Thank you for visiting Cornerstone Policy Research - Action, the legislative advocacy arm of Cornerstone Policy Research. Here, you will find information pertaining to CPR-A legislative initiatives, including testimonies from legislative hearings and press releases.

We hope that you will find this information useful and we welcome your feedback as we look to constantly improve our site, and responsiveness, to you the voter.

If you are interested in educational and research items on the issues which Cornerstone-Action advocates for, please visit our sister site, Cornerstone Policy Research.

Again, thank you for your interest in our work - we hope to hear from you soon!

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A Big THANK YOU to all CPR Supporters!

As the 2009 Legislative season comes to a close, CPR-Action reflects on a session in which we experienced both victories and defeats. Either way, one thing was made clear: CPR-Action has become an organization with influence and we are holding our legislators accountable for each and every vote they cast.

In fact, just this past week, James Pindell of NHPoliticalReport.com, said the following about Cornerstone in his weekly "Who's Up and Who's Down" post: "UP: Kevin Smith: With his ability to build coalitions around an ad-hoc tax rally this week, Smith showed Cornerstone isn't just about social issues and that he is becoming a real serious player."

With that, let us take a quick look back...

Successes

Bathroom Bill:
Remember this gem? Despite the House Leadership's overwhelming support for this bill, and the Senate's vocal support for it, it was ultimately flushed in the Senate, 24-0. CPR-Action fought this egregious legislation hard by winning public support on this issue and framing the debate. No doubt though, as other states seek to pass similar legislation, and given the legislative leadership's support for making this bill a priority, it will be back - and perhaps as soon as next year if they perceive it as their "last chance" to get it through.

Gambling:
Multiple attempts were made this year to expand casino and slot type gambling in our state, via both legislation and the budget process. But in the end, a bipartisan coalition of groups (including CPR-Action) and legislators were too much for the gambling lobby for it to pass. Still, Governor Lynch has called for a commission to study the prospect of gambling next year, thus needing to keep a close eye on this issue.

Choice in Education:
Two bills were introduced this year that would have put more unnecessary and undue regulations on the home school community. One of those bills, HB367 was killed in the House. It's companion bill though, HB368 was sent back to the committee for more study.

Mixed Bag

The Budget:
The final budget did not contain nearly as many cuts as it should have and spending increased much more than it should have (8%). That being said, in the end, pressure and public perception forced the legislature to craft a bill without gambling or some taxes that were talked about: cap. gains tax, death tax, gas tax, refinance tax, entertainment tax, etc. Still, families who eat out, register their car, or go camping are all still getting stuck with the new price tag.

Work to be Done

Marriage:
We won, then lost, then won, then lost, then won again, and finally lost. We gave it our all despite a deck that was stacked very high against us, but ultimately, marriage lost to the far-left radicals and outside influences. Mark our words though: the NH voters have not had their say on this issue yet - and when then do, at the ballot box and on the issue itself, marriage as we know it will be restored.

Parental Notification:
What is a no-brainer issue to the majority of the public, is not so to this far-left legislature and Governor. Parental notification was passed in 2003. Governor Lynch repealed it in 2007. CPR-Action will work to see that it is restored in 2011.

Taxes:
Despite losses, CPR-Action continues to support legislation that enacts a spending cap on state budget requests, thus forcing legislators to be good stewards of taxpayer funds.

What We'll Be Watching Over the Summer

Some of the legislation we monitored and weighed in on this year was sent back to committee to be studied further. CPR-Action will be monitoring these bills and will keep you informed as they make their was through the process. The bills include:

HB 304 - Legalizing doctor-assisted suicide in NH

HB 686 - Expanding the powers of the complainant before the NH Human Rights Commission

HB 509 - Requires parental consent prior to psychological evaluations by school districts

HB 368 - Requiring additional requirements and regulations of the home school community

Thank YOU, CPR-Action supporters, for all of your work and activism in holding our elected officials accountable this session!

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Pictures from the Tax Rally

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Cornerstone Releases new TV add

Commenting on the ad, CPR-Action’s Kevin Smith, stated, “The public needs to be made aware that the Legislature and Governor will go to any length to tax them any way they can, even during a deep recession, because of their fiscal irresponsibility and mismanagement of the state budget. Even with the latest version of the budget, we are certainly not out of the woods yet especially if it is voted down – I suspect we’d see some of these taxes or gambling rear their ugly heads again.”

More...More...More...

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NECN: Conservatives Rally Around Cornerstone

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