Issue Position: 5-Way Test to Vote on a Bill

Issue Position

I'll ask these questions before voting on every bill:
What will this bill cost the taxpayers?
Will this bill raise or implement new taxes or fees?
What are the long-term effects of this bill?
Does this bill infringe on individual rights?
Does this bill expand state government?

1. What will this bill cost the taxpayers?
Every dime the government spends comes from hard-working taxpayers. You know better than anyone how to spend the money you worked hard to earn. I will not ever vote to take money from taxpayers unless I am absolutely convinced that the legislation implements an essential government function which is authorized by the State and Federal Constitutions, which cannot be done better by the private or non-profit sector. This means carefully studying the "fiscal notes" attached to bills and getting as much information I can about how the legislation will be funded, and what kinds of indirect or "compliance" costs it will impose on businesses and individuals. I also don't believe in the myth of growing state government to get "Federal money" or "money from Washington." Anything the Federal Government provides to the State of New Hampshire was originally taken from us, and a prime example of this behavior was the State Senate's Medicaid Expansion/Obamacare implementation efforts earlier this year. I would have voted against Medicaid expansion.

2. Will this bill raise or implement new taxes or fees?
Obviously I have always opposed and will continue to oppose any broad-based sales or income tax. Period. No exceptions. Ever. In all other things, we are taxed enough already and there would have to be a critical, imminent, public health or safety need for me to even consider increasing the tax burden on New Hampshire taxpayers.

3. What are the long-term effects of this bill?
I don't have a crystal ball to see into the future, but it is a legislator's duty to study how legislation will play out over time. Today's "quick fix" can be tomorrow's nightmare of unintended and unforeseen consequences, so I will approach every vote with the future in mind--not just getting through the current fiscal cycle. I will not shift today's burdens onto the next generation, and I will not implement incomplete or flawed legislation for the purpose of looking busy or cutting a deal to get things done. If there are unanswered questions about how a bill will play out in the long-term, it needs more study and I will vote to kill it or send it to interim study where those questions can be answered. Doing nothing is almost always better than doing something without thinking it through.

4. Does this bill infringe on individual rights?
I will oppose any bill that infringes on individual rights, including, but not limited to, the rights guaranteed by the State and Federal Constitutions.

5. Does this bill expand state government?
When government grows, the private sector must necessarily shrink. Unless there is some critical government function that is not getting done and hampering economic growth, such as a clogged court system, backed-up permit applications because of staff shortages, etc., I will NEVER vote to grow government or make more people in any way dependent on government.

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