State of New Hampshire secondary Archives: on Civil Rights
ACLU:
Supported "no excuse" absentee voting bill
Sununu vetoed the so-called "no excuse" absentee voting bill, warning it would erode the state's vaunted political tradition of in-person participation at the polls. Advocates of the bill had wanted New Hampshire to join 28 other states and the
District of Columbia, which allow voters to obtain an absentee ballot without having to give a reason for why they can't make it to the polls.The League of Women Voters and the American Civil Liberties Union had supported this cause (HB 611).
Source: New Hampshire legislative voting record, bill HB611
Sep 8, 2019
Annie Kuster:
Equal pay for equal work
Standing up for women right now could not be more important. The Republicans here in Concord and down in Washington D.C. would have us believe that the War on Women is a phony war. But women--and the men who love them--know that this is not fiction.
And the War on Women is not just about women--it's about putting the squeeze on the middle class. In New Hampshire women earn only
78 cents for every dollar earned by a man, and women are increasingly carrying the financial burden to support their families. Most families rely on 2 incomes to make ends meet, and when a woman earns less we put working families at a huge disadvantage.
Despite this, politicians and pundits on the right refuse to come out publicly in support of equal pay for women. Here in New Hampshire, Republicans are saying that the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is nothing more than a "handout to trial lawyers."
Source: Speech at the New Hampshire Women United rally
Apr 28, 2012
Bernie Sanders:
What kind of response would happen if Flint MI were white?
Q [to Clinton]: On the Flint lead poisoning disaster, you have been critical of Gov. Rick Snyder, and how the state caused the lead poisoning problem, and has not acted fast enough to fix it. Would you as President order a federal response?Hillary
CLINTON: Absolutely. If Michigan won't do it, there have to be ways that we can begin to move, and then make them pay for it.
SANDERS: The Secretary described the situation appropriately. I did ask for the resignation of Governor Snyder because his
irresponsibility was so outrageous. What we are talking about are children being poisoned. The idea that there has not been a dramatic response is beyond comprehension. When you have significant public health crisis, of course the federal government
comes in. One wonders if this were a white suburban community what kind of response there would have been. Flint is a poor community. It is disproportionately African-American and minority. And what has happened there is absolutely unacceptable.
Source: MSNBC Democratic primary debate in New Hampshire
Feb 4, 2016
Bill O`Brien:
Opposed students voting in-state "with no life experience"
There's been an effort underway for quite some time to strip out-of-state college students from the right to vote during their time in New Hampshire, or, at the very least, to dissuade them from exercising that right. Former House Speaker O'Brien, never
one to mince words, made clear the intention during his time as one of the most powerful lawmakers in the state, promising a crackdown on "kids voting liberal, voting their feelings, with no life experience." In other words, not voting his way.
Source: The Keene Sentinel-Source on 2020 New Hampshire Senate race
Jun 3, 2020
Bob Smith:
Government shouldn't redefine marriage
Question topic: Marriage is a union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.
Smith: Strongly Agree.
Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 New Hampshire Senate race
Jul 2, 2014
Chris Sununu:
No personal opinion on equal transgender rights
Sununu, unlike his predecessors, neglected to even once mention LGBT Pride Month in any platform, proclamation, statement, event or interview this past June. Unfortunately for New Hampshire, Sununu has an embarrassingly weak record when it comes to
defending transgender rights.In March, New Hampshire had a chance to join every other state in New England in passing legislation to give transgender Granite Staters equal protection under the law. The bill was derailed by New Hampshire House
Republicans using a bogus bathroom argument, and the GOP members were too cowardly to even debate the measure, deciding to table the bill instead.
Sununu made only one comment: He had "no personal opinion" on whether transgender
Granite Staters deserved equal rights.
When Sununu says he has "no opinion" or works to deny Granite Staters their civil liberties, he is saying that rights of transgender Granite Staters don't matter.
Source: Concord Monitor on 2018 New Hampshire governor race
Mar 6, 2018
Chris Sununu:
Gender identity non-discrimination in employment & housing
Transgender Americans were watching the Granite State's House of Representatives: A win for transgender rights bill HB 1319 wouldn't just be significant for the estimated 4,500 transgender people in New Hampshire, but for anyone who wants to see such
protections spread even further beyond progressive bastions like the West Coast and New England.And that win came in the form of a decisive 195-129 vote in favor of HB 1319--all in a Republican-controlled legislative body, no less.
