Mary Hakken-Phillips | Oppose CACR23

Mr. Chair & Members of the Committee: I oppose CACR23 on the basis that it runs counter to the fundamental principles of checks and balances from our U.S. Constitution, and is potentially an unconstitutional concurrent resolution if passed. Suspending that concern, if this amendment were to pass and be signed into law, it would set off a constitutional crisis for the state. After all, if the legislature is the oversight for the judicial branch, then it would no longer be a co-equal branch of government. Who would have oversight of the legislature (it can no longer be the judicial branch and it is not likely to be the partisan executive branch)? I fear that the motivation behind this amendment may be bubbling up from a minority segment of society who had adverse outcomes in the court system, so now they are bent on getting their retribution rather than dealing with their own failures in a productive manner. Of course, everyone who loses in court would rather blame a judge or the system itself than look inwardly about what behaviors caused them to land in court in the first place. The judicial branch has an imperfect but appropriate self-regulating disciplinary processes that should not be disrupted with this amendment proposal. The state of NH will surely suffer if this amendment passes, so I urge the committee to vote ITL on CACR 23. Thank you. Rep. Mary Hakken-Phillips