Tag Archives: State: New Hampshire

Dakota Voice: “The Alliance Defense Fund is attempting to dissuade a New Hampshire court from ordering a 10-year old girl from homeschooling into a public school.”

WCAX.com (AP): “A religious freedom group has taken up the cause of a New Hampshire mother who wants to keep home-schooling her daughter. The Alliance Defense Fund has asked a family court judge to reconsider a decision last month that sends the 10-year-old daughter of Brenda Voydatch to a public school in Meredith.”

The Citizen of Laconia: “In a potentially precedent-setting case, an attorney for a local woman is asking a Belknap County family court judge to reconsider a ruling that the woman’s daughter attend public school in Meredith rather than continue with home-schooling . . . The Alliance Defense Fund on Wednesday announced that it has filed papers in Laconia asking to reconsider the decision issued last month. John Anthony Simmons, an attorney associated with the Defense Fund, who is representing the 10-year-old girl’s mother, said the judge has also been asked to stay the order so the daughter can continue with her home-schooling while the judge reconsiders the matter.”

OneNewsNow: “A Christian homeschool girl in New Hampshire has been ordered into government-run public school for having ‘sincerely held’ religious beliefs . . . Simmons contends that parents have a ‘fundamental right to make educational choices for their children.’”

“the [Master] nonetheless proposed that the Christian girl be ordered into a government-run school after considering ‘the impact of [her religious] beliefs on her interaction with others.’”

Boston Globe (AP): “In New Hampshire this year, the House held an assisted suicide bill for further study this fall and a vote in January. Judiciary Committee Chairman David Cote, D-Nashua, said Monday that committee work sessions probably will start next month. Cote said the committee as a whole will study the issue, rather than a subcommittee.”

Michael Foust reports at Baptist Press: “The poll shows that by a margin of 49-41 percent, New Hampshire likely voters disapprove of the law that made the state the sixth nationwide to legalize “marriage” for homosexual couples. Ten percent are undecided. The poll was conducted by Research 2000 for the liberal blog DailyKos.com, a fact that conservatives say only adds to the poll result’s validity. The polling company interviewed 600 likely voters from July 13-15.”

WCAX.com: “Traffickers face up to 30 years in prison if the victim is under 18. The law also outlines procedures for the state to take property used in the illegal activity. It takes effect Jan. 1″

Associated Press: “Gov. John Lynch has until midnight Wednesday to decide whether to sign a bill that prohibits human trafficking in New Hampshire.”

Boston Globe (AP): “Time is running out for New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch to decide if he’ll sign a bill to legalize marijuana use by severely ill people.”

Mark Hemingway writes at National Review: “What’s happening in New Hampshire is a sign that Republicans everywhere should be using same-sex marriage as a campaign issue, says Brown. Of the recent states that have legalized same-sex marriage — Iowa, Maine, and New Hampshire — none has done so through democratic means, and the actions of the courts and legislatures run against public opinion.”

Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life:

“Stunned by four states legalizing same-sex marriage in just two months, social conservatives are working hard to stop it, often through the avenue where they’ve had their greatest success: the ballot box.

‘The integrity of our most fundamental institutions is in question and needs to be in question,’ says Mike Heath, executive director of the Maine Family Policy Council, an evangelical Christian lobbying group.

‘I see our institutions as having become openly hostile (to religious views). They’re responsive to the elite and moneyed interests that dominate our statehouse. … The only hope here is the people.’

Reason No. 1 for turning to the ballot box? It works . . .”

Posted: 06/09/2009

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Category: Marriage & Family

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Source: pewforum.org

Tags: Category: Marriage and Family, Group: Cornerstone Policy Research, Group: Iowa Family Policy Center, Group: Maine Family Policy Council, Group: National Organization for Marriage (NOM), State: Iowa, State: Maine, State: New Hampshire, Topic: Homosexual Agenda, Topic: Marriage

Harry R. Jackson, Jr. writes at Townhall: “Last week marked a nadir in the battle for biblical marriage. Two huge events occurred. First, former VP Dick Cheney voiced his support for same-sex marriage. Second, New Hampshire became the sixth state in the Union to legalize gay marriage. Despite these two events, nationalizing same-sex marriage is absolutely not inevitable . . . ”

WorldNetDaily: “A polygamy advocacy organization says the New Hampshire law that is intended to assure ‘equal access to marriage’ for all instead specifically embeds in state statutes bigotry against polygamists.”

CitizenLink: “‘While the debate over the lack of religious-liberty protections revealed the dangers to the First Amendment rights of citizens, the language added to the bill is pitifully ineffective,’ [Bruce Hausknecht of Focus on the Family Action] said. ‘Not only will the law create family situations where children will be deprived of either a mother or a father, but citizens are being deprived of significant First Amendment rights, as well.’”

