A bill filed in the New Hampshire legislature would make it more difficult for the public to access police records, reversing a recent decision by the state’s supreme court that requires greater openness. The New England First Amendment Coalition reports:
Senate Bill 39 intends to exempt police personnel files, internal investigations and other law enforcement records from the New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law.
If made law, the bill would overturn a New Hampshire Supreme Court decision — Seacoast Newspapers, Inc. v. City of Portsmouth — that ruled such documents were not categorically exempt under the public records statute.
Marcus J Breen
Dan, please correct me if I am wrong: As of the last election (November 2020) NH is now an all Republican State House(s)… The (R) party loonies set out years ago to build NH as a Republican stronghold, as a counterpoint to liberal MA. It is fair to conclude that the reactionary NH pro-law enforcement plan is the embodiment of Trumpism as it rolls on.
Dan Kennedy
Marcus, the urge to suppress public information seems to be one issue on which bipartisanship prevails. For instance: https://www.wgbh.org/news/commentary/2020/07/16/let-the-sun-shine-in-its-time-to-end-the-legislative-exemption-to-the-states-public-records-law