HB 1319--which adds gender identity to New Hampshire's existing non-discrimination legislation in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations--will have to clear the
Senate next, and then be signed by Republican Governor Chris Sununu, who has already suggested he will support the bill. [Governor Sununu signed the bill on June 8].
Source: The Daily Beast on New Hampshire voting record HB 1319
Mar 7, 2018
Chris Sununu:
Vetoed "no excuse" absentee voting bill
Sununu vetoed the so-called "no excuse" absentee voting bill, warning it would erode the state's vaunted political tradition of in-person participation at the polls. Advocates of the bill had wanted New Hampshire to join 28 other states,
which allow voters to obtain an absentee ballot without having to give a reason for why they can't make it to the polls.Legislative outcome:Senate voted 171-11-0 on May 30; House voted 222-157-18 on Sept 18 veto override
Source: New Hampshire legislative voting record, bill HB611
Sep 8, 2019
Chuck Morse:
Voted NO on "no excuse" absentee voting bill
Gov. Sununu vetoed the so-called "no excuse" absentee voting bill, warning it would erode the state's vaunted political tradition of in-person participation at the polls. Advocates of the bill had wanted New Hampshire to join 28 other states, which
allow voters to obtain an absentee ballot without having to give a reason for why they can't make it to the polls.Legislative Outcome: Senate voted 171-11-0 on May 30; Sen. Morse voted NO; House voted 222-157-18 on Sept 18 veto override
Source: New Hampshire State Legislature voting records HB611
May 30, 2019
Chuck Morse:
NO on gender identity protections in employment & housing
Transgender Americans were watching the Granite State's House of Representatives: A win for transgender rights bill HB 1319 wouldn't just be significant for the estimated 4,500 transgender people in New Hampshire, but for anyone who wants to see such
protections spread even further beyond progressive bastions like the West Coast and New England.And that win came in the form of a decisive 195-129 vote in favor of HB 1319--all in a Republican-controlled legislative body, no less.
[Sen. Morse voted NO]
HB 1319--which adds gender identity to New Hampshire's existing non-discrimination legislation in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations--will have to clear the Senate next,
and then be signed by Republican Governor Chris Sununu, who has already suggested he will support the bill. [Governor Sununu signed the bill on June 8].
Source: The Daily Beast on New Hampshire voting record HB 1319
Mar 7, 2018
Corky Messner:
Black Lives Matter is revolutionary, don't defund police
Q: What is one specific action you would take if elected to combat systemic racism?Messner: The first thing I would do is I would bring together a group of people to broadly discuss issues around race in this country, and I would bring together
people from various factions, including those African-Americans who view the race issue in a different way than what we hear from the left.
Q: Do you support the Black Lives Matter movement?
Corky Messner: I do not. I think the Black Lives Matter movement is a revolutionary movement. For example their support of defunding police, I do not support. Safety and security is
important. Are there certain reforms that need to be made to law enforcement? Absolutely. But the idea of totally defunding police, I do not support. We need law and order. We need safety and security.
Source: National Public Radio on 2020 New Hampshire Senate race
Jul 9, 2020
Corky Messner:
Horrific that students learn about transgender
Q: Support same-sex marriage and extension of LGBTQ protections against discrimination?Corky Messner: Unclear. "What they're teaching kids in school [about `transgender'] is horrific." "Transgenders in military's OK, as long as there's
no distraction from the mission."
Jeanne Shaheen: Yes. "Elated" by Supreme Court decision for marriage equality. Co-sponsored Equality Act that adds explicit protections for LGBTQ Americans to the nation's civil rights laws.
Source: CampusElect survey of 2020 New Hampshire Senate race
Sep 30, 2020
Dan Feltes:
Voted YES on "no excuse" absentee voting bill
Gov. Sununu vetoed the so-called "no excuse" absentee voting bill, warning it would erode the state's vaunted political tradition of in-person participation at the polls. Advocates of the bill had wanted New Hampshire to join 28 other states, which
allow voters to obtain an absentee ballot without having to give a reason for why they can't make it to the polls.Legislative outcome:Senate voted 171-11-0 on May 30; Sen. Feltes voted YEA; House voted 222-157-18 on Sept 18 veto override
Source: New Hampshire legislative voting record, bill HB611
Sep 8, 2019
Dan Feltes:
We work best when we embrace diversity and inclusion
Dan knows New Hampshire works best when we work together, which means embracing diversity and inclusion, so that everyone has an opportunity to be a full participant in our society, our economy, and our democracy.