Associated Press: “It was tough enough to get New Hampshire’s lawmakers and governor to approve gay marriage, but Episcopal Bishop V. Gene Robinson says there’s an even tougher job ahead: getting churches to fully embrace gay marriage and gay people.”

Baptist Press: “Jim Campbell, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, another religious liberty legal organization, said a statute would be more likely to be overturned in court if it did nix previous marriages. But he agreed that New Hampshire could, if it wanted, reverse course on the overall issue of ‘gay marriage’ legalization. ‘Assuming the government has the authority to redefine marriage, it also has the authority to restore it to its traditional definition,’ he told BP.”

Reuters: “New Hampshire’s Democratic-controlled House of Representatives endorsed gay marriage in a 198-176 vote, hours after the state Senate approved the legislation 14-10 along party lines, making the state the fourth this year to back gay marriage in the United States.

Governor John Lynch, a Democrat, signed the bill, which goes into effect on January 1.”

Baptist Press:
The New Hampshire governor is right to recognize the threat to religious liberty posed by same-sex marriage, but he underestimates the threat by a long shot,” Austin R. Nimocks, an attorney with the legal organization Alliance Defense Fund, told Baptist Press. “The protections he proposes do not cover business owners and individuals with religious objections to same-sex marriage, and these are exactly the kind of cases that the Alliance Defense Fund is having to defend.”

Legalizing “gay marriage” also negatively impacts children, Nimocks said.

“All non-partisan research and plain common sense tells us that children need a mom and dad, so the issue is bigger than a ‘personal relationship,’” he said. “In the end, the question is this: Which parent doesn’t matter: a mom or a dad?”

“By a vote of 14-10 in the Senate and 198-176 in the House, the changes in HB 73 create the last piece of a gay marriage puzzle that the Legislature has assembled.”

The House is expected to vote later today.

UnionLeader.com: “Senate rules require that all committee of conference votes be unanimous. They also require that committees of conference contain senators from each party. When Sen. Sheila Roberge, R-Bedford, refused to sign the conference report approving the amendment to the same-sex marriage bill, Sen. Larsen removed her from the committee and replaced her . . . ”

Baptist Press: “The New Hampshire governor is right to recognize the threat to religious liberty posed by same-sex marriage, but he underestimates the threat by a long shot,” Austin R. Nimocks, an attorney with the legal organization Alliance Defense Fund, told Baptist Press. “The protections he proposes do not cover business owners and individuals with religious objections to same-sex marriage, and these are exactly the kind of cases that the Alliance Defense Fund is having to defend.”

Kevin Smith, executive director of Cornerstone Policy Research, said the changes still did not protect individuals . . . “This is just more window dressing. It’s the latest attempt to try to give the governor more cover for having flip-flopped on gay marriage,” Smith said.

Another vote is expected on Wednesday.

Because a committee of conference vote needs to be UNANIMOUS in order for it to be brought before the House and Senate again, the Senate President then REMOVED Senator Roberge from the committee and REPLACED her with Senator Houde, who “dialed in” his vote . . .

Michael Medved writes at Townhall: “Moreover, the whole concept of carving out special ‘religious protections’ (reported as a major trend by Peter Steinfels in the New York Times and now favored by leading gay activists as part of their push for same sex marriage) reflects the certainty that faith-based organizations will become an immediate and prime target of the gay rights movement.”

“Why do you want to accommodate bigots? The issue is now being squarely presented in New Hampshire . . . ”

Family Research Council: “While the state waits on Lynch to hold up his end of the bargain, the bill on religious exemptions now heads to conference. The Speaker and Senate President (both Democrats) will be responsible for appointing the members to the conference committee. Although they’re expected to pick liberals who will vote with them, the rules clearly state that they must include at least one member from the other party. If the bill doesn’t pass out of the conference unanimously, it will die. FRC will keep you updated on the committee activity as it happens.”

The Catholic League: “Leading the fight for gay marriage in New Hampshire is Rep. Steve Vaillancourt. He proves, beyond any shadow of a doubt, why champions of religious liberty must resist gay marriage: he worked to kill the bill because it insulated religious institutions from its reach.”

Related post:

Corvino: Why moral approval matters

The Union Leader: “House and Senate Republicans this morning called for Gov. John Lynch to veto the same-sex marriage bills so lawmakers may move on to the critical issues facing the state.”

Kevin Landrigan writing in the Nashua Telegraph: “Austin Nimocks with the socially conservative Alliance Defense Fund said Lynch’s changes fail to protect conscientious objectors based on religion and predicted the law would lead to lawsuits.”

