Liberty Wins of 2013

July 24th: HB253 signed, it allows a nano brewery to obtain a license upgrade exempting the licensee from sales limitations where the nano brewery has an existing on-premises beverage and wine license and sells food. This allowed nano-breweries to thrive.

March 20th: HB573 signed. This bill would allow the use of therapeutic cannabis. Doctors and patients, not bureaucrats, should be the ones to make important medical decisions. This bill does not violate federal law. States are not required to enforce federal law, and the U.S. Attorney General has declared that the federal government will not prosecute patients in states with this type of legislation. Federal interference in state medical law is a violation of state sovereignty, as protected by Part I, Article 7 of the New Hampshire Constitution.

March 20th: HB575 signed. This bill as amended would expand local control for the hours of sales of on-premises liquor licensees. Businesses should have the freedom to set their own hours to satisfy market and consumer demands. The New Hampshire Constitution guarantees in Part I, Article 2: "All men have certain natural, essential, and inherent rights—among which are, the enjoying and defending life and liberty; ... and, in a word, of seeking and obtaining happiness."

March 6th: HB146 signed. This bill would increase the speed limit on a rural portion of I-93. It would decrease the number of penalties handed out for the victimless act of speeding. This would only increase the speed limit by five miles per hour, which has not been shown to increase accident rates. The NHLA also supports related bills HB 289-FN (NAY on ITL) and HB 291-FN (NAY on ITL).