Live Free or Don't: N.H. Representatives Nix D.C. Statehood Bill

New Hampshire State Reps. Cindy Rosenwald and Al Baldasaro with Mayor Vince Gray at the New Hampshire State House on Friday. (Via the office of Councilmember David Catania)

Despite a day of testimony from District officials and D.C. voting rights activists, a New Hampshire House of Representatives committee declined Friday to support a resolution endorsing D.C. statehood.

The measure, which fell on an 8-3 vote, was not dealt a death blow, however. Statehouse rules allow for the minority to report it into the full legislature, which its chief sponsor, State Rep. Cindy Rosenwald, intends to do in the next few weeks.

Mayor Vince Gray and members of the D.C. Council had traveled to Concord, N.H. to lobby the state legislature there on endorsing statehood for the District. The trip, originally planned for January 12, was rescheduled after a snowstorm in the Granite State threw a wrench in the itinerary.

The mayor was joined on the trip by Council Chairman Kwame Brown, and council members David Catania (I-At Large), Michael A. Brown (I-At Large), Vincent Orange (D-At Large) and Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3). Also showing up to testify on behalf of D.C. statehood to the New Hampshire House of Representative's bill H.R. 26 were the group of activists, led by the performance artist Adrian Parsons, who went on a weeks-long hunger strike last month as a protest over the District's lack of full representation in Congress.

A few reporters made the trip, too, including the Post's Tim Craig and Fox 5's Matt Ackland. Craig, early on, noted the political tendencies of the New Hampshire House's State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee:

Told DC officials will be testifying before "very conservative" committee. Few days ago, it passed resolution advocating withdrawal from UN
— Tim Craig (@timcraigpost) January 27, 2012

Still, the hearing seemed to get off on a good note for the District delegation. After leading the chamber in the Pledge of Allegiance, Gray used the early part of the session to make the boilerplate case for D.C. statehood—lack of legislative autonomy, Congressional meddling in the budget, funding for District operations being contingent on federal budget resolutions. He drew a comparison between D.C.'s motto of "Taxation Without Representation" and New Hampshire's more brazen credo "Live Free or Die."

Several of the questions from the panel asked Gray to outline how the District, if turned into a state, would govern itself. One member, citing the Article Four of the Constitution, noted that all states in the union are required to have a republican form of government. Gray said he imagined that would be the case.

After hearing from Kwame Brown, State Rep. Robert Theberge, a Democrat from the town of Berlin, told the chamber he "would be honored if New Hampshire was the first to pass" a resolution endorsing D.C. statehood. It's worth noting that though Democrats hold only one-quarter of the seats in the New Hampshire House, there seemed, at least during the testimony, to be a dose of bipartisanship emerging on this issue.

Not long after Brown's remarks, State Rep. Elaine Swinford, a Republican, reflecting the Granite State's libertarian streak, sounded incredulous to hear about Congress' oversight of the District's legislative activity.

"You've gotta be kidding me, you've got to wait for Congress' approval for anything you do?" she blurted out from the dais.

Cheh provided the historical legal analysis, running through a history of arguments by federal leaders for, but mostly against, expanded rights for the District since its founding in 1791:

The framers [of the Constitution] could not have foreseen that the District would grow to a population greater than Wyoming and, according to the most recent estimates, only about 8,400 fewer than Vermont. And it is incongruous to think that the Framers, having just fought a war to ensure that there would be no taxation without representation, would enshrine in the Constitution the existence of such a significant population with no representation in Congress.

Cheh, at one point, also brought up the model provided by the Northwest Ordinance, which allowed the territories we now know as Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin to apply for statehood once they reached 60,000 residents. (The 1787 law has been in the news this week as it has also been cited by Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich in his aims for the moon.)

Besides the District's elected leaders, who left about 12:30 p.m. for their flight back to Washington, the Granite State officials also heard from representatives of the advocacy group DC Vote as well as the one-time hunger strikers.

Among the people brought along by DC Vote executive director Ilir Zherka were several veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, whom Rosenwald said made a the most compelling case.

