Free Staters," libertarian activists who move into the state to fight for freedom.

HB 1582 next goes to the New Hampshire Senate; if it passes there it will have to be signed by the Governor. In the meantime, Federal pressure will likely mount in opposition to this bill.

video of Representative Kurk's speech:
http://freestateblogs.net/node/306

Bill text:
http://forum.soulawakenings.com/index.php?topic=3161.0

Boston Globe article:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/new...vil_liberties/

Information for those wishing to migrate (escape!) to New Hampshire:

www.FreeStateProject.org

[Osborn F Enready]

Go PORCS!

Glad to see it Dada. My escape is coming, slow, but coming.

[SteveA]

Awesome news :)

Yes, you can bet the federal government is going to try to make this a painful decision. New Hampshire already rejects a lot of federal assistance simply to avoid the strings. They get back something like 70 cents on the dollar paid in federal taxes. At some point it'll likely be worth it to simply cut the umbellical cord and let the federal government fend off its own merits for a change.

[DadaOrwell2]

Looks like this will go before the senate in april or may

[tman_ndsu08]

If I ever have to move to Boston for some reason, I'd consider living in NH.

But as for living in the state itself. Hell no. There are no big cities there.

[Osborn F Enready]

T-Man said:
There are no big cities there.

I say:
That is what many of us like about it.

[tman_ndsu08]

I'm a metropolitan kind of guy.

[zynner]

Nice. We should support these people in some way.

Question: Does anybody know if NH candidates for legislature can accept contributions from non-NH residents?

~ zynner

[DadaOrwell2]

Pretty big rally is now scheduled in front of the NH state house on 4/22, organized by CASPIAN (NH based privacy organization). I was at the meeting where they planned it, that was on March 23rd...as of the 26th they had 100 people RSVP'd saying they'd show up. Everyone already seems to know about it. Not real sure how that happened LOL. Today 200 NH libertarians showed for a film showing so respectable numbers are may be doable even in this low population state.

If the rally is of sufficient size and publicity it should help spur the Senators our way; I think they are curretly leaning against us but I kinda doubt there will be a rally held by the other side LOL.

details on the rally are at the NHfree.com forum:

http://forum.soulawakenings.com/index.php?topic=3299.0

[bishop]

i remember when this first became an issue immediately following 9/11...

i mustered up the energy to hand-write letters to my representatives - who, unfortunately seem to support national ID cards.. i only voted for one of them, but he definitely didn't win another vote in the next election.

[Chancellor]

Real ID passed the U.S. Senate 100-0 last year and generated little debate.

So, why did New Hampshire's two senators vote for this?

[DadaOrwell2]

Chancellor wrote:

"So, why did New Hampshire's two senators vote for this?"

I don't know exactly, but they are feds. Very few "good" feds out there. On most issues one of our senators is good, the other sucks. Both are republican but Sununu is the better one.