Arnie Alpert and Maggie Fogarty of the American Friends’ Service Committee’s New Hampshire program bring us the radio version of their State House Watch Newsletter. This week’s guests are Representative Pat Long, who has a very touching story of how his own personal experience growing up led him to the Chairmanship of the State House’s Child and Family Law Committee, and the leader of the New Hampshire Black Heritage Trail, JerriAnne Boggis.
While the legislature was officially on vacation last week, along with State House Watch, legislative committees continued to meet in preparation for the upcoming ‘crossover’ date, when House bills that passed the full House are forwarded to the Senate, and vice-versa.
Arnie discusses the status of the of the pending contracts for the four public employee unions; The Public Employee Labor Relations Board; the Joint Committee on Employee Relations; the relationship among the Executive Council, the Legislature, and the Governor. We hear a statement from Peter Perroni, representing the Fish and Game workers.
HB712, Family and Medical Leave
– “Better Get Yer Lernin” – Songs of Our Native Daughters –
Rep. Pat Long of Manchester, Chair of Child and Family Law, his background, What is the purview of the committee? The rights and interests of children; New resources: the Child Advocate; DCYF; Mobile Crisis Units; Cases per intake worker; Kinship not the only qualification to help children; Data shows the impacts on children of adverse experiences; money spent on minimizing adverse experiences is well spent; federal ‘Families First Act’; Medical marijuana funds insufficiently spent on recreational marijuana impacts. Legal representation for children. Guardian Ad Litum, vs. Court Appointed Special Advocate. Grandparents parenting; availability of social services; age of marriage;
– Langston Hughes introduces and recites “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” –
JerriAnne Boggis and the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. Used to be just Portsmouth but there is black heritage all over the state. Development of Inclusive History Curricula. Involve local historical societies as well as schools. Black Heritage Tea Talks are ongoing.
AFSC Announcements.
