Episode 32767: Open Democracy Minute for January 24, 2022: Two good democracy bills in the NH Legislature this Week - for a change!

You're listening to the Open Democracy Minute, keeping Granite State government by and for the people.  Happy Granny D Day, honoring America’s campaign finance reformer Doris “Granny D” Haddock on her January 24 birthday.   There are two good bills in the NH Legislature this week, after the two previous weeks of Big Lie-fueled voter suppression bills.   On Monday, January 24, the NH Senate hears SB 425, a reintroduction of 2021 proposal for an online voter information portal.   This would allow voters to directly upload registration documents, changes of address, or a change of party affiliation into a NH Secretary of State administered database, where town & city clerks would review the information before approval.  Such a system would be more convenient to voters, and save local election officials time and money, but it was killed last year by anti-democracy legislators in the NH House. Then on Thursday, January 27, the NH House Judiciary committee considers HB 1014, which would allow the public to testify via Zoom, but would also allow legislators to be able to participate and vote remotely.   A lawsuit is also pending in the NH courts which would allow immuno-compromised legislators to participate remotely.    Pandemic aside, when interactive online access was used in 2020 and early 2021, the number of voters testifying and listening surged.   As Granny D said, “Democracy is not something we HAVE, it's something we DO.”  For the Open Democracy Minute, I'm Brian Beihl.