[Posted Friday, June 24, 2011, at 9:50 a.m.]
by State Representative Ken Kreis, Sr.
Editor's note: Representative Kreis is an Advisor of Pro-Gun New Hampshire, Inc., and was the House Chair of the recent Committee of Conference on SB88. Background material on this article may be found in our previous articles: http://pgnh.org/senator_boutin_are_the_rumors_true , http://pgnh.org/who_ultimately_killed_constitutional_carry_answer_senator_boutin , http://pgnh.org/nra_and_its_nh_state_affiliate_go_nh_kill_constitutional_carry , and http://pgnh.org/house_passes_huge_pro_gun_bill_by_a_veto_proof_majority . The editor added the emphasis (bold/underline) in paragraph No. 4.
To all,
I was distressed by this and attempted to discuss it with the Senator – but he took a different tone and was gone.
Please allow me to discuss a few items from my perspective:
1. The first Committee of Conference meeting took place on June 13 and lasted no more than one-half hour, since the senator made his position plain on the four groups needing to agree on language.
2. We were called back to the second C of C meeting on June 15, at which time the senators and two of the House members on the C of C listened to conflicting information via telephone calls. Senator Boutin stood firm and enlisted the help of Senator Groen, who less than a week before told me that they wanted to pass 330 – but now it was “not ready for prime time.”
3. In an effort to get something, the House members arranged a compromise by which the C of C agreed to keep the Castle Doctrine (“Stand Your Ground”) and the Ward Bird with Civil Immunity parts of the bill.
4. On Friday June 17, new information came forward which had all the gun groups agreeing on language. I took this to Senator Boutin and spoke with him to see if we could get the C of C back together and move the proposal. I spent approximately five hours that day visiting with the senator as well as the senate president. Finally Senator Boutin and I were outside of the State House in the shade, and he at last told me the truth as to why he opposed SB88 as amended: he has a constituent who through the budget cuts will lose his state government job. Senator Boutin stated that House and Senate leadership where trying to work this back into the budget, and HB330 was his bargaining chip. As I now found out, he held bills hostage trying to do this, and none of it worked. I could not believe my ears.
I spoke with Senator Bragdon (Senate President), who confirmed the story -- and then later in the Speaker’s office, heard that this “constituent” was a janitor!
Senator Boutin waited until Monday June 20, a week after the first C of C, to place calls to the gun groups. In my mind this was another ploy to deflect the rash of criticism that he has been taking for doing something so incomprehensible.
In my talk with him today he attempted to change the discussion to my not believing him that the gun groups were responsible for the failure of Constitutional Carry – and that I was less than honorable for not believing his words.
I would be happy to discuss my recount of these events with anyone. Just thought you should hear the rest of the story.
Respectfully,
Representative Ken Kreis, Sr.
House Chair of the Committee of Conference on SB88