Rosenwald, a Democrat from Nashua, does not sit on the State-Federal Relations panel and attended only as the bill's sponsor and lead witness. In an interview after the vote, she relayed some of the reasons her colleagues who do sit on the committee gave for their hesitation to embrace D.C. statehood.

"There were a couple of people who were not inclined to look favorably on us because they thought your gun laws were too strict," Rosenwald told DCist. Another state representative remarked that people who live in D.C. have "made a choice" to forego full representation at the federal level, she said.

After the testimony wrapped up—Parsons and his comrades from Occupy the Vote went last—the committee first weighed adding an amendment to Rosenwald's bill that would have reduced it from endorsing full District statehood to one that just supported more substantial Congressional representation.

In the course of that debate, however, the committee lost its quorum and needed to pull in any state legislature members it could find in the building to record a tally. The two who joined the group, both Republicans, voted against the measure, which ened up being considered in its original form. Swinford, who earlier had been stunned to hear about Congressional meddling in District minutiae, departed before the vote.

Still, with the ability to file a minority report, Rosenwald said the issue of D.C. statehood still has life in the Granite State. "I doubt it'll come up next week," she said, "but the argument against it will be published."

Catania spokesman Brendan Williams-Kief, who traveled with the District government group, said upon returning home that despite the outcome of the vote, it was still a productive trip.

"We were really well received by a lot of committee members who, when they heard what we have to go through with federal oversight, there was a visible reaction," he said. "In New Hampshire it sort of borders on revulsion."

Still, he added, "it's clear that there's a lot of education that needs to be done."

In reflecting on the defeat of Rosenwald's bill, there was also something of a "Live Free or Die" vibe to Williams-Kief's takeaway from the day's events:

"I would say we would have liked to had the New Hampshire legislature's support, we accept their ability to make their own decisions within their own local government institutions—exactly what the District is seeking."

Catania and Michael A. Brown's offices are spearheading an election-year effort to take the statehood plea to as many local governments around the country as possible. Florida, Tennessee and Illinois are next on the horizon, though no hearings in those states have been scheduled yet.

And a defeat in one committee of one statehouse isn't a deterrent, Williams-Kief said.

"Did we think we're going to get 50 state legislatures to agree on anything?" he asked. "No."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@dcist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Benjamin R. Freed in News on January 27, 2012 6:50 PM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

Guest

Now this post should have been called "Go Home Already"

HillmanDC

The Washington Post has a far less happy summary. According to them Gray and party were essentially shamed into coming home early.

Ted_Kennedy

The corrupt officials of Detroit West taking vacations on their sheep's dime...why would they go all the way to Alaska? And a conservative state such as Tennessee? Like most things involving DC government, this is a pathetic joke...

Shiba Fussa

If you are in the military you are a fool to be a DC resident while serving. Pick another state that doesn't have an income tax and you get to vote for a useless member of Congress.

Bethesdaist

Honest, I am not being snarky here -- has anyone thought about doing a public awareness campaign about DC's lack of voting representation on Reddit or something like that? Because spending money on this seems really wasteful and futile. Why not educate voters and the general public about how jacked DC's situation is before flying all over the damn place.

If not, I hereby volunteer to visit the last state to join the union for the in-person talks.

Guest

And I'll go with you and one night we can have sex on the beach.

Ted_Kennedy

And deny these vacations to our elected officials?

monkeyrotica

Well, one down, 49 to go. I still say you have a better chance passing a law allowing District residents to vote for representation in other states, not just MD and VA, and having your tax dollars sent to that state's coffers. Barring that, they should consider joining Guam, Puerto Rico, the Marianas Islands, the Johnston Atoll, Northern California, and Northern Virginia; seceding; and forming the Confederate A$$holes of America. It worked last time. Sort of.

I'm just here for the snark

Is that Richard Simmons in the foreground?

Newhce

A few points:

1. Ben, THIS was a good article and deserving of the length. It was actually about something new. Good job.

2. Are you f*ckin' kidding me? They can't get a meaningless resolution supporting statehood out of a committee in a legislature that was targeted because it was friendly? Call this charade off. Statehood is dead. Any movement on the issue is dead for another decade.

