NEW HAMPSHIRE LEGISLATOR THINKS TSA PATDOWNS ARE WORSE THAN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Steven D directs our attention to this:

New Hampshire Republicans Propose Bills That Prevent Police From Protecting Domestic Abuse Victims

Since the 1970s, New Hampshire police have operated under a progressive policy for handling domestic violence cases that has saved countless lives. Under current law the presumption is that an arrest will be made when police observe evidence of abuse. They have a large degree of discretion and don't need to witness the assault firsthand or obtain a legal warrant before they can separate the alleged attacker from his victim.

All that will change if Republicans get their way. The state's GOP legislators are pushing two bills that will reverse a half century of progress, the Concord Monitor reports:

...House Bill 1581 would turn the clock back 40 years to an age when a police officer could not make an arrest in a domestic violence case without first getting a warrant unless he or she actually witnessed the crime. That's an exceedingly dangerous change. Consider the following scenario, one outlined for lawmakers by retired Henniker police chief Tim Russell:

An officer is called to a home where she sees clear evidence that an assault has occurred. The furniture is overturned, the children are sobbing, and the face of the woman of the house is bruised and bleeding. It's obvious who the assailant was, but the officer arrived after the assault occurred. It's a small department, and no one else on the force is available to keep the peace until the officer finds a judge or justice of the peace to issue a warrant. The officer leaves, and the abuser renews his attack with even more ferocity, punishing his victim for having called for help. [...]

It's impossible to say how many lives the policy, in place since the 1970s, has saved or how many injuries it's prevented. If they adopt House Bill 1581, lawmakers might find out, but the price paid could be extraordinarily high.

That bill has two co-sponsors. One of them is Representative George Lambert. Domestic violence obviously doesn't bother him as much as this does:

Lawmakers and residents engaged in heated debate Tuesday over a bill that would make random airport security pat-downs and body scans criminal in New Hampshire.

The bill (HB628-FN) "makes the touching or viewing with a technological device of a person’s breasts or genitals by a government security agent without probable cause a sexual assault," according to the introductory text of the bill.

... "That is a crime in this state, and we should charge them every single time," said bill co-sponsor Rep. George Lambert, R-Litchfield.

A co-sponsor of that bill wants to put every TSA worker convicted under the law in the state sex offender registry.

Lambert, by the way, is a 9/11 truther, as you'll learn from the video posted here (the relevant portion is between 9:00 and 11:00).

The other co-sponsor of House Bill 1581 is Representative Dan Itse, who has won the admiration of Glenn Beck for this:

NH State Representative Dan Itse, a local hero among freedom lovers, ... has filed HCR 6, a bill that would reaffirm New Hampshire's sovereignty in the event that the federal government oversteps its agreement with us as outlined in our Constitution.

Dan appeared on Fox News with Glenn Beck to discuss the meaning and purpose of the bill. He explains that it is not so much a secession bill, but a reaffirmation of both our Federal and State Constitutions and the agreement states have with the federal government....

You can watch the Beck interview at the link (warning: the link goes to the Ron Paul Forums). Read the bill here. (Am I wrong to be a bit concerned when the supporters of a bill feel the need to reassure me that it's not a secession bill?)

Itse lists his "core beliefs" here. Core belief #2 is:

2. My first job as a State Representative is to protect you rights from the government.

Core belief #4 is:

4. Life begins at conception and continues through natural death.

Both legislators are affiliated with the libertarian Free State Project. Make of that what you will.

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Regarding the other disturbing New Hampshire domestic violence bill that's been under consideration:

The other bill Republicans have proposed, HB 1608, limits judges' ability to order the arrest of someone who has violated a domestic violence restraining order by contacting or abusing the person named in the order. It would also prevent judges from ordering defendants to surrender their weapons or block them from buying guns.

That bill has been killed in committee.

(Also at Booman Tribune in a somewhat different form.)