On October 26, Cyril and I were in session for the last time in 2023 to address the 4 House Bills that Governor Sununu vetoed. To override the veto, a 2/3 majority is needed, so 233 of 350 members had to vote yes. At the same time, the Senate was meeting to address 5 Senate Bills that were vetoed. Both bodies must reach a 2/3 majority for the veto to be defeated.
HB35 added the National Eating Disorders Hotline to student ID cards but was no longer operating, so the veto was maintained (0-350). HB142 was the most controversial since it supported another bailout (estimated at $100 million) for the Burgess BioPower plant in Berlin. Rumor had it that without the bailout, the plant would close. The Eversource ratepayers had already provided $200 million, and the contract terms only affected this energy supplier’s customers! Cyril and I voted against this bill when originally on the floor, so we agreed with the governor’s veto! The comment on the floor was that if this bill passed, Burgess BioPlant would only be back for another bailout! The veto held with a 194-159 vote, not meeting the 2/3 requirement.
HB337 required a 2-week notice and transparency for professional boards when meeting. This bill initially passed the House unanimously, but the governor felt that the 2-week notice was excessive. The House did override the veto on HB337 (251-104), but the Senate later upheld it. HB342 required lead test results for children entering school. The governor was against this bill since it was redundant with other laws with similar requirements. A vote of 184-171 did not override the veto.
The Governor held on to his nine vetoes, and Cyril and I got to participate in the last step of the legislative process. It has been very interesting and rewarding, with both highs and lows, this first year as your representatives. Representatives Clayton Wood and Cyril Aures.