On 1st Legislative Override Day, It's Sununu 23, Veto Overrides 1

CONCORD, NH — On the first day of a two-day marathon to take up some of the 50-plus bills vetoed by Gov. Chris Sununu, R-NH, faces are probably smiling in the corner office. The Legislature, which is controlled by Democrats, were unable to override 23 of 24 bills in the House Wednesday as some crossed over the aisle to join Republicans in sustaining the vetoes, with GOPers also changing their votes. The single bill overridden by the Legislature was HB 364, which allows medical marijuana patients to grow three plants in their homes.

On Thursday, the state Senate meets to take up overrides and the House will debate a new budget proposal with deadline on the horizon for the end of the continuing resolution to keep the state operating after a stalemate between Sununu and the Democrats that control the Legislature.

In a statement, Sununu thanked the House for its "hard work … closing the door on so much extreme legislation." The Legislature "tackled many issues and stood up for the people of New Hampshire with their votes to sustain these vetoes," he added.

Vetoes that were sustained included HB 706, the establishment of an independent redistricting commission instead of having the Legislature perform the task; voter domicile and residency bills (HB 105 and HB 106); a net energy meeting limit bill (HB 365) and HB 183, a biomass energy bill, that many believed would increase already high utility and energy rates in the state; and three gun control bills (HB 109, HB 514, HB 564) that saw both sides of the issue flooding leaders of both parties with their political positions.

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House Republicans praised both the governor and some of their political opponents who crossed the aisle to sustain the vetoes, including on the energy bills.

"We believe providing a level playing field in the energy market will provide the best outcome for ratepayers," said House Minority Leader, Dick Hinch, R-Merrimack. "The votes today were not in favor or opposition of specific industries, but government mandates that artificially raise the cost of electricity, and end up hurting low and fixed income citizens the most."

House Democrats called the action of Republicans sustaining the vetoes as providing cover for an "extreme" governor.

"By voting to sustain the governor’s vetoes on numerous bills passed with bipartisan support, House Republicans decided that providing cover for Governor Sununu is more important than upholding the oath to represent the people of their district," said Doug Ley, D-Jaffrey, the House Majority Leader. "Of the bills defeated today, nearly half were originally sponsored by Republicans and three-quarters originally received bipartisan votes in the House."

At 55, Sununu has vetoed more legislation than any other governor in the history of the state, as tracked by the political reporters at NHPR. However, on the eve of the first veto day Tuesday, Sununu's office noted that he had also approved more bills than any other governor during the past quarter of a century – 397. Nearly 84 percent of those bills were approved and many of them were bipartisan.

"I've signed more bipartisan legislation this year than my previous predecessor did during any session," Sununu said.

Only nine bills became law without Sununu's signature this session.

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