Last week was huge. In collaboration with our partners, we defeated legislation that could have placed trans youth in harm's way. SB 272 – the so-called “Parents’ Bill of Rights” - would have required public school staff to out students without regard for their safety. While we celebrated last week, this week we are back with major bills before the House.
Here are the specifics:
- Marijuana legalization: Tomorrow there will be a non-germane hearing on SB 98, the purpose of which is to add an amendment to the bill that would legalize marijuana for adults and create a regulated market. While not perfect, this amendment is necessary to end the needless ensnarement of thousands of people -- disproportionately Black people -- in NH’s criminal justice system every year. If passed with this amendment, SB 98 would be a major victory for racial justice and harm reduction in the Granite State. Take action now - urge your Senator to support SB 98!
- Don’t further erode trust between our communities and law enforcement: this Wednesday the House Municipal and County Government Committee will vote on SB 132, a discriminatory and harmful bill that would force our local New Hampshire police to do ICE's bidding. It would necessitate that police engage in federal immigration enforcement, including aiding in the detention of individuals who the federal government is looking to detain. Immigration detainers are not signed by a judge, do not go through due process, and are not related to criminal activity. Immigration detainer requests are when DHS asks local law enforcement to lock up a person without a warrant or judicial approval, merely based on the say-so of one DHS agent. That’s right – if passed, this law would require NH law enforcement to cage people without any due process. When local police detain individuals simply due to their alleged undocumented status, they create an environment where these individuals—including victims of domestic violence—are afraid to call for help and report crimes. This makes our communities less safe. Take action now!
Our legislators are accountable to the people, and your voice can make a difference. Thank you for taking action!
Want to learn more about the ACLU of New Hampshire’s 2023 legislative priorities? Check out our legislative page here.