By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD – The Senate killed a bill Thursday that would have required the federal government to notify the press and the public 24 hours before it plans a border check on roads within New Hampshire.

The House had passed House Bill 579 in a bipartisan manner on a vote of 254-85 but the bill died on the Senate floor on a 14-10 vote along party lines.

Democrats opposed the committee report to kill the bill.

Sen. Becky Whitley, D-Hopkinton, called them “fishing expeditions for unlawful purposes,” and Sen. Donna Soucy, D-Manchester, noted that often the arrests and convictions are overturned because they violated search and seizure laws of the state.

Sen. Suzanne Prentiss, D-Lebanon, noted while she was on Lebanon City Council several years ago, they dealt with an issue where ambulances on Route 89 were delayed from getting to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center because of the roadblocks and checkpoints.

“There are larger implications,” she said to the federal government’s border stops.

But Republicans, including Sen. Bob Giuda, R-Warren, noted the public should be willing to surrender a small amount of liberty to allow the federal government to do its job and he noted that the terrorists on Sept. 11 came into the country through Canada.

Sen. William Gannon, R-Sandown, said there is a difference with prior notification of police sobriety checks because the state has control and that giving criminals prior warning is probably not a good idea.

Sen. Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry, also noted that the comparison of state sobriety checks and federal border checks are like “apples to oranges.”

“This is the federal government doing its job,” she said. “We are not responsible for immigration.”

The Senate did vote to support the creation of two new study committees on a voice vote.
One will look at the low grade wood market in New Hampshire (HB 1005) to help support the logging industry and another will look at nuclear power and technology (HB 543).