Dan knows our civil rights laws and policies, and he will help ensure that civil rights issues are advanced in a constructive and reasonable way.
Source: 2020 New Hampshire governor campaign website DanFeltesNH.com
Jan 1, 2014
Don Bolduc:
I don't look at color; I look at content of their character
I served 33+ years in the United States military, one of the most diverse organizations in the country and the organization that was the first to desegregate in our country back in 1948. I don't look at people by the color of their skin, their religion,
their sex, their orientation. I look at them as through a lens or the quality of their character, content of their character, the quality of the type of person that they are and the contribution that they make.
Source: NHPR The Exchange on 2020 New Hampshire Senate race
Nov 9, 2020
Don Bolduc:
Solution to racism is not laws but education
We wouldn't be having this conversation if there wasn't racism existing in our in our country. It requires education. It requires us to stand shoulder to shoulder and to look past all those differences. I don't think there's a program that you can
create or a law that you can pass or legislation that you can do. These are ideas. These are things about about fairness and in developing trust and about a moral consciousness that our country has overcome to include our state.
Source: NHPR The Exchange on 2020 New Hampshire Senate race
Nov 9, 2020
Don Bolduc:
AdWatch: opposes marriage equality
[On liberal support of LGBT rights]: "I didn't spend my life defending this country to let a bunch of liberal, socialist pansies squander it away," Bolduc says in the 15-second ad, airing on cable television. "I'm Don Bolduc, I approve this message, and
Source: The Advocate AdWatch on 2020 New Hampshire Senate race
Aug 17, 2020
Don Bolduc:
Shut down national media to stop spread of COVID fear
Don Bolduc suggested that the national media should be shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to reduce public anxiety. "I have a recommendation," he told a Sullivan County GOP meeting. To "buy down the fear," he proposed, "let's simply
take national media and shut it down and see what happens. I guarantee you that better information gets out at the local level, people are better informed, there's less hyperbole, [and] there's less fear being spread."
Source: American Independent on 2020 New Hampshire Senate race
May 21, 2020
Joe Biden:
Reverse ban on transgender individuals serving in military
To further repair our moral leadership, I'm issuing a presidential memo to agencies to reinvigorate our leadership on the LGBTQI issues and do it internationally. You know, we'll ensure diplomacy and foreign assistance are working to promote the rights
of those individuals, included by combatting criminalization and protecting LGBTQ refugees and asylum-seekers.And finally, to successfully reassert our diplomacy and keep Americans safe, prosperous, and free, we must restore the health and morale of
our foreign policy institutions.
The United States will again lead not just by the example of our power but the power of our example. Within hours of taking office,
I signed an executive order overturning the hateful, discriminatory Muslim ban; reversed the ban on transgender individuals serving in our military.
Source: Manchester Ink Link on 2020 New Hampshire Senate race
Feb 4, 2021
Karen Testerman:
Vocal opponent of same-sex civil unions
Testerman has described the decline of the "natural family" as a force undermining the U.S. economy and society.
She's pro-life and was a vocal opponent of civil unions for same-sex couples and, later, same-sex marriage; in 2007, she said civil unions "could promote the acceptance of a behavior that is jeopardizing the health of our children."
Source: Concord Monitor on 2014 New Hampshire Senate race
Aug 9, 2013
Karen Testerman:
Against banning of discredited gay conversion therapy
In 2018, she broke from the state Republican Party and resigned as chairwoman of the Merrimack County Republican Committee over disagreements on policies around same-sex marriage and gay conversion therapy. At the time, Testerman disagreed with Gov.
Chris Sununu's 2018 decision to sign a bill that would ban the use of child conversion therapy--a discredited process that attempts to convert children from being gay to being straight.
Testerman said she also opposes efforts in recent years to expand gender identity protections.
"In my opinion, God made man and God made woman, and the idea that there's a gender and there is some confusion--those are mental health problems,"
she said. "That again, is something that needs to be left up to the parents of those children to deal with. Once an adult is an adult, whatever they choose to do is fine."
Source: Concord Monitor on 2022 New Hampshire Gubernatorial race
Jun 12, 2020
Maggie Hassan:
Ban discrimination against transgender individuals
Q: On Gay Marriage: Support gay marriage?Ayotte: No. But advocates for full access to government benefits for same-sex couples.
