Hampton Reps. Rice and Sheffert's Votes Argue for Their Defeat

People who are well known in Hampton have an advantage in elections for state
representative. We recognize their names on the ballot and since we know them,
we may feel they share our views. Often times, that's not true at all. However,
it's a long way to the State House in Concord, and we may be totally unaware
that they are voting quite differently than we would.

Below are some of the votes cast by two of Hampton's current state representatives, Fred Rice and Kenneth Sheffert, both of whom I feel do not really represent Hampton and should be defeated in the upcoming election. This information is drawn from a voting summary provided by Granite State Progress.

Reps.Rice and Sheffert voted to lower the cigarette tax, hoping increased smoking (a health risk) would compensate for the revenue loss. In response, the cigarette
companies raised their prices, resulting in no savings to the smoker and a loss
of state revenue. (HB 2, 3/30/11).

Rep. Rice voted against banning BPA in baby food products. (HB 1182, 3/8/12).

Reps. Rice and Sheffert voted to repeal public kindergarten (HB 631, 2/23/11).

Reps. Rice and Sheffert voted to lower the age at which students can drop out of
school from 18 to 16. (HB 429, 3/15/11). When the previous legislature
increased the age from 16 to 18, drop outs declined by one-third.

Reps. Rice and Sheffert voted to repeal New Hampshire's participation in RGGI, the regional greenhouse gas initiative, designed to reduce air pollution. (HB 519,
3/30/11).

Reps. Rice and Sheffert voted to forbid parents of minor children from seeking
divorce for irreconcilable differences. (HB 587, 1/11/12).

Reps. Rice and Sheffert voted to have the United States withdraw from the United
Nations. (HCR 32, 2/1/12).

Reps. Rice and Sheffert voted to allow guns on college campuses and dorms, in
athletic stadiums, and public parks and beaches. (HB 334, 1/4/12).

Reps. Rice and Sheffert voted to allow deadly weapons, including guns, in the State House chambers. (HB 160, 3/30/11).

Reps. Rice and Sheffert voted to repeal the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority. (HB 218, 3/17/11). The NHRTA was established to develop and provide commuter and passenger rail services in New Hampshire.

Reps. Rice and Sheffert voted to prohibit the police from establishing sobriety
checkpoints. (HB 1452, 3/7/12).

Reps. Rice and Sheffert voted to cut an additional $2.4 million from the New
Hampshire University System budget. (HB 1692, 3/29/12). This system previously sustained an almost 50 percent ($48 million) cut during the 2011 budget cycle. Graduating college seniors in New Hampshire now have the highest level of debt ($32,000) of any state in the nation.

I hope this information proves useful to you, and helps you make a wise and
informed voted next Tuesday, Nov. 6.