A dark-horse contender for ‘most tyrannical bill of the year’ recently popped on my radar. I was reading through the text of another batch of bills, when I found this gem. As is often the case, the title of the bill does not accurately describe the purpose of the legislation:
An act establishing a criminal penalty for an assault committed against a person who is conveying public health or safety guidance or requirements during a declared state of emergency.
This sounds relatively benign. Few people believe that assault should be legal. The actual bill creates a new crime, but one could be guilty of the crime by doing things other than ‘assaulting’ a person who is “conveying public health or safety guidance or requirements”.
Proposed by 8 Democrats, HB493 reads:
“I-a. A person is guilty of a class B misdemeanor if such person assaults, threatens to assault, or refuses to comply with another who the actor knows to be:
(a) A person who, as part of his or her employment duties, is relaying directions for health care or safety from his or her supervisor or employer or relaying health or safety guidelines, recommendations, regulations, or rules from a federal, state, or local public health agency or health or safety requirements contained in a state of emergency declared by the federal, state, or local government; and
(b) The act occurs during a state of emergency declared by the governor due to a public health emergency and for a period of 6 months after such declaration.”
Now, let’s read the bill again, with my commentary:
“A person is guilty of a class B misdemeanor if such person assaults, threatens to assault, or refuses to comply with another who the actor knows to be:
(a) A person who, as part of his or her employment duties (anyone who works in any job whose location has any COVID restrictions, which includes nearly 100% of locations in NH), is relaying directions for health care or safety from his or her supervisor or employer or relaying health or safety guidelines, recommendations, (mask mandates, triple masking, eye protection, social distancing, not speaking, looking at others, etc.) regulations, or rules from a federal, state, or local public health agency or health or safety requirements contained in a state of emergency declared by the federal, state, or local government; and
(b) The act occurs during a state of emergency declared by the governor due to a public health emergency (which will include all times between now and eternity) and for a period of 6 months after such declaration.”
Make no mistake. This bill is not about ‘assault’. It’s about criminalizing the act of disobedience to seemingly random people who yell at you for breathing freely or being close to another person. This bill is about legitimizing all members of the public who enforce the will of the politicians. If you do not want this bill to pass, you must contact the sponsors of the bill and the committee which will hold a public hearing on the bill shortly.
SPONSORS: Rep. Schultz, Merr. 18; Rep. Horrigan, Straf. 6; Rep. Kenney, Straf. 6; Rep. Knirk, Carr. 3; Rep. Mann, Ches. 2; Rep. Grassie, Straf. 11; Rep. Bouchard, Hills. 11; Rep. Stevens, Hills. 34
UPDATE: This bill has been killed!!! Thank you for all of the calls and emails!!!
18 Comments
Elliot Axelman · February 17, 2021 at 10:46 pm
Should we call it “The Commie Karen bill”?
Nicole Nordlund · February 18, 2021 at 2:18 am
Are you kidding me?
Robert · February 19, 2021 at 2:51 am
I am Resident of Rockingham County. I am AGAINST THIS BILL HB 493-FN -.
PLEASE DONOT PASS THIS BILL.
Rick Olson · February 18, 2021 at 12:36 pm
Stevens is thought of as nutty before this bill.
Ann Rowe Towle · February 19, 2021 at 6:52 am
I believe The Commie Karen Bill is just right. What happened to Live Free or Die?
Tom Flaherty · February 17, 2021 at 10:58 pm
John Burt and Gary Hopper (committee members) will have a good whack at this insanity….
The Liberty Block · February 18, 2021 at 4:30 am
That is GREAT to hear!
Audra · February 18, 2021 at 1:20 am
This is absolutely NOT OK!!! I will never support this.
The Liberty Block · February 18, 2021 at 4:31 am
Good! Me neither!
L · February 18, 2021 at 1:17 pm
You. Nailed it commie bill
Bg · February 18, 2021 at 4:01 pm
Then make sure you let them know in no uncertain terms that you oppose the bill!
Nancy · February 18, 2021 at 4:10 pm
I am fully against this act!! This is not ok and never will be ok
Keith · February 19, 2021 at 3:22 am
This is not only insanity, by unconstitutional!! Think about this. It’s giving ANYONE, NH citizens or not, the authority to act as agents of the state, because so many ACTUAL law enforcement officials, will not be used as brown shirts for the state or businesses! This will FORCE our law enforcement to respond to a ‘crime’ where now, they have discretion to not follow the will of anyone imposing an ‘order’!! Here we go; follow me now!! “Is your neighbor a Jew”? “Is your neighbor harboring or aiding a Jew”? “Is you neighbor sympathetic to Jews”? “Does your neighbor support a Jewish business”? You get the idea!! This bill or any like it, should be SHOUTED down in OUR state house!! To do any less, makes them complicate in the destruction of our constitution! I should not ever have to contact my rep about this…they should have common sense enough to beat the table with their fist by even a mention of such a ‘LAW’!! These bill sponsors should be RECALLED by the districts that sent them to concord and a special election held to replace them!! Tyranny!!
The Liberty Block · February 19, 2021 at 4:01 am
Excellent points, Keith!!! This bill is insane.
Susan Abdelnour · February 20, 2021 at 2:33 am
Sadly most people have no clue where this is really heading if it’s not stopped here. I know there must be immense pressure on our Governor and his staff.
But as leaders who took an oath to protect and defend the citizens of New Hampshire, will you choose to submit to the tyrannical few who have absolutely no integrity and only see this as an opportunity to control the masses, or will you stand with us, and for us, for our constitutional rights and our continued freedom?
I choose to believe that there are still good hearted people in the world, who, knowing what the bigger picture is, will have the integrity and the will to stand by they oath they took to defend those in the state they serve.
To pass this Bill in New Hampshire would be an outright attack not only on our freedom, it would be an outright call for “we the citizens” to track, trace and turn each other in…over a mask that will eventually kill more people than did the virus (tho we know this is really just the beginning).
I honestly don’t know how anyone could sleep at night having to enforce something that he/she knows is harming people, rather than helping them. For the sake of all the wonderful people in my state, and for those who would have to enforce it, I pray this Bill is not passed. .
Rebecca · February 23, 2021 at 12:50 pm
I 100% oppose this bill
Bill · February 26, 2021 at 1:55 am
My Rep was one of the sponsors of this crap (Knirk, Carr). Just emailed him expressing my displeasure.
The Liberty Block · February 26, 2021 at 3:33 am
Excellent! Thank you for emailing him! Let us know if he responds!
Comments are closed.