Legislative Update: First Term Summary, Part 1 - August 02, 2024 Windham Independent

Legislative Update: First Term Summary, Part 1

Part of being accountable is reporting on what I achieved in my first term. This letter will cover the state budget and the bills I personally introduced - the next one will go over the bills I was a cosponsor on.

The main job of the House Finance Committee is to craft the state budget. Our 13 Republican members worked hard to craft a budget that balanced the need to properly fund our state agencies with the need to be fiscally conservative, and I am proud of the budget the House Finance Committee adopted. 

Sadly, that is not the budget we ended up with - the budget was increased by floor amendments to get support from the Democrats, then the budget was again increased by the Senate before being passed by the House on a voice vote. I am NOT proud of our current state budget, since it contains many unnecessary expenses.

Every bill I introduced (was the prime sponsor of) became law, starting with HB188 in 2023 (a minor change to the physical therapy statute that made it easier for patients to receive physical therapy).

My major bill (Freedom of speech and association at public institutions of higher education) was tabled in 2023 as HB516, but passed in 2024 as HB1305.

HB1336 (relative to employees' firearms in locked vehicles) passed, eliminating a gray legal area that led to employees being unable to carry to and from work without risking losing their jobs. Here is an objective summary prepared by a NH law firm:

https://www.sheehan.com/news/bill-relating-to-firearms-in-employee-vehicles-signed-into-law/

HB1655 is a minor bill making a technical adjustment in Department of Education laws, giving it more flexibility on handling certain funds. The comments below do not apply to it, just to the first 3 bills.

I am really proud of the bills I passed - they reflect my focus on protecting our freedom, which is something I will always work hard on as a state representative.

But passing bills is not an individual effort - every bill required tons of work to build support for them, and I got a lot of help from many colleagues and legislative staff. I have countless people to thank (including every member of the Windham delegation), but the one that I simply cannot leave unmentioned is Bob Lynn. 

While we disagree on certain bills, Bob’s willingness to share his massive legal knowledge and his hard work in support of HB1305 made a huge difference in my ability to deliver results as a first term representative, and I am immensely grateful to him and everyone else who helped me succeed.

I am looking forward to hearing from you at (617) 755 2590 (text or call) or by email at dpmwindham@gmail.com (please text or call me after you send an email to tell me to look for it so I don’t miss it). 

Daniel Popovici-Muller

Clerk, Finance II House Committee,

2025-2026 Republican State Representative Candidate