Lawmakers Hear Broad Opposition to Proposal to Bar Municipal Dues from Funding Lobbying

Representative Len Turcotte opened a public hearing on a non-germane amendment to House Bill 456 that would restrict how municipal membership dues may be used and require some dues to be appropriated by separate warrant article.

The change proposed by Turcotte would prohibit using annual membership dues "to pay a lobbyist or an organization that pays part of or all of the salary of a lobbyist," require financial separation of lobbying funds, and — for payments the sponsor identified as going to the New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA) — move those charges out of general budget line items and onto separate warrant articles to increase transparency.

The amendment drew questions from several committee members about how such a restriction could be administered in practice, how an organization would segregate funds for lobbying, and whether the change would prevent local officials from testifying in front of the Legislature.

Representative Turcotte said the core intent was to prevent taxpayer money from directly funding lobbying while preserving municipalities' ability to receive legal advice and other services. He told the committee that separating payments for lobbying into a warrant article would make the cost more visible to local voters: "That's the issue I'm trying to change and that would require, in your town as with mine ... a separate warrant article," he said.

Margaret Burns, executive director of NHMA, testified in opposition. She told the committee the amendment would "prohibit 3 specific statewide organizations representing local officials from taking…