Martine Fiske

I am writing to urge you to vote "Inexpedient to Legislate" (ITL) on HB 1359. While this bill is presented as a measure for transparency, it creates an unworkable administrative burden for New Hampshire’s towns, cities, and school districts. It effectively silences local voices in the General Court by creating a "supermajority" hurdle for membership in vital professional organizations. HB 1359 will lead to the following operational and governance failures: 1. Erosion of Local Voice through Unfair Voting Thresholds HB 1359 requires a two-thirds majority vote to approve the lobbying portion of municipal dues. This gives a small minority of voters at a Town Meeting or School District Deliberative Session the power to block the entire community from participating in the legislative process. Municipalities rely on associations like the NH Municipal Association (NHMA) to track hundreds of bills that impact local property taxes. Without this collective advocacy, small towns will be left without a seat at the table, while well-funded private interests continue to lobby without restriction. 2. Significant Administrative and Accounting Burden The bill mandates a complex "bifurcation" of dues that will be a nightmare for local finance officers and town clerks. • Split-Billing Mandate: Associations must provide itemized statements 60 days in advance, and towns must hold two separate recorded votes (one for general membership and one for lobbying). • Timing Conflicts: If an association’s budget cycle does not align with a town’s meeting cycle, the town may be legally prohibited from paying dues, even if the majority supports it. 3. Impact on School Districts and Village Districts This bill is not limited to towns; it extends to school districts and tiny village districts. • School Boards: Our local school boards rely on the NH School Boards Association to navigate complex state funding (Adequacy aid) and special education mandates. HB 1359 forces these boards to waste time on procedural roll-call votes for small dues amounts, diverting focus from education. • Village Districts: These districts are most often run by volunteers. Forcing these small entities to manage separate "lobbying" vs. "service" accounts is a classic example of an unfunded administrative mandate. 4. Risk of Confusion and Information Gaps The bill prohibits associations from denying services to those who don’t pay for lobbying. • Information Breakdown: It is practically impossible to separate "legislative updates" (a service) from "lobbying" (advocacy). This will lead to legal confusion over what information a town is entitled to receive, potentially leaving local officials in the dark about critical changes to state law. Current law already allows voters to reject municipal dues during the annual budget process via a simple majority. HB 1359 is an unnecessary intervention that complicates local governance and creates an uneven playing field where local taxpayers lose their collective voice. For these reasons, I respectfully ask you to vote Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL) on HB 1359.