HB675 Goes Down in Flames

It's the small victories that sustain us, especially when won so handily. HB675, which would have introduced the use of license plate scanners in New Hampshire, went down in a fiery death, by a vote of 250-97 in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

Further, the House voted 214-135 to close the matter for discussion for the remainder of the session. That's a polite way of telling the bill's supporters to please sit down and shut up.

If I was a local representative who strongly supported this bill — perhaps the Chair of the House Criminal Justice Committee — I would be tempted to conclude that I was way out of touch with my colleagues — and my state.

Rep. Pantelakos, please call your office.

According to the Union-Leader, "With the House vote, New Hampshire continues to be the only state in the country to prohibit the use of license plate scanners" by police (they are used, however, at bridges and toll booths).

We also do not have a broad-based sales tax, an income tax, or a law requiring car insurance, seat belt- or motorcycle helmet-use by adults. In short, more than any other state New Hampshire treats its adults like adults.

Now we find our state government telling the police that people's privacy trumps law-enforcement convenience. We can all feel a little more respected by our state government — for today, at least. 

Commenting on the bill, Rep. Neal Kurk (R-Weare) said, "We have to ask ourselves in New Hampshire if we want to go down that road of collecting metadata on innocent individuals. If we say yes, that is not consistent with New Hampshire values."

Hear hear!

Proponents of the bill claimed that the information collected would only be stored for three minutes, nullifying any privacy concerns. That argument didn't convince Rep. Joel Winters (D-Manchester), who said the temptation to hold on to that data might prove irresistible to police. With an eye on the NSA, these representatives remain skeptical. Rep. James Webb (R-Derry), asked, "How can we expect the police to police themselves?"

Indeed!

But for some, a people so concerned for their individual rights is itself cause for concern, and proof that ours is a backward state. Terrified of disapproval, the statist would rather hide in the shadows — try ever so hard to be just like everyone else — rather than dare to stand in the light.

Freedom is the primary value of any decent society. I am proud of every member of the House, of both parties, who does care about people's freedoms and has the courage to vote accordingly.