A Senate-passed bill to ban sanctuary city policies and keep local police cooperating with federal immigration officials was tabled by House Democrats, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported. Supporters were sent scrambling after the 188-177 vote sidelined the measure without debate.
House Majority Leader Jason Osborne pushed back hard on the move, warning that the state should not follow the path of its southern neighbor.
“We cannot let New Hampshire fall into a state of disarray like Massachusetts, burning through state resources and putting us in a crisis,” said House Majority Leader Jason Osborne of Auburn.
the New Hampshire Union Leader
Osborne also called on Democrats to engage on the substance, as the New Hampshire Union Leader noted.
“House Democrats should stop hiding from their constituents and debate this issue.”
the New Hampshire Union Leader
House Republican leaders signaled the setback might be temporary, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader.
The defeat may not be a permanent one if House Republican leaders can regroup and bring the proposal back up in the coming weeks of the 2024 session.
the New Hampshire Union Leader
House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee Chairman Terry Roy had tried without success to bring up changes his panel made to the bill, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported, telling colleagues “This is a bill that both sides want to be heard on.” The bill responded to policies adopted in several communities.
Republican senators pursued this bill after Hanover, Lebanon and Harrisville put in place policies that limit their police from working with federa
the New Hampshire Union Leader
Gov. Chris Sununu had urged lawmakers to send him the bill, telling the New Hampshire Union Leader that “The rule of law must stand.” Senate President Jeb Bradley warned that sanctuary policies would make any state “a magnet” for the problems seen across the border. The legislation would apply only to someone arrested for a state crime when federal officials asked that the person be detained for up to 48 hours under a detainer order.
Members from across the aisle agreed the bill needed more work before a vote, citing the late amendments handed to the committee and the floor. Rep. Jonah Wheeler said the process had moved too quickly for a measure of that significance.
“There needs to be more work on this bill.”
the New Hampshire Union Leader
The measure had passed the Senate the previous month after Republican senators pointed to sanctuary policies adopted in Hanover, Lebanon and Harrisville. Supporters said they could regroup and bring the proposal back later in the 2024 session. Gov. Chris Sununu had publicly pressed lawmakers to send him the legislation, casting it as a matter of upholding the rule of law. The bill would have applied only to people arrested on state charges when federal authorities sought to detain them, and the tabling vote broke largely along party lines with only a handful of Republicans joining the majority.
Read the full story at the New Hampshire Union Leader.