Hassan: Yes
Q: On Gay Rights: Should transgender individuals have the right to use public bathrooms of their choice?
Ayotte: No clear public stand, though has supported some previous protections.
Hassan: Yes. Also issued Executive Order for NH banning discrimination against transgender individuals.
Source: CampusElect Voter Guide to 2016 New Hampshire Senate race
Oct 9, 2016
Mitt Romney:
Gay community needs more support from the Republican Party
Q: You said in Bay Windows, which is a gay newspaper in Massachusetts, in 1994 when you were running against Senator Kennedy, "I think the gay community needs more support from the Republican Party, and I would be a voice in the Republican Party to
foster anti-discrimination efforts." How have you used your voice to influence Republicans on this issue?ROMNEY: I don't discriminate. And in the appointments that I made when I was governor of Massachusetts, a member of my Cabinet was gay.
I appointed people to the bench, regardless of their sexual orientation, made it very clear that, in my view, we should not discriminate in hiring policies, in legal policies. At the same time, from the very beginning in 1994, I said to the gay
community, "I do not favor same-sex marriage." But if people are looking for someone who will discriminate against gays, they won't find that in me.
Q: When's the last time you stoop up and spoke out for increasing gay rights?
ROMNEY: Right now.
Source: Meet the Press 2012 GOP New Hampshire debate
Jan 8, 2012
Molly Kelly:
One of the first legislators to vote for marriage equality
I was proud to be one of the first legislators in the country to vote for marriage equality nearly a decade ago. All of us have worked so hard for so long to make positive change in the lives of Granite Staters. Much of our success is now threatened.
Protections at the state level will be critical, which makes this governor's race even more important to every Granite Stater who believes a person has the right to be married to the person they love.
Source: 2018 New Hampshire Governor campaign website MollyKelly.com
Oct 9, 2018
Rick Santorum:
Marriage is a federal issue; we need one definition, not 50
Q: Your view on the 1,800 couples who have same-sex marriages under N.H. law?SANTORUM: I believe the issue of marriage is a federal issue, that we can't have different laws with respect to marriage. We have to have one law. Marriage is a foundational
institution of our country, and we have to have a singular law with respect to that. We can't have somebody married in one state and not married in another.
Q: If we have a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, what happens
to the 1,800 families who have married here in N.H.? Are their marriages basically illegitimate at this point?
SANTORUM: If the Constitution says marriage is between a man and a woman, then marriage is between a man and a woman.
And therefore, that's what marriage is and would be in this country. And those who are not men and women who are married--would not be married. That's what the Constitution would say.
Source: WMUR 2012 GOP New Hampshire debate
Jan 7, 2012
Rick Santorum:
I agree with hearing gay ideas but disagree with some
Q: Would you be a voice for speaking out for gay rights in your party?A: I would be a voice in speaking out for making sure that every person in America, gay or straight, is treated with respect and dignity and has the equality of opportunity. That
does not mean that I would agree with certain things that the gay community would like to do to change laws with respect to marriage or respect to adoption and things like that. You can be respectful. Just because you don't agree with someone's desire to
change the law doesn't mean you hate them or you want to discriminate against them. If you watch the town hall meetings that I've been doing all over New Hampshire, I do so in a respectful tone: I listen to the other side. I let them make their
arguments. And you know what, we may not agree.
Q: What if you had a son who came to you and said he was gay?
A: I would love him as much as I did before he said it, and I would try to do everything I can to be as good a father to him as possible.
Source: Meet the Press 2012 GOP New Hampshire debate
Jan 8, 2012
Scott Brown:
Next step in racial equality: stop glorifying violence
Q: After hundreds of years of discrimination, at what point do we in effect say, "you're on your own"? Instead of this kind of special preference affirmative action.BROWN: Well, I think we're getting close. We've made huge strides. There are certain
pockets still where there is inequality. There are disadvantages that need to be addressed. But do we do that through government intervention or do we do it by job creation? By educating our kids? By getting a culture of family.
By getting at the black-on-black violence. We have to step back from glorifying a movement, the hip hop movement and other types of movements that glorify violence.
So I think we're getting very close to just letting Americans, black, white, all races, colors, creeds, move forth with their own qualifications and stand on their own merits.
Source: Fox News Sunday 2013, on 2014 New Hampshire Senate race
Aug 25, 2013
Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023