The legislative session begins to wind down this week as lawmakers vote on a final batch of bills. After May 4, any unresolved bills amended by the House or Senate will be sent to committees of conference, at which legislators will try to work out a compromise. Gun owners got a boost from the House last week after House members voted on a pair of firearm-related bills. Despite a lukewarm reception from the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, the House last week voted in favor of SB 318, a bill that expands the right to use deadly force. Under the bill, a person now has the right to use deadly force to protect him or herself at any location. Previously, state law allowed the use of deadly force only if a person was attacked in his or her home. In other locations, the victim of an attack had a “duty to retreat” rather than use deadly force.

The House also gave a nod to SB 348, which prohibits law enforcement officials from seizing guns from citizens during a declared state of emergency. Both bills now head to Gov. John Lynch for his signature.
The House also voted in favor of SB 341, which extends the advisory period for the state’s auto-emissions testing requirements until December 2006. Previously, legislation passed in 2005 pushed the start date for the tests to July 2006. Starting in December, any car manufactured in 2002 or later will be required to pass an onboard diagnostic (OBD) test in order to pass inspection. Beginning on July 1, 2007, the law will change to include cars built between 1996 and 2001. OBD testing was supposed to have begun in 2005; however, lawmakers were concerned with increased costs associated with the test. In some cases, the test was reported to have driven up state inspection fees by more than $20.

In passing SB 386, the House set tighter restrictions on large groundwater withdrawals. Under the bill, the state Department of Environmental Services must consider the impact of “the public trust” on any large groundwater withdrawal applications. The bill also gives municipalities more authority in vetoing groundwater withdrawal permits and allows towns to appeal decisions on withdrawal permits to the state Superior Court.

Up for a vote on Thursday, May 4 is SB 400. It would replace the state’s existing highway welcome signs, which read “You’re Going to Love It Here,” with signs emblazoned with the state motto “Live Free Or Die.” It will cost the state about $10,000 to replace the signs over the next two years. The measure received wide support in the Senate, and the House Finance Committee has recommended the bill pass.

Also up for a vote in the House on Thursday is SB 232, which would give the state Department of Health and Human Services $400,000 to establish a dental clinic for low-income residents of the North Country. The clinic would be included in the operations of the Tri-County Community Action Program. While the Senate approved the bill earlier this year, House members have some questions about the operations of the clinic, and the House Public Works and Highways Committee has recommended the bill be sent to a study committee.

Meanwhile, over in the Senate, lawmakers will vote this week on HB 1167, which would restore $5 million in funding to the Land Community Heritage Investment Program over the next two years. Between 2002 and 2004, funding for LCHIP was reduced from $13 million to $1.5 million. Funding for LCHIP has been a point of contention between the House and Senate in the last session. During budget talks in the 2005 session, the Senate ultimately kept funding for LCHIP at $1.5 million between 2005-2006, even though House members and Gov. John Lynch asked to boost funding to $10 million. The story is much the same this time around. The Senate Finance Committee is recommending no new funds be sent to LCHIP. Meanwhile, in a statement following the Finance Committee’s recommendation, Lynch pledged to work with lawmakers to “reconcile spending priorities, and to work to pass additional funding for LCHIP this year.”