House votes to override three of governor’s vetoes, but Senate backs Sununu decisions on vehicle testing, dam funding

CONCORD — The House of Representatives voted 255-89 on Sept. 13 to override Governor Sununu’s veto of HB 143, relative to recommittal of a prisoner by the parole board. House Democratic Leader Steve Shurtleff (D-Penacook) released the following statement after the vote:

“This legislation, which provides the Adult Parole Board more discretion to treat people who violate parole due to drug relapse, will benefit both public safety and the rehabilitation process. The rigid recommitment period in current law often prevents inmates from participating in substance abuse programs, and frequently results in additional complications – including the loss of housing – upon release. The bill passed today, which allows recommital to be catered to individual situations, was produced with input from stakeholders throughout the process. The governor’s veto of this legislation was misguided, and I encourage the Senate to join us in voting to override.”

The House of Representatives also voted 279-66 on Sept. 13 to override Gov. Sununu’s veto of HB 314, relative to licensing requirements for autonomous vehicle testing and establishing an automated and connected vehicle testing and deployment commission. Rep. Shurtleff released the following statement after the vote:

“With the breakneck pace that autonomous vehicle technology and experimentation is moving forward, it is absolutely critical that New Hampshire establish regulations to assure the safety of our roadways.  As of today, we have nothing on the books to require self-driving vehicles to obey the laws that apply to all drivers.  That’s why HB 314 is so important. Gov. Sununu’s veto of this bill was misinformed, and I thank the New Hampshire House for voting to correct his mistake.”

Finally, the House of Representatives voted 266-79 to override Gov. Sununu’s veto of HB 1736, relative to increasing the threshold required for governor and council approval of expenditures from the dam maintenance fund. 

“When weather causes significant damage to dams,” Rep. Shurtleff said in a statement, “quickly initiating repairs can reduce costs and negate the damage to our infrastructure. Current law requires a full executive council approval process for any repair project over $75,000, an amount that has not been increased in 36 years. This bill simply allows for more efficient emergency management. The House’s decision to override Governor Sununu’s veto was a good one and I encourage the Senate to follow suit.”

Only one of these overrides was seconded by the Senate, which voted 23-1 to override the parole board bill veto. The Senate sustained the governor’s veto with a 5-19 vote on the autonomous vehicle testing bill and they tied 12-12 on the dam maintenance fund bill.