Despite guiding New Hampshire extraordinarily well through the worst economic waters since the great depression, Democrats lost in huge, veto-overriding numbers in the state house and senate to Republicans who played into voters' economic anxieties and ran on jobs and the budget.
So what did our brand new GOP majorities do as their first and second order of business?
First, they brought guns into the state house:
A legislative committee voted yesterday to repeal the ban on carrying guns in the State House.
The 10 Republicans on the Joint Legislative Facilities Committee voted to repeal the ban in the State House complex; the only dissenter was Senate Minority Leader Sylvia Larsen, a Concord Democrat.
That should make wonderfully civic scenes like this happen more often:
Weapons at the Statehouse became a concern when people with guns stood and shouted at lawmakers from the House gallery during debate and votes on a resolution to reaffirm the state's freedom from interference by the federal government, except in areas where the U.S. Constitution gives it powers.
The second order of business is investigating a House rep to determine if he should be expelled.
The reason? He's a Democrat, and Democrats are apparently now unconstitutional when Republicans are in charge:
In rare move, House Republicans voted Wednesday to investigate unseating a Manchester representative because he is the executive director of the New Hampshire Democratic Party.
...House Republican Leader D.J. Bettencourt cited a constitutional prohibition against being paid and acting as an advocate.
Bettencourt said Brunelle has filed legislation that would serve as a platform for Democrats. Bettencourt gave as an example legislation to raise the minimum wage which he said is a Democratic initiative.
...The New Hampshire Legislature is a volunteer, citizen body that draws on people from occupations ranging from lawyers to business owners. Paid staff of both parties have served in the House over the years.
There's more here and here.
Welcome to the new normal. While NHGOP chairs and executive directors have served in the NH House and Senate for years and years, suddenly a rep who also works for the state party is guilty of unconstitutional behavior for filing a minimum wage bill.
This is the same legislature, btw, that includes some who think they were elected to force divorces on lawfully wedded Granite Staters.
It's going to be a long two years. On the bright side, I expected them to overreach and embarrass themselves, and it looks like it's happened, and on the first day of the new session no less.