Legislative Update - 2021

“There is no distinct American criminal class - except Congress.”

- Mark Twain

I could find no updates to the condominium act this past Legislative year, which ended on June 30. Some bills were introduced; none passed. However, I did find some other nuggets, not related to condominium law, that might be of interest. If not, at least I have fulfilled my civic duty for the year by bringing them to your attention.

Solar Eclipses. Most laws can put people to sleep simply by being read aloud. They are long-winded, filled with commas, semi-colons, wherefores and thereafters, and written so drily as to leave your soul parched.

So, though this has nothing to do with condominiums, I thought I would pass this along as it sounds like something on a Hallmark Channel. The language is florid, mystical, and strangely soothing. So much so, that it might actually put you to sleep, but in a good way as opposed to the typical legislation.

I.  Since before recorded history, human action, imagination, and passion have been inspired and guided by the celestial bodies, none more important than our sun, the source of all life on Earth, and our moon, our constant reminder of beauty, change, and hope in times of darkness.

II.  On April 8, 2024, the Sun, the Moon, and we here on Earth will perfectly align in a total solar eclipse, an exceptional and providential occurrence over the ages, reminding our species once again of just how small we are, how insignificant our differences are, how vast and powerful the universe that sustains us is, and how we are all, indeed, intimately and irrevocably connected to one another.

III.  New Hampshire will have the unique good fortune of being in the path of totality of this magnificent phenomenon, in perfect alignment with our sun and moon.  

IV.  Moreover, New Hampshire, in the same spirit that we welcome all to participate in our unique political landscape, shall once again open its arms so that all people from around the country and in fact the globe can be here at that moment to witness, and be humbled by, the awe-inspiring sight of the heavenly bodies moving in their spheres.

2  Solar Eclipse Day.  The governor shall proclaim April 8, 2024 as solar eclipse day in New Hampshire and shall urge all citizens of the state to commemorate the day with appropriate educational activities.

Farmer's Markets. We can now drink at Farmer's Markets! A law was passed that now allows New Hampshire liquor manufacturers who produce fewer than 10,000 bottles during their licensing year not only to sell their New Hampshire produced liquor at the local Farmer's Market, but they can also hand out 4 ounce samples of beer and 1/2 ounce samples of liquor. In good news for some shoppers, the Legislature apparently forgot to put a limit on just how many 1/2 ounce shots someone can have. Sales will no doubt increase, and more than just the cucumbers will be pickled.

Cat Love. There has been a law on the books for years, RSA 264:31, that requires any driver who hit a dog to immediately report it to the owner, custodian of the dog, or the local police. Someone apparently figured out there was no such requirement if you hit a cat, there apparently being more dog lovers than cat lovers in the New Hampshire Legislature. So this past year the law was amended to also include a mandatory requirement for reporting the hitting of a cat to the same authorities or be subject to a fine.

The Act doesn't take effect until January 1, 2022, but that doesn't mean you can, until then, hit cats and leave kitty litter behind and not tell anyone.

Mrs. Happy and the Spider. And in a tale that seems a bit odd but has a wonderful backstory, we now have a State spider. Effective June 11, 2021 the daring jumping spider (Phidippus addax) became our State spider.

At first glance, many would think this is another in a long line of silly things taking up time in our Legislature, when it could be doing much more substantive things, like updating the Condo Act. Again. But one would be wrong.

It seems a Hollis Primary School 3rd grade teacher knew a lot of her students were afraid of spiders, so she created a science unit to introduce the kids to them. As part of the curriculum, after the kids fell a little in love with them, was to ask to have a State spider named. She helped her kids shepherd the legislation through the process, and it was signed into law this past June. And, yes, the teacher who turned her students from afraid, to curious, to happy is really named Mrs. Happy.