Ryan D. Smith
Historical Details
Position on Issues
Undecided| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
Should NH pursue expanded commuter rail?
"I am undecided on this issue."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
Should NH limit terms for elected officials?
"While the mindset behind these laws is sound; pushing to fight corruption and increasing productivity (removing the need to fundraise rather than work) are worthy goals. However I worry they violate our 1st amendment right to freedom of speech; here the freedom to choose who speaks on our behalf."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
Should NH increase funding for heroin treatment programs?
"I support increased funding for heroin treatment programs."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
Should NH add an income tax on earned income?
"I oppose NH adding an income tax on earned income."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
Should NH add a broad-based sales tax?
"I oppose NH adding a broad-based sales tax."
Undecided| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
Should NH authorize one or more casinos?
"I am undecided on this issue."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
Should NH continue to base statewide assessments on Common Core standards?
"We need to stop teaching to the test. The classroom is for learning, not memorizing, especially as you get older. As a recent HS graduate I know our classrooms spend far too much time on testing."
For| Read My Position
Voting Record, 2017
Voted to decriminalize possession of 3/4 ounce or less of marijuana (HB 640)
Undecided| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
Should NH broaden campaign finance disclosure laws?
"I am undecided on this issue."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
Should NH increase law enforcement policies and penalties for heroin-related offenses?
"I support increased penalties for Heroin dealers (esp. w/Fentanyl). I would also like to see our Police Departments adopt a number of preventive efforts through community interaction and education. Additionally, we should consider adopting some of measures taken in Gloucester, MA such as facilitating treatment for anyone that asks for it."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
Should NH legalize the recreational use of marijuana?
"I support marijuana legalization."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
Was NH right to expand Medicaid eligibility, using private insurance wherever possible?
"I oppose NH's expanded Medicaid program."
Against| Read My Position
Concord Monitor Candidate Profile, 2016
"Increasing the minimum wage kills entry level jobs for students and young people; instead, let's focus on creating a business friendly environment to attract better paying jobs."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
Should NH do more to enforce federal immigration laws?
"We should not be involved in enforcing federal immigration law, but we also should not interfere with the government's enforcement either."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
Should NH allow the Northern Pass to proceed with some (not all) of the lines buried?
"NH should allow the Northern Pass to proceed with most all of the lines buried. While most of these jobs are temporary, Franklin is suffering from unemployment and we could benefit greatly in the short run by getting people back on track."
For| Read My Position
Concord Monitor Candidate Profile, 2016
"We need to enact policies that will encourage business to start here and attract families as well, such; pass right-to-work, lower taxes, and increase school choice."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
What is your opinion on the state providing some funding for Planned Parenthood?
"Government funds should not be allocated to such administratively top heavy organizations. We should instead use these funds at the many more, are far more accessible community health centers throughout NH."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
Should NH continue to administer statewide standards-based student assessments?
"Well it depends on what the state plans on doing with this information- if there is any actual goal- as well as the cost."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
Should NH pass stricter gun control laws?
"I am not opposed to increasing background checks to gun shows and private transfers, and am open to debate on a waiting period. However, the 2nd amendment rights of law-abiding (mentally stable) citizens needs to protected. As such, we should focus on on enforcing the laws already in place."
For| Read My Position
Voting Record, 2018
Voted for the "education freedom savings account program" (SB 193)
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
Should parents be allowed to opt their children out of the NH immunization/vaccination registry?
"There are a number of vaccines parents should not be mandated to allow for their children, but it is important to keep that lack of vaccine on file as well- for the child's sake later in life.However, the centralized keeping of citizens medical records most be EXTREMELY secure in order to protect privacy."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2016
Should NH restrict further wind power development?
"I oppose restrictions on further wind power development."
Voting Record
HB 587 (2017)
Prohibits conversion therapy for anyone under age eighteen. Conversion therapy attempts to change a person's sexual orientation.
HB 592 (2017)
Repeals the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The House amended the bill to instead end energy efficiency grants, and send all the proceeds from RGGI to commercial and residential ratepayer rebates.
HB 656 (2017)
Legalizes and taxes marijuana for adults over age twenty-one. The bill outlines various regulations, from the ability of municipalities to control the location of marijuana establishments, to labels disclosing the THC in each serving of a marijuana product. The bill also legalizes hemp. The House amended the bill to instead legalize possession and homegrowing of marijuana without allowing sales.
HB 628 (2017)
Establishes a social insurance program that would be operated by New Hampshire Employment Security to provide for paid family and medical leave insurance. Employers would pay 0.5% of wages per employee as premium payments. The House amended the bill to increase the employee contribution to 0.67%, to allow employees to opt out, and to limit benefits to six weeks of paid leave.
