GUEST

Forbes: Republicans around the state celebrate New Hampshire’s latest budget

Alan Forbes

While David Meuse declares New Hampshire’s latest budget a "dumpster fire" and "symphony of sorrow and depravity,"  Republicans around the state are having the opposite reaction— we’re celebrating.

Alan Forbes

The first victory is the ban on abortions after 24 weeks. For those of you who would rather not do the math, 24 weeks is 6 months. By six months that magical “bundle of cells” is unquestionably a viable baby, and deserves some independent rights. 

Democrats like Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka howl that such a ban will “remove a woman’s ability to have autonomy over her body and her pregnancy.”  Yes, that’s precisely the point — but only after 24 weeks. Up to that point, the woman has more autonomy than some people are comfortable with.  Twenty-four weeks is a reasonable place to draw the line. Both sides wish it were somewhere else, but for conservatives this is far better than no line at all.  I might add that a baby and mother do NOT have the same DNA.  The mother has one set of DNA and the baby has a different set of DNA based on the combination of the parent’s DNA.  By definition, if it’s not your DNA, it is not your body, Senator. Americans overwhelmingly support abortion limits after 24 weeks, and this legislation merely brings us into line with neighboring states. 

The second major victory is the ban on teaching divisive concepts, also known as “critical race theory.” Critics of this ban will use fancy language to claim that it prevents “meaningful discussion about the systemic issues that remain endemic in our society” and other such nonsense. The reality is that critical race theory divides the world into two categories: oppressors and the oppressed. This is not good for either side. People who are not oppressors are taught that they can’t help it and will always be terrible human beings, even if they never have a conscious oppressive thought, while people who are not oppressed in reality are taught that no matter what they do or strive to achieve, the “other side” will always oppress them. It’s utter nonsense on its face, and creates far more division than unity. I stand firmly against racism and if you point out an instance of it to me, we can condemn it together, but critical race theory is not about stopping racism it is about creating division and our state is better off without it.  

Finally, education freedom accounts fund the student, not the school. While this implementation stops short of full school choice, it is a step in the right direction. These are accounts that could be used toward private or home school expenses. Participants would get about $4,500 which is what the state pays currently per pupil to school districts. It doesn’t cost the state any more than it is currently paying, but brings the proven power of market forces to an area that desperately needs it. If parents are happy with their local school, they will continue to send their children to it. Good teachers should have no fear of it.  But, if the parents are not happy, which is the case in some school systems, even poor parents will finally have a real choice.

 Alan Forbes is the chairman of the Portsmouth Republican Committee and a founding member of the New Hampshire United group. The views expressed are those of the writer.