By Ray Buckley, Chairman New Hampshire Democratic Party
Concord, N.H. – Governor Sununu signed HB 1319 on Friday, a transgender rights bill that was passed with unanimous support by New Hampshire Democrats while a majority of New Hampshire Republicans voted to defeat it. Sununu neglected to say the word “transgender” in his signing statement, and said he had “no personal opinion” on the same bill last year as he watched his own party kill it in the legislature.
NHDP Chair Ray Buckley issued the following statement:
“Thanks to unanimous Democratic support in the state legislature and outstanding advocacy from the LGBTQ community, transgender equality is now law in New Hampshire. No longer will transgender Granite Staters have to fear discrimination under the law based on who they are. After saying he had ‘no personal opinion’ on the bill last year as his own party killed it, we’re happy to see Governor Sununu finally come around. It’s telling that the governor is trying to dodge political upheaval in his own party by signing this bill on a Friday afternoon without a bill signing ceremony and without so much as saying the word ‘transgender’ in his signing statement, but it’s not surprising.
Governor Sununu has neglected to issue Pride Month proclamations in either of his two years as governor, he has not attended any of the pride parades across the state, and he refused to stand up to his own state party as they rejected marriage equality in their 2018 platform. Sununu has also yet to apologize for his father, John H. Sununu, killing the bill and calling it ‘garbage’ in 2009 as the Chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party. Signing this bill is a no-brainer, but he has failed to use any political capital to stand up to his own party’s long history of discrimination.”
The opinions expressed here are the writer’s. InDepthNH.org encourages diversity of opinion.
Below find Gov. Chris Sununu’s news release about signing HB 1319 on Friday.
Governor Chris Sununu Signs HB 1319 Into Law
For Immediate Release: June 8, 2018
Contact:
603-271-2121
Concord, NH – Today, Governor Chris Sununu issued the following statement after signing HB 1319 into law:
“Discrimination – in any form – is unacceptable and runs contrary to New Hampshire’s Live Free or Die Spirit. If we really want to be the Live Free or Die State, we must ensure that New Hampshire is a place where every person, regardless of their background, has an equal and full opportunity to pursue their dreams and to make a better life for themselves and their families. This bill will ensure equal rights, equal opportunity, and nondiscrimination protections in the areas of housing and employment, and today I signed HB 1319 into law.”