HB456: relative to the supreme court's authority to appoint a member to the ballot law commission.

HB 456 - AS INTRODUCED

2003 SESSION

03-0693

03/10

HOUSE BILL 456

AN ACT relative to the supreme court's authority to appoint a member to the ballot law commission.

SPONSORS: Rep. Marple, Merr 37; Rep. Cataldo, Straf 68; Rep. Alger, Graf 14; Rep. L. Christiansen, Hills 66; Rep. Ahern, Belk 29; Sen. Boyce, Dist 4; Sen. Martel, Dist 18; Sen. Roberge, Dist 9

COMMITTEE: Election Law

ANALYSIS

This bill eliminates the supreme court's authority to appoint a member to the ballot law commission.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

03-0693

03/10

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Three

AN ACT relative to the supreme court's authority to appoint a member to the ballot law commission.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Ballot Law Commission; Organization. Amend RSA 665:1 to read as follows:

665:1 Organization.

I. There shall be a ballot law commission consisting of 3 members, one of whom shall be an attorney in good standing and licensed to practice in the state of New Hampshire. [This member of the commission shall be appointed by the New Hampshire supreme court.] The [other 2] members shall be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the council, with at least one from each of the 2 major political parties in the state based on votes cast for governor in the most recent state general election. One member shall be designated as chairperson. The terms of all commissioners shall be for 4 years, or until their successors are appointed and qualified, except that the first appointments shall be for terms of 2, 3, and 4 years[, respectively. The supreme court nominee, who shall always be the chairman, shall be appointed in the first instance for a term of 2 years with the remaining 2 nominees appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the council to be appointed initially for the terms of 3 and 4 years, respectively]. Thereafter, one member shall be appointed at the expiration of each term to take office July 1. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner for the unexpired term. [The 2 commissioners appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the council shall not be of the same political party.] The secretary of state shall be recording officer and clerk of the commission, but shall have no vote in its decisions.

II. There shall be 3 alternate members for the ballot law commission. [One alternate member shall be appointed by the New Hampshire supreme court. The alternate member appointed by the supreme court shall be an attorney in good standing and licensed to practice in the state of New Hampshire. The alternate member appointed by the supreme court shall perform the duties of the chairman and shall always be the alternate to temporarily fill the chairman's place. Two] The alternate members shall be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the council, and [shall not] no more than 2 shall be of the same political party. The terms of all alternate members shall be for 4 years, and the term of each new alternate member shall begin on July 1.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.