“The House vote against the governor’s amendment means the bill will be sent to a committee that will try to resolve the differences between the two chambers. It remains unclear how the governor would respond to any changes to his wording.”

“. . . a movement is afoot among some that pushes a compromise of marriage and religious liberty, which are constitutionally guaranteed and inalienable rights.”

“The committee voted down an amendment proposed by Republican committee members to further protect businesses and individuals who oppose gay marriage because of their religious beliefs . . . Austin Nimocks of the Alliance Defense Fund said litigation will result if the bill passes.”

Cathy Lynn Grossman has this post at USA Today comparing and contrasting comments by RNC Chairman Michael Steele with comments by ADF attorney Austin R. Nimocks.

Michael Steele saying marriage redefinition will harm small businesses: “Now all of a sudden I’ve got someone who wasn’t a spouse before, that I had no responsibility for, who is now getting claimed as a spouse that I now have financial responsibility for. So how do I pay for that? Who pays for that? You just cost me money.”

Austin R. Nimocks: “The [NH] governor is right to recognize the threat to religious liberty, but he underestimates the threat by a long shot. Where are the protections for business owners with religious objections to recognizing same-sex marriages? ”

Regarding Austin’s comments, Grossman observes: “The concern is here is not so much that business owners might need to provide benefits but that they would be forced to recognize client’s or potential client’s ‘counterfeit ‘marriages’… or face severe consequences.”

“The governor is right to recognize the threat to religious liberty, but he underestimates the threat by a long shot. Where are the protections for business owners with religious objections to recognizing same-sex ‘marriages’?

WMUR.com: “But in the civil marriage provision, there are no protections for officials or businesses that refuse to take part based on their personal or religious beliefs. Opposing lawmakers said it’s an example of legislation that was put on rush. ‘It’s certainly a flaw, and it’s something that came as a result of the last-minute nature of what came before the Senate, and then, last week, last-minute fixes,’ said Sen. Peter Bragdon, R-Milford. ‘Now, we have a last-minute thing to fix something else.’”

“New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch said Thursday he will sign a bill to make his state the sixth to legalize gay marriage, but only if it the already-approved legislation is revised to strengthen protections for churches and people who worked for them.”

Smith theorizes that the bill is being delayed because Lynch himself has asked for more time to consider the issue . . .

Christian Post: “New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch has until next Tuesday to decide the fate of a gay marriage bill that was sent to his desk after final legislature approval was given on Wednesday.”

UnionLeader.com: “In a statement released yesterday, Bishop John B. McCormack urged Lynch to veto legislation that would extend the state’s marriage laws to include same-sex couples . . . We further believe that trying to redefine marriage on the run, with the slimmest of legislative margins and without a robust investigation into all possible conflicts between same sex marriage legislation and religious liberties is contrary to the spirit of New Hampshire.”

The AP reports that it is unknown how long it will take the legislature to send the marriage redefinition bill to Governor. After the governor receives it, he will have five days act.

CitizenLink: “New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch has yet to touch the same-sex ‘marriage’ bill that is sitting on his desk. But if he does sign it, some of the ‘credit’ will go to gay-activist Tim Gill, who has poured massive amounts of money into the state.”

“The House voted today for a version of the bill passed by the Senate last week.”

Concord Monitor Editorial: “The Defense of Marriage Act was enacted out of fear and bigotry and cynical politics. It may well have saved us from a more onerous constitutional amendment at the federal level, but it has outlived its usefulness. It should be repealed.”

” . . . The House is handling less controversial legislation in the first part of today’s session before the same-sex marriage bill returns to the floor.”

The Dartmouth: “Three current and former state supreme court justices explained their decisions in landmark cases on same-sex marriage at a panel discussion in Dartmouth Hall on Thursday. Judges from the supreme courts of Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts spoke to a group of about 50 students, faculty and community members.”

“The New Hampshire Senate voted, 13-11, today to allow adult same-sex couples to marry, approving an amended version of a House-passed bill after a vote to kill the legislation altogether failed by the same margin.”

Concord Monitor: “A University of New Hampshire Survey Center Poll found that 55 percent of New Hampshire residents support allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry, while 39 percent oppose doing so. The poll surveyed 491 voters from April 13 to 22 and was sponsored by the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition, which favors allowing same-sex marriage.”

Concord Monitor: “The Senate voted unanimously against adding transgender individuals to New Hampshire’s anti-discrimination law, but only after Democrats condemned what they said were distortions by opponents.”

WCAX.com: “The 14-10 vote on Wednesday sent the bill back to the House for review of an amendment.”

Chicago Tribune (AP): “The New Hampshire Senate is voting Wednesday on legislation to make the Granite State the fifth to allow gay marriage. The Senate Judiciary Committee recommends killing the bill, which narrowly passed the House.”

