Survey says county delegation last in legislative attendance

LACONIA — The Belknap County legislative delegation had the worst attendance record in the state House of Representatives this year, according to a survey by Citizens Count.

The nonprofit voter information organization found that, on average, Belknap County representatives were present on 87.6 percent of the voting days and participated in 83 percent of the roll call votes, last in the state by both measures. 

Coos County had the best attendance by day at 95.7 percent, and Grafton County had the best attendance by vote at 93.63 percent.

Anna Brown, director of research and analysis for Citizens Count, explained why her organization does the yearly survey.

“We found that there was a significant number of votes that could have been changed if legislators had showed up when they were absent,” she said.  

Legislators are paid $100 per year plus mileage. Many have jobs that occasionally take them away from their legislative duties.

“I don’t mean to imply that it is easy, but there are times when some legislators are gone half the time and that’s pretty egregious,” Brown said. 

Rep. Richard Beaudoin, R-Laconia, participated in 38 percent of roll call votes and attended 52 percent of official legislative days. Among serving representatives, he has the fourth worst attendance (two with worse attendance records have since resigned). 

Rep. Kenneth Gidge, D-Hillsborough, who has been suffering from serious medical problems, has the worst attendance by day (14 percent) and by vote (11 percent).

Beaudoin said his work hours at a hardware store in Laconia conflict with his ability to attend the legislature.

“Hey I can’t help that. You have to make a living first,” he said in an interview at the store on Wednesday. “And as you well know, we don’t get paid a hell of a lot to be there.”

Beaudoin is on the House Public Works and Highways Committee, whose meetings he said he attends “every now and then.”

He said he won’t seek re-election to his Belknap County District 3 seat, but will seek election to a District 2 seat in Gilford, where he plans to move.

He won election last year by defeating longtime Lakes Region journalist Gail Ober, a Democrat, by a single vote after a recount.

Rep. Charlie St. Clair, D-Laconia, was present for 71 percent of legislative days and 67 percent of roll call votes. Rep. Peter Varney, R-Alton, attended 71 percent of legislative days and 59 percent of roll call votes.

Varney did not return a call for comment.

St. Clair is executive director of the Motorcycle Week organization in Laconia. His work sometimes takes him out of state.

“I was up front when I ran,” he said. “There would be days when I have to work. We can’t all be retired, or not have to worry about paying a bill.”

He also said he is active with legislative committee work that can spell success or failure of bills before they reach the House floor.

“It’s really hard for people who have to work to be there 80, 90, 100 percent of the time,” he said. “It’s good that we have working people down there, representing their constituents.”

Rep. Mike Sylvia, R-Belmont, chairman of the Belknap County legislative delegation, had 100 percent attendance on legislative days and participated in 96 percent of roll call votes.

Sylvia said it’s important for representatives to be present when the legislature is in session. 

“It’s a demanding thing for folks who work,” he said. “The younger folks probably have lesser attendance than some of us older folks. Health issues can play a factor, too.

“But you run for office to represent the people and if you are not there, you’re not going to know what’s going on.”

Another Citizens Count survey looked at partisanship as measured by party unity, or how many times a representative voted with his or her party.

“When looking at all of the roll call votes from January through September, party unity has reached a 20-year high in the House of Representatives — 90 percent,” the survey said.

By this partisanship measure, Cheshire County was highest at 96.9 percent, and Belknap County was No. 8 at 93.2 percent.

Sylvia said that on any given legislative day, there may be three or four bills that are “whipped,” meaning party leaders will seek to have members vote according to party wishes.

He votes with his party 95 percent of the time, according to the survey. St. Clair was lower on the partisanship measure, at 83 percent.

Sylvia said he voted opposite to his party’s wishes on a bill that repealed the death penalty in New Hampshire.

“That was strongly pushed, obviously,” he said. “It was vetoed by the governor and then the veto was overridden. I’ve been against the death penalty all along. The state is notorious for making incorrect decisions, and with the death penalty, a person could possibly die because of an error in the process.”

Every vote was crucial in the 247-123 House roll call vote to override Gov. Chris Sununu’s veto of the bill to end the death penalty. One less vote in favor or one more against would have meant the veto override would have failed to achieve the required two-thirds majority.

A total of 370 of the state’s 400 representatives voted in that roll call.

Rep. Harry Viens, R-Center Harbor, was one of the representatives who did not vote. Overall, he was present on 76 percent of legislative days and participated in 75 percent of roll call votes.

He declined to say how he would have voted had he been present for the veto override roll call, but he did say he generally opposes the death penalty.

Viens said he would have liked to attend more legislative days, but his wife has cancer, which has required him to take her to and from chemotherapy. 

“Frankly, she comes first,” he said. 

Viens said he will serve out the year remaining on his legislative term and won’t seek re-election.