New Hampshire Seatbelt bill Defeated, Smoking ban Passed

Just when I thought the nanny state was going to totally take over the state the mandatory seatbelt bill was defeated.

The state Senate late this afternoon rejected mandatory seat belts for all ages, voting 16-8 against passage of House Bill 802.

The vote kept New Hampshire the only state in the country without such a requirement.

The bill had passed the House 153-140 on April 4.

This may show that the state government isn’t totally ready to regulate all aspects of our lives just yet. Maybe they will treat voters as adults after all. We finally won a battle.

But then there’s this:

The New Hampshire House today approved a ban on smoking in restaurants, cocktail lounges and some other public places, moving the bill to Gov. John Lynch, who is expected to sign it into law.

The vote today was 224-117, coming after a 216-135 vote rejecting a proposed amendment to allow separate “smoking rooms” in restaurant and lounges.

The bill also bans smoking in state-licensed public educational facilities, hospitals, grocery stores, elevators, tramways, gondolas and “other such public conveyances.” It exempts members-only private bars operated by social, fraternal or religious organizations unless they are also open to the general public.

They couldn’t help themselves on this issue apparently. They must regulate this bad behavior.So much for personal choice here. They did exempt clubs like the VFW and such, but have no fear, they are next. Why don’t they just ban smoking? A good guess would be that the new budget calls for a .28 cent increase in the cigarette tax. I guess that the increased tax revenue is ultimately more important than the health of the average New Hampshire citizen.

Maybe the nanny state isn’t quite here yet, maybe I jumped the gun. Maybe New Hampshire voters are more like the child who is old enough to be left alone when you make a quick trip to the store, but not old enough to left alone for extended periods of time.

Don’t worry though, children, these people never give up, even in defeat. They just keep trying and trying all the while gaining support and eventually they will win and the nanny state will be here.

Unless we vote them out, and get back to true New Hampshire ideals.