HCR6 Affirming States Rights Based on Jeffersonian Principles

For the past 150 yr the government of the United States of America has been steadily encroaching into areas of government that the founding fathers intended to be in the hands of  State and local government.  It has repeatedly violated the sovereign rights of the States and the people.  In the last 10 yr the aggressions have reached the level of threatening our freedom at its most fundamental levels.  The only way stop this trend is for the States to reassert their sovereignty as it is codified in the Constitution for the United States of America and the Constitutions of the several States.

HCR6 reaches back to the Kentucky Resolutions drafted by President Thomas Jefferson, and submitted to the legislature of Kentucky by him, and to the legislature of Virginia by President James Madison.  It is important to remember that these two men were principally responsible for two of the most important foundational documents of the United States of America, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution for the United States of America and its first ten Amendments.  The thoughts of Jefferson and Madison as set forth in the Draft of the Kentucky Resolutions are the best statement of the proper relationship between the States and the general (federal) government of the United States of America.  They were the response to the Alien and Sedition Acts.  The Alien and Sedition Acts lengthened the time to become a citizen, enabled deportation without a hearing at the discretion of the President, and made criticism government or its officials a crime.  They were the eighteenth century version of the worst parts of the Patriot Act.  They are the principles that catapulted Jefferson to the Presidency over John Adams, making Adams the only founding father to serve only one term as President.

When the Congress of the United States of America is considering a federal gun license, when the new President has promoted mandatory community service for young people (slavery), when there is talk of re-instituting the fairness doctrine (stopping freedom of speech) and when land is being purchased for the NAFTA Super Highway, the last best defense of the people of America are their State Governments.  In the course of human events, it is necessary to apprise potential aggressors of the consequence of their actions.  That is the purpose of HCR 6, Affirming States Rights Based on Jeffersonian Principles.

HCR6 is not about secession; its about enforcing the Constitution of the State of New Hampshire and the Constitution for the United States of America.  Because it is an affirmation of States rights, it also makes it clear that no other State has the power to make New Hampshire business their tax collector; and no other government has the power to tell us to do so.  Most importantly, HCR6 shifts the burden of responsibility for whatever may happen to the Federal Government.

On February 12, 2009, the State/Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee held Executive Session, the Vice Chair, Rep. Garrity made a motion of inexpedient-to-legislate (ITL).  There were no arguments in favor of ITL and four arguments against ITL.  The vote was 11-7 in favor of ITL with Republicans and one Democrat voting in against ITL.  Now it is up to the people of New Hampshire to demand that their Representatives, their agents and substitutes, vote against ITL and for out-to-pass (OTP).

Rep. Daniel Itse

Rockingham County, District 9

(603) 642-9403

itsenh@comcast.net

Rep. Timothy Comerford

Rockingham County, District 9

Rep. Paul Ingbretson

Grafton County, District 5

Sen. William Denley

District 3