Catholic Citizenship News

HB 1283 Update

The latest on the campaign to stop state-sanctioned suicide

We have some excellent news to report this week. On Wednesday, May 1, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted 3-2 to recommend to the full Senate that HB 1283 be sent to Interim Study. If the full Senate adopts that motion, HB 1283 will be defeated. Thanks to Senate President Jeb Bradley, Committee Chair Regina Birdsell, and Committee Vice-Chair Kevin Avard for their vote and for the eloquent and impassioned remarks each one of them made explaining their deep opposition to this bill. 

The bill will be voted on by the full Senate on May 16. If you have not yet done so, please call, write or email your state senator and ask them to vote against passing HB 1283. To find out who your senator is, go here:

The New Hampshire State Senate

Thank you.

In order to help defeat this bill, the Diocese is working alongside the NH Coalition for Suicide Prevention, a diverse group that includes health care providers, veterans, and people with disabilities and their advocates. The Church teaches that suicide is always a tragedy and that a caring community should respond with hospice and palliative care to better meet the needs of those facing the end of life.

Testimony Against HB 1633

HB 1633 Update

Alert:

Defend the Common Good – Help to Stop Legalization of Marijuana (HB 1633)

HB 1633 is a bill to legalize marijuana. The Diocese of Manchester opposes this bill because, in our view, legalizing marijuana would be harmful to the common good of New Hampshire. The principle of the common good is a cornerstone of Catholic Social Teaching and of the state and federal constitutions as well.

What Can You Do?

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing on the bill on Thursday, April 25 at 1:45 PM in State House Room 100. The full Senate will vote on the bill sometime in the following weeks.

Please do the following, as soon as possible:

1. Sign in electronically to register your opposition to the bill by going to this link:
   
   The New Hampshire State Senate
   
   Please do this before midnight on April 24. Electronic sign-in closes at midnight on April 25.
   
   
2. Call or email your state senator and ask them to vote against HB 1633. To find out who your senator is, visit:
   
   The New Hampshire State Senate
   
   
3. If you are able to do so, attend the hearing to show your opposition to the bill. If you are at the hearing, you can even consider testifying against the bill.

January 17, 2024 – The Diocese of Manchester submitted written and oral testimony to register opposition to HB 1633, which would legalize marijuana.  

Testimony Against CACR 24

January 4, 2024 – The Diocese of Manchester submitted written and oral testimony against CACR 24, a proposed New Hampshire State Constitutional Amendment that would make abortion a constitutional right.