SB 500 (2018)
Removes the prohibition of carrying a loaded rifle or shotgun in or on a stationary motor vehicle, OHRV, snowmobile, or aircraft. This bill also changes some legal references to firearms, and allows licensed bow hunters to carry firearms. Lastly, this bill removes the ability to deny or revoke a hunting license if a person "is not a suitable person to carry firearms." The Senate amended the bill to also allow carrying a loaded firearm on a moving vehicle if the person is protecting livestock or crops. The Senate amendment also allows hunting with an air rifle.
HB 1264 (2018)
Redefines "resident" and "inhabitant" to remove the phrase "for the indefinite future." This bill would potentially require all voters domiciled in New Hampshire to follow residency laws, such as the requirement to register any car in New Hampshire.
HB 1319 (2018)
Prohibits discrimination based on gender identity.
HB 1680 (2018)
Prohibits abortion after viability, unless the mother's life is in danger, "in cases of Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome, or to remove a fetus with severe anomalies incompatible with life."
SB 313 (2018)
Continues New Hampshire's expanded Medicaid program. This bill makes several significant changes to the program. First, it moves participants off private insurance and into managed care, similar to traditional Medicaid enrollees. Second, it adds a work requirement for participants. Third, it removes funding from voluntary contributions by health care providers, which the federal government said is illegal.
CACR 22 (2018)
Constitutional amendment establishing various rights for crime victims.
SB 593 (2018)
Changes the penalty for any offense eligible for the death penalty to life imprisonment without parole.
SB 193 (2017)
Establishes the "education freedom savings account program." This allows a parent to contract with a scholarship organization so that state education funding is transferred to the student's scholarship account rather than to the municipality in which the student resides. The House amended the bill to limit the scholarships to certain students, particularly low income students, students in underperforming schools, and special education students. The amended version also requires any student receiving a scholarship to complete an annual assessment to ensure academic progress.
SB 66 (2017)
Includes fetuses as potential victims under murder statutes. The Senate amended the bill to include only fetuses twenty weeks and older, not just "viable" fetuses.
SB 3 (2017)
Changes the definition of domicile for voting purposes to make it more restrictive. This bill explicitly excludes anyone who comes to the state "for temporary purposes," such as volunteering or working on political campaigns. Out-of-state college students are still allowed to claim a domicile in New Hampshire. However, if someone moves to a new New Hampshire address within 30 days of voting, he or she must present proof of intent to stay in New Hampshire. This proof could include a lease, driver's license, a child's enrollment at a public school, etc.
SB 8 (2017)
Allows a school district to assign a child to a non-sectarian private school if there is no public school for the child's grade in the child's resident district. The bill was amended to also require the non-sectarian private school to administer an annual assessment.
HB 115 (2017)
Raises the minimum wage to $9.50 in 2018 and $12 in 2019, with annual cost of living adjustments starting in 2020. The bill also establishes a training wage that is one dollar less than the minimum wage for the first three months of employment for someone sixteen or seventeen years-old.
SB 242 (2017)
Authorizes one smaller and one larger casino with video lottery and table gaming. The smaller casino would pay an initial ten-year license fee of $40 million, and the larger casino would pay an initial ten-year license fee of $80 million. The casinos would pay a tax of 35% on gross slot machine revenue and 18% on gross table game revenue. The Legislature would choose how to distribute this revenue, provided that some of the revenue goes to towns hosting or neighboring the casino, and some of the revenue goes to treat problem gambling.
SB 10 (2017)
Creates a program to repay licensed milk producers from losses during the 2016 drought. The bill appropriates $2 million to the Milk Producers Emergency Relief Fund.
SB 191 (2017)
Increases state funding for full-day kindergarten programs, with adjustments based on the number of English language learners and free and reduced lunch students in each district. The House amended the bill to simply provide full funding for full-day kindergarten programs, and half funding for half-day kindergarten programs. The House also added keno legalization to the bill to create the revenue for kindergarten funding.
HB 478 (2017)
Prohibits discrimination based on gender identity.
HB 144 (2017)
Changes the annual county budget procedures for Rockingham County to match those used in Hillsborough County. Since the House failed to pass the 2018-2019 budget bill HB 1, the Senate amended this bill into a new budget bill.
SB 131 (2017)
Appropriates $1,155,000 to hire five state troopers assigned to drug enforcement on the state border. This bill also appropriates $3,340,000 for state and local law enforcement and the state lab for overtime related to drug enforcement.
HB 103 (2017)
Requires school districts to provide advance notice to parents and legal guardians of course material involving discussion of human sexuality or human sexual education.
HB 157 (2017)
Adds chronic pain to the qualifying medical conditions for medical marijuana.
SB 11 (2017)
Right-to-Work bill that prohibits collective bargaining agreements that require employees to join or contribute to a labor union.
HB 640 (2017)
Decriminalizes possession of 3/4 ounce or less of marijuana, with additional penalties for violators under age twenty-one.
SB 12 (2017)
Increases the length of time for which a license to carry a concealed firearm is valid, and repeals the requirement to obtain a license to carry a concealed firearm.