3. So let's make the focus for the next decade showing the rest of the country how normal and like the rest of America DC is. Martin's naive "We don't care what you think of us, give us statehood dammit" is just silly. Every other state got into the union by showing how they "fit" with the union (that, and a few bribes here and there). Lets get off the high horse about the silly gun laws once and for all, elect representatives who are not crooks and stop blaming the feds for everything bad about the city. That will take bold leadership, and commitment from all those in power in DC. In other words, it won't happen.

Martin Austermuhle

I don't believe that Illinois having two governors thrown in jail makes IT normal, so I am planning on filing a formal request that it be made a non-voting district until it can clean it's act up.

Sounds pretty dumb, huh? Well, that's roughly the standard we have to meet according to your logic. Along these lines, only smart people should have First Amendment rights.

Finally, I'd like to see the proof of how Hawaii and Alaska proved that they were oh-so normal to merit inclusion into the union.

HillmanDC

Our corruption and idiocy has been going on for 30 years now. With damn few breaks.

People don't see it as an isolated event,like they might for an isolated IL governor or two.

Instead, they correctly view it as part of our culture.

Newhce

Whether it is dumb or not, the corruption in DC matters. Until you, and the rest of DC accepts that all this bullshit impacts our chances for statehood, you will be fighting a losing battle. I doesn't matter if you think it is right or not. That is

Martin Austermuhle

You and I will always differ on this, I suppose. I just can't accept that anyone else can look at us and say, "Until you have a type of municipal government of a standard that no other state or juridiction is held to, we won't give you the very rights this country was founded on."

Where does it end? We clean up the government, reform our gun laws, abandon same-sex marriage (someone will say we have to since it makes us out of touch with America), boot all the illegal immigrants, etc. If you start allowing one thing to be used as a condition upon which voting rights are based, you open yourself up to everything becoming a condition.

That's actually a good question for you -- would you give up same-sex marriage in D.C. if you knew that we'd get voting rights out of it?

Guest

Good question Martin, but a lot of America supports same-sex marriage. The only thing DC needs to "give up" is business as usual.

Ted_Kennedy

You are exactly right on all points...it's like applying for a job unshowered, unshaven, and in raggedy clothes...and then whining about not getting hired. DC is considered a bit of a joke...and as long as people keep electing the same thugs it will stay a joke. DC wasn't meant to be a state...and until it cleans up it's act doesn't deserve statehood...and yes, I am a resident.

Martin Austermuhle

One issue with this analogy: a job isn't a right. Basic democratic rights that this country was founded on are.

HillmanDC

That's a great analogy.

I do think voting rights is a right, period.

But our refusal to realize that our crappy scandal-ridden local government is a major obstacle to voting rights mystifies me.

Newhce

I slightly disagree. I think DC does deserve statehood, but I don't think we will get it until we stop blaming everyone else but ourselves.

Newhce

Yeah, I know about Hawaii, and Alaska. I just wanted to save the pixel space. Last time I checked, DC didn't have any great strategic military or energy advantages.

Martin Austermuhle

I just wanted to make sure that I could poke a hole in your argument that every state that joined the union somehow dressed itself up nice and said "Please" over and over again.

Newhce

No you are right. There are 3 strategies. 1) say please; 2) strategic importance; 3) bribery.

Martin Austermuhle

Oh yeah, one more thing -- that one of the NH reps said they didn't want to bring their kid here because they were afraid of the murder rate shows that their concerns aren't so much about how we govern ourselves and more about, well, I have no idea what.

HillmanDC

Martin:

DC has a FAR higher crime rate than where these state politicians are from.

If Gray and posse were to embark on a tour of all 50 state houses they'd be encountering a ton of people that simply can't conceive of living like we do in DC - with a constant drumbeat of crime as part of how we live our daily lives.

It's absolutely relevant to them to mention the fact that we can't seem to get a handle on crime.

Is that a reason to deny us voting rights? Of course not.

But mentally it absolutely plays a part.

It's stupid to pretend that it doesn't.

