What is ACLU Voter 2020?

For almost a decade I served as a legal aid attorney with New Hampshire Legal Assistance. This included spending four years as the Director of the Housing Justice Project fighting against housing discrimination so I understand how important having a real, properly funded CRU is to the state of New Hampshire. Unfortunately, the current CRU has been used as a political talking point, but has never been adequately supported. We need real results for real people, which includes making sure the CRU has everything it needs.

I believe it's important to look at all elements of the criminal justice system, especially innovative methods to reducing our prison population, while supporting public safety. I support instituting "good time" legislation for non-violent inmates, although I would need to look at the details of the proposed legislation to ensure public safety protections.

Yes. I would support legislation that would require New Hampshire law enforcement notify the public, provided there is a reasonable exemption for national security.

Yes

Yes. As we move into the 21st century, it's critical that our laws adapt to the changing times. Data is now one of the most valuable commodities in the country and our laws are woefully behind. I've worked in a bipartisan fashion offering amendments with fmr Rep. Neal Kurk to protect data privacy. Unfortunately, we've been met with strong opposition from corporate special interests -- but that's all the more reason to keep pushing.

Since his election in 2016, Gov. Sununu has engaged in a deliberate strategy to suppress the votes of students. As HB 1264 was being debated by the New Hampshire Supreme Court, I wrote a brief on behalf of the Senate Democrats in strong opposition to the law. However, it's not just about repealing these restrictions, it's about expanding early voting, no excuse absentee, and automatic voter registration so we include more people in our political process. Politicians shouldn't pick the voters, voters should pick their politicians, which is why it is also stunning Gov. Sununu vetoed bipartisan, independent redistricting.

Since his election in 2016, Gov. Sununu has engaged in a deliberate strategy to suppress the votes of students. As HB 1264 was being debated by the New Hampshire Supreme Court, I wrote a brief on behalf of the Senate Democrats in strong opposition to the law. However, it's not just about repealing these restrictions, it's about expanding early voting, no excuse absentee, and automatic voter registration so we include more people in our political process. Politicians shouldn't pick the voters, voters should pick their politicians, which is why it is also stunning Gov. Sununu vetoed bipartisan, independent redistricting.

As a lawyer with 20 years of experience protecting the right to vote in New Hampshire, we need to make voting easier in New Hampshire. I support legislation to allow for early voting and no-excuse absentee voting. It is outrageous that Governor Sununu vetoed expanding absentee voting. 28 states plus the District of Columbia already allow for this. New Hampshire should not make voting so inaccessible and stop using the excuse that expanding democracy conflicts with New Hampshire traditions.

I support legislation that prevents third parties from sharing our private information without a search warrant or the individual’s consent. I am very disturbed by the lack of regulation over tech giants that have amassed excessive power and control over our personal information. These tech companies function akin to modern day utilities and as such need to be properly regulated. “Live Free or Die” should encompass the right of Granite Staters to not worry about facial imaging, GPS tracking and other surveillance tactics intruding into our personal lives. We have seen the damage Facebook and Cambridge Analytica can do to our democracy. As Washington D.C. policymakers fail to crack down on the tech industry, we must do more at the state level. While the Constitutional Amendment is a good start, New Hampshire should take inspiration from other states that are already implementing privacy measures such as Illinois which is setting important limits on the commercial collection and storage of biometric information such as fingerprints and face prints.

I believe state law enforcement should inform the public of immigration checkpoints set up by the Customs and Border Protection. It is deeply troubling CBP is setting up checkpoints along I-93 and conducting illegal search and seizures. We should not be giving a blank check to the Trump Administration’s abuse of current law by allowing these checkpoints under the guise of immigration enforcement. These checkpoints have also caused traffic jams during high tourist season and far from the Canadian border. As governor I will prioritize the civil liberties of our citizens from overreaching CBP federal agencies.

Non-binary genders are valid and real, and non-binary Granite Staters should not be required to jump through gatekeeping hoops of a medical provider in order for the state to recognize a change to an “X” non-binary gender marker on their NH drivers’ licenses or birth records. This barrier can be especially preventative for non-binary Granite Staters who lack access to insurance, are in between primary care physicians, or lack access to trans-affirming care providers.​The bottom line: our government should follow the lead of states as diverse as Massachusetts, Oregon, California, Nevada, Montana, Washington, and the District of Columbia, which allow self-attestation on drivers license and/or birth certificates.

As the legal counsel for over five years for ACLU-NH with a lifetime of dedication to civil rights issues, I believe the Civil Rights Unit should be codified in statute and given the budget and resources to pursue hate crimes and discrimination. The Attorney General also needs to work with the Human Rights Commission to address the backlog of complaints and ensure no duplication. There is no evidence this is currently occurring despite being outlined in the Executive Order. As governor, I would also appoint an Attorney General who truly cares about civil rights and does not use his office for political purposes.

The over-incarceration of people in New Hampshire prisons disproportionately impacts black and brown communities and is a drain on taxpayers. I would support legislation to institute “good time” and allow inmates to earn time off their sentences for good behavior. HB1611, a bipartisan bill, is a good example. We must however go beyond that and look at legalizing marijuana and we must treat drug addiction as a public health problem, not a criminal justice one. We need more diversion programs and to look at reforming parole and probation policies. The opioid crisis is causing a strain on resources as our prison guards work overtime and find themselves short staffed because we cannot hire people to work in prison.

As a lawyer with 20 years of experience protecting the right to vote in New Hampshire, we need to make voting easier in New Hampshire. I support legislation to allow for early voting and no-excuse absentee voting. It is outrageous that Governor Sununu vetoed expanding absentee voting. 28 states plus the District of Columbia already allow for this. New Hampshire should not make voting so inaccessible and stop using the excuse that expanding democracy conflicts with New Hampshire traditions.