New Hampshire Legislature convenes 2010 session, takes up bills left over from last year

New Hampshire Legislature convenes 2010 session

CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire’s Legislature started its 2010 session Wednesday where it left off — the two parties fighting over process as much as substance of legislation.

The day did not go smoothly for Democratic leaders in charge of both chambers.

A newly filed bill that was supposed to be bipartisan that would provide discounts for low-income electric customers on their bills failed to get Republican support to suspend Senate rules so it could be passed on to the House without a hearing. Senate Majority Leader Maggie Hassan, D-Exeter, said she was dismayed “that my Republican colleagues are willing to let 8,000 families languish on the electric assistance wait list.”

Senate Republican Leader Peter Bragdon of Milford fired back that there have been too many examples of well-intentioned legislation approved without a public hearing that has “turned into a policy quagmire.”

The program provides discounts ranging from 5 to 70 percent to poor residents, depending on household size and income.

Electric customers already pay into programs for service assistance and energy efficiency. The legislation would reduce the money going to energy efficiency and increase the amount for electric assistance for the next two years.

The effort to provide the help was announced last month with fanfare by Gov. John Lynch and leaders from both parties.

In the House, Democratic leaders tried to push a bill to the governor’s desk capping interest rates on loans under $10,000 at 36 percent. After 90 minutes and votes on four motions, the House put the issue off at least two weeks.

Supporters had argued the bill simply applied a rate cap now in effect on payday and title loans. In a rare move, House Speaker Terie Norelli cast a vote to ensure a 177-177 tie and kill an attempt by opponents to delay passage.

In the end, cap opponents wore down enough supporters to win a delay anyway.

Cap opponents argued the cap would limit the availability of credit by unnecessarily eliminating a few companies that provide short-term loans. They said the bill would leave national banks, Internet lenders and credit cards as consumer options.

Because of lengthy debates in the House, representatives failed to finish their agenda for the day and face a heavy load next Wednesday, including bills dealing with citizens’ use of deadly force, requiring all felons to be tested so their DNA can be entered into a national database and giving the secretary of state wider latitude in setting New Hampshire’s presidential primary date to protect the state’s tradition of being first in the country.

House members did advance bills Wednesday that:

— Prohibit banks from requiring fingerprints to cash checks. The Senate takes up the bill next.

— Require antifreeze sold after October 2011 to contain a bittering agent to discourage pets and children from drinking it. Another House committee reviews the bill before a final House vote.

— Require manufacturers to label goods containing radio frequency devices — or RFID chips. The bill also would bar implanting the chips in people without written consent. The Senate takes up the bill next.

— Require insurers regulated by the state to provide $1,500 in coverage for hearing aids every three years. The bill now goes to the Senate.

— Require insurers to cover behavioral, speech and occupational therapy for autistic children. Insurers already must cover medications, health-related services and psychiatric services. The bill calls for a treatment plan to be developed and ordered by a doctor. The Senate next takes up the bill.