Martin Austermuhle

I think they're stupid for honestly trying to link a crime rate and democratic rights. If that were the case, Baltimore residents wouldn't have voting representation in the House either.

Guye Jern

OTR, with all due respect, that is pure bullshit. We need to go militant on your asses

Guest

Hillman said it:

It doesn't matter what you think.It matters what people outside of DC think.

And that Martin is the problem. Your passion clearly shows, but it takes cold hard facts and changes to change others.

DC is perceived as a backwater good old boy Southern Town. That has to change and the only way to do so is to move into the 21st Century.

I do respect the passion for statehood you have Martin and sometimes I feel bad for you because you believe in something good for a place that doesn't "deserve" it. DC will grow, DC will clean up, DC will be stronger, but it takes time. Barry has to go, the other shady ones have to go. Everyone from the mayor on down has to be squeaky clean.

DC needs to stop acting like a small town and start acting like the capital of the free world.

HillmanDC

It doesn't matter what you think.

It matters what people outside of DC think.

It is logical for people to see DC's dismal 30 year track record of fucking the capital city into the ground, only to be kept barely legit by Congressional oversight, and for those people to rightly assume that giving DC two Senators and a Congressman would mean we'd then be in a position of power and free to wheel and deal as we saw fit, resulting (in their minds) in a return to the Marion Barry era.

And that internal rot that infests DC is best evidenced by our stunning crime rate and the passive and counterproductive way our elected leaders address crime and social issues.

Which affects the entire nation and our national reputation.

I don't blame people for seeing that as a legitimate reason to override our voting rights, in favor of protecting our capital city.

Newhce

You don't see the relation between the murder rate and how we govern ourselves?

Martin, you need get a better sense of the history. DC is still paying a big price in the national consciousness for the horrific crack war years of the 80s and 90s as well as Marion Barry. We could be the safest city in the country and many would still think DC is a corrupt, crime ridden sewer.

The current corruption only adds fuel to that feeling. and until that mindset is changed, there will be no change in our status.

10 years. minimum.

Guye Jern

What do you expect from a state full of crackers

HillmanDC

Like Saltines?

I'm just here for the snark

I hear Gray is considering switching to asking state legislators to adopt resolutions allowing DC to field an Olympic team.

D_Rez

DC is pretty damn normal.
Aside from the fact that we kick LA, Chicago and NYC Ass, and that whole center of the free world thing, we're almost ordinary.

Ted_Kennedy

Delusional are we? The only thing we kick NYC's ass in is actually managing to continually elect corrupt officials...NYC is the center of the free world because that's where the money is moved...take away the federal government being here and this is Detroit West...

Guest

Capitalism is the creation of resources, politics is the allocation of resources.
Detroit and Wall street would suck even more if we didn't bail them out.
Now run along, and don't spend your allowance in one place!

D_Rez

Beautifully nuanced write up.

HillmanDC

Totally at odds with what the WP reported, which is that Gray and Friends got their asses handed to them in an embarrassing spectacle, literally fleeing the state.

StatehoodDC

Today's actions highlight why it is imperative that we continue to reach outside our borders and educate state legislators and their electorate of the reality that 620,000 Americans continue to be oppressed by representatives in Congress whom they did not elect.

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle." Martin Luther King, Jr.

Vance Grey

Fuck off and die, New Hampshire.

Watch all the cars parked in DC streets with NH tags get impounded tonight.

Guye Jern

Agree, what a bunch of assholes that state is

Guest

And while DC isn't a state, it too has a bunch of Assholes.

Vance Grey

Mostly all the shit-for-brains congressmen and senators the rest of the country has sent here.

Morley1

Can you post the results of the next vote they took on whether to approve the resolution endorsing Moon statehood?

BombaySplashVermouth

Damned weather gets in the way of voting for democracy.

Dread_Pirate_Roberts

Wait, what? We knew that this committee passed a resolution seeking to leave the U.N., yet we still thought going up there to talk to them was somehow worthwhile??!?! You can't fix stupid, people.

Oh, and I love the quote about the gun laws. Hmm, where have I heard that before. Oh yeah! Snark.