How N.H. Can Combat Insurance Fraud in 2024

How N.H. Can Combat Insurance Fraud in 2024

By: NH State Rep. DJ Bettencourt – 3-24 While 2023 marked several positive insurance achievements in New Hampshire, including a record recovery for consumers of $6.1 million by the New Hampshire Insurance Department, it also represented a grim milestone for insurance fraud. Our department’s Fraud Unit is tasked with investigating suspected insurance fraud and preparing […]

Bring Back Meldrim Thomson’s New Hampshire

Bring Back Meldrim Thomson’s New Hampshire

By: DJ Bettencourt – Sept, 2016 It has been 40 years since Meldrim Thomson was last elected Governor of New Hampshire and permanently imprinted fiscal conservatism into the political landscape of the Granite State. It was Thomson who famously ran on the platform of “Ax the Tax.” The slogan was both a rallying cry and […]

The GOP Needs More William F. Buckley, Less Trump

The GOP Needs More William F. Buckley, Less Trump

By: DJ Bettencourt – March. 2016 At the time of this writing, it marks the eighth anniversary of the passing of the father of modern American conservatism, William F. Buckley. As the Republican Party seems ready to imperil its chances of winning the 2016 election by nominating Donald Trump, this edited tribute to Buckley at […]

As O’Brien Exits the New Hampshire Political Stage, an Intimate Reflection on his Legacy

As O’Brien Exits the New Hampshire Political Stage, an Intimate Reflection on his Legacy

By: DJ Bettencourt – August, 2015 The announced retirement last month of former New Hampshire House Speaker Bill O’Brien is certain to set off reflections and reactions from across the political spectrum as the legislative session winds down next year. To his liberal critics, the departure of their favorite boogeyman is bittersweet. While they were […]

Demystifying NH’s Budgeting Process

Demystifying NH’s  Budgeting Process

By: DJ Bettencourt –April, 2015 New Hampshire’s budgeting process can fittingly be compared to a nine-inning baseball game. The governor bats lead off by asking their department commissioners for proposed revenue estimates and expenditures for each department in state government. With that information, the governor and their staff will begin putting their final budget together […]

Internet Sales Tax in New Hampshire

Internet Sales Tax in New Hampshire

By: DJ Bettencourt – March, 2015 It is unsurprising that in a state with no general sales tax, the topic of Internet sales taxes has become a key issue for potential GOP presidential candidates testing the waters in New Hampshire. In particular, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has had to answer some tough questions about […]

Helping Granite Staters Get to the Bottom of Downshifting

Helping Granite Staters Get to the Bottom of Downshifting

By: DJ Bettencourt – January, 2015 As Governor Maggie Hassan and the Republican-controlled legislature begins crafting the 2015-2016 state budgets, Granite Staters can be certain that both sides will allege that the other is “downshifting.” While campaigning for office last fall, Republicans promised no new taxes or fees and no borrowing gimmicks. They also campaigned […]

“Revenue Estimates: the Most Important Legislative Battle of 2015”

“Revenue Estimates: the Most Important Legislative Battle of 2015”

  By: DJ Bettencourt – December, 2014 This month, the newly elected members of the New Hampshire Legislature officially took office. Despite most of the attention focusing on legislative leadership battles and a shocking upset in the Speaker of the House race, the most important battle of the 2015-2016 legislative session is likely to be […]

New Hampshire’s Federal Delegation Should Lead on the World Stage by Emulating Bush

New Hampshire’s Federal Delegation Should Lead on the World Stage by Emulating Bush

By: DJ Bettencourt – November, 2014 Few presidents upon leaving office have kept a lower profile than George W. Bush. Where other presidents have sought to bolster or define their legacies, Bush has been content to let history pass judgment on his leadership. When pressed for comment, Bush is emphatic: “There’s no need to defend […]

For the Good of Animals, Granite Staters Should be Weary of Craigslist

For the Good of Animals, Granite Staters Should be Weary of Craigslist

By: DJ Bettencourt – October, 2014 At the Salem Animal Rescue League, we appreciate that the vast majority of pet owners love their pets and could never imagine having to give them up for adoption. Sadly, sometimes desperate situations arise in which it’s the only option. We see this heart wrenching situation everyday at our […]

Victory for School Choice at the New Hampshire Supreme Court

Victory for School Choice at the New Hampshire Supreme Court

By: DJ Bettencourt – September, 2-14 Late last month, the New Hampshire Supreme Court delivered a huge victory for educational choice in the Granite State. At least temporarily. In 2012, the New Hampshire legislature passed the New Hampshire School Choice Scholarship Act (NHSCSA). The legislation allows businesses to receive an 85% education tax credit against […]

Don’t blame Massachusetts for New Hampshire’s Leftward Drift

Don’t blame Massachusetts for New Hampshire’s Leftward Drift

By: DJ Bettencourt – July, 2014 In New Hampshire politics there is a widely held but grossly inaccurate myth. For Republican believers in the myth, it is a source of significant resentment. For Democrats who believe this myth, it instills confidence. For decades, New Hampshire was a reliably Republican state. From 1960 to 2000, New […]

In VA Scandal, Granite Staters Bear a Unique Culpability

In VA Scandal, Granite Staters Bear a Unique Culpability

By: D.J. Bettencourt – June, 2014 Those unfamiliar with the Veterans Administration (VA) scandal have undoubtedly still heard of the hullabaloo of political leaders and bureaucrats deflecting blame for the bureaucratic homicide of American veterans through a tragic combination of administrative incompetence, medical malpractice and disgraceful indifference. To summarize, a courageous whistle blower within the […]