“The state Senate’s Judiciary Committee has recommended that the Legislature reject legalizing gay marriage in New Hampshire.”

http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/news/story.aspx?cid=4918 ALLIANCE DEFENSE FUND MEDIA ADVISORY April 22, 2009 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT ADF MEDIA RELATIONS: (480) 444-0020 or www.telladf.org/pressroom ADF attorney to testify before NH Senate against ‘gender identity’ bill H.B. 415 will put citizens at risk WHO: …

Boston Globe (AP): “At least 500 people crowded into New Hampshire’s Statehouse on Wednesday for an emotional and sometimes boisterous Senate committee hearing over whether allowing gay marriage would weaken or strengthen the institution.”

Reuters:
“A bill to legalize same-sex marriage in New Hampshire may get tangled up in the state Senate, lawmakers said, potentially slowing momentum of the nation’s gay-marriage movement after recent victories. New Hampshire’s Senate Judiciary Committee holds a public hearing on the bill on Wednesday ahead of a full senate vote expected this month or early in May.”

Jennifer Roback Morse: “Taking this demographic malaise together with the general low religious practice, the whole region is a sitting duck for the further de-construction of marriage.”

UnionLeader.com: “By a single vote, the New Hampshire House yesterday reversed itself and passed a bill that bars discrimination on the basis of gender identity.”

Politico (Ben Smith’s Blog): “The National Organization for Marriage, a prominent backer of the successful campaign against same-sex marriage in California, is launching a $1.5 million ad campaign this morning aimed at forestalling same-sex marriage support in other key states. The campaign, whose 60-second television ad is above, seeks to energize the opponents of gay marriage by making the case that it will impinge directly on their own lives. The ads will air in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Iowa.”

CNSNews: “Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, said women and children in Colorado, where a similar measure has passed, have begun to fear for their safety in bathrooms.”

NY Times: “Gay-rights groups say that momentum from back-to-back victories on same-sex marriage in Vermont and Iowa could spill into other states, particularly since at least nine other legislatures are considering measures this year to allow marriage between gay couples.”

The Cabinet Journal reports: “Senate Republican leader Peter Bragdon of Milford said GOP senators will work to kill the gay marriage bill that was passed by the House last week.”

“The bill, which passed the House 186-179, next goes to the Senate, where its future is uncertain. Democratic Gov. John Lynch opposes gay marriage but has not said specifically that he would veto it . . . ”

Boston Globe (AP): “The House is expected to vote today whether to make New Hampshire the third state allowing gays to marry.”

Boston Globe: “In a special session, the Vermont Senate yesterday voted to legalize same-sex marriage. Later this week, a similar bill is scheduled for a vote in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Next month a legislative panel in Maine will hold a hearing on a bill to allow gay couples to marry, just as lawmakers did last month in Rhode Island.”

New Hampshire Representative Will Smith, writing in the Union Leader: The institution of marriage is created in societies for the purpose of preservation of the society into the future. It is designed to achieve the best possible environment for future generations to develop their skills and moral character so as to contribute successfully to the society as they attain adulthood.

. . . New Hampshire’s state motto is ‘Live Free or Die.’ But is New Hampshire the most free place to live in the United States? Apparently it is, according to a new study, Freedom in the 50 States: An Index of Personal and Economic Freedom . . .

“If passed, the bill would require home schoolers to double the amount of reporting currently required and would allow a school superintendant or principal to determine if the home school program should continue or be terminated . . . ”

Oklahoma’s House of Representatives is the first legislative body to pass a state sovereignty resolution this year under the terms of the Tenth Amendment.

CNA:  The Merrimack, New Hampshire-based St. Thomas More College of Liberal Arts has opened its 2009 “Faith & Reason Scholarship Essay Contest” for applicants to the school. Seven prizes will be awarded, with the top place earning a $30,000 scholarship …

WorldNetDaily: . . . Homeschoolers in recent months have weathered the turmoil of a California court opinion that appeared to ban the activity, and while the threat later was removed, proposals that would hinder parents who want to teach their …

WCAX.com contains this report and update indicating that one civil union bill has been put on hold temporarily and that competing marriage bills will be heard on on February 5, 2009.

LifeNews: “With Washington state voters deciding to become the second state to legalize assisted suicide and courts in Montana poised to make it the third, the pro-euthanasia movement is working with legislators in Hawaii and New Hampshire to try to …

With Washington state voters deciding to become the second state to legalize assisted suicide and courts in Montana poised to make it the third, the pro-euthanasia movement is working with legislators in Hawaii and New Hampshire to try to make them states four and five to allow the grisly practice.