Rep. Suzanne HARVEY Proud to serve Nashua's Ward 2

Unlike the U.S. Congress, every bill filed by a member of the New Hampshire legislature is assigned to an appropriate policy committee and scheduled by the committee Chair for a hearing. Bills filed by House members are heard in the House and vice versa; if the bill passes that body, it then goes to the other body at "crossover" time. The prime sponsor (a House or Senate member) of the bill is the first to be called at the hearing to introduce the bill, then other legislators who sign up to testify are called on so they can return to their committees.

We might have a heart full of good intentions, but what really matters in the end is showing up. Whether that takes the form of donating to our favorite charities or rolling up our sleeves and actually doing some volunteer work, or attending Aldermanic meetings at City Hall and telling our Aldermen what we think, we're "showing up."

Our NH representatives in Congress and the US Senate receive volumes of letters, emails and calls from constituents each week. Much of the contact is like "robo calls" during election season--they're canned, prewritten messages for masses of folks to forward onto their elected official.

The most effective way to make your voice heard--on the city, state and federal levels--is to make a personal phone call or write an original letter or email (which you can do from their websites). Tell them what's on your mind. If you call, ask to speak with the staffer most involved in your issue.

Suzanne supports renewable energy at "Step It Up" event in Concord (click image to enlarge).Let's be honest. We have a choice.
We can embrace BAU (business as usual) and watch our air, water, and earth deteriorate.
Or,
We can actually be earth warriors and take personal steps to change the direction of our environment, and even better, make an effort to influence others, particularly our elected officials in Concord and Washington, to do more.

Some Simple Things You Can Do
--Change light bulbs in the house to CFLs or LEDs
--Dry laundry outside instead of in the dryer (wow! what an original idea!)
--Turn off the car engine at long stops--don't let the engine idle
--Turn off lights when leaving a room
--Unplug small appliances (eg, toasters, blenders) when not in use

Nashua has many ways for folks to become involved with the city and its residents or to just obtain information. City Government, social agencies, cultural organizations, colleges, senior programs, and many other groups are avenues for you to follow your interests and enrich your life.

Follow the schedule of city government meetings on the Nashua website--and when you can, rather than watching the Board of Aldermen proceedings on TV, show up! Tell them what you think.

Here are just a few sites (email me if you have one to add); click on the web address:

The NH legislature is in session from January through May of each year. Committee hearings on all House and Senate bills are held two days a week, and the full House and Senate generally each meet separately once a week; all committee work and sessions are listed in the House and Senate Calendars, which can both be found on the General Court's website. It's at this site where you can also find contact information for all representatives and senators.