Merrimack State Rep Says Committee Chairman 'Acted In Threatening Manner' To Her

By Nancy West, InDepth NH

State Rep. Wendy Thomas, D-Merrimack, said she just learned she was removed from the House Science, Technology and Energy Committee because of her "attitude," and for asking to be referred to as Rep. Wendy Thomas during committee proceedings to avoid confusion with another member with the same last name.

"This practice was followed without issue in the previous term, yet this year it was denied and eventually caused the chair — Rep. Michael Vose to act in a threatening manner to me in the hallway about the request," Thomas said in an email Wednesday.

She said Rep. Michael Vose, R-Epping, chairman of the committee, took her out to the hallway to speak to her. "He hovered over me and was spitting mad. He kept pointing his finger at my chest and saying 'you're on notice, you're on notice.' He said that my insisting (on) self-identify as Representative Wendy Thomas was wasting 'valuable seconds of the committee's time.' He huffed away from the conversation saying that I was 'a piece of work.'"

Phone messages seeking comment from Vose, R-Epping, and House Speaker Sherman Packard, R-Londonderry, weren't immediately returned.

Thomas was first told she was removed from the committee on March 9; Vose and Packard declined to comment then.

Thomas wouldn't comment then until speaking with Speaker Packard. She met with Packard on March 16 in response to her removal from the committee and he told her he would reflect on his decision, she said.

"...I was just informed that I have been removed from the Science, Technology and Energy committee. The reasons cited in our conversation raise serious concerns about transparency, accessibility, and the standards being applied within our legislature," Thomas said Wednesday afternoon.

The first reason given was that she asked to be referred to as "Rep. Wendy Thomas" in committee proceedings because there are two members with the name Thomas on the committee. That caused Rep. Vose to "act in a threatening manner to me in the hallway about the request," Thomas said.

"Second, I had submitted a required committee report to the Chair. While he has stated that he did not receive it, another recipient copied on the same email did receive it. As a result, the report nearly failed to make it into the House calendar. To ensure accountability and timely processing, I sent my next report directly to the administrative clerk and told the chair I had done so. This step, taken to ensure the integrity of the legislative process, was apparently unwelcome.

"Finally, I was told that my removal was due to my ‘attitude.’ When I asked for clarification or a definition of what that meant, I was told, ‘it’s everything you do.’ That is not a standard, it is a dismissal," Thomas said.

Thomas said Granite Staters expect their elected officials to ask questions, advocate for accessibility, and ensure that government processes work as intended. They also expect consistency in how members are treated and held accountable, she said.

"It is worth noting what has not led to removal from committees in this body: inflammatory rhetoric, threats of violence, or extreme statements that undermine the safety and dignity of others. Yet advocating for clarity in public records, ensuring reports are submitted, and 'everything I do' is apparently grounds for dismissal," she said.

Thomas said she was referring to: "The Free Stater/Libertarian party has said that any Democrat who talks about an Income tax should be murdered. They have threatened a Congressional candidate with hanging. The chair - Kristin Noble of an education committee supports segregation in schools. Travis Corcoran has suggested that theater kids (including a Jewish representative) be exterminated because of an invitation to karaoke. (Jason) Osborne has suggested that we routinely use the n-word and he wants to conscript his son to some mythical war against Dems."

"This decision raises larger questions about how dissent, oversight, and professionalism are handled in the New Hampshire House. Our constituents deserve better," Thomas said.

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.