The House has elected to censure former House Speaker Gene Chandler rather than kick him out of office.
New Hampshire Public Radio's Dan Gorenstein reports.
Before the three hour debate really got cooking, current House Speaker Doug Scamman set the tone as he read the list of representatives wishing to speak.
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:36 those on the list of ratification would be Representative Jasper.....etc, etc.
Scamman ticked off the names of nine Representatives who wanted to speak in favor of removing Chandler.
Then he started reading those opposed to that move.
:53 Those on the other side.....
Speaker Scamman read the names of some 70 Representatives who thought expulsion was the wrong punishment.
Many of those named were current committee chairs, and former members of Chandler's leadership team.
In other words, a powerful collection of representatives.
The long list seemed to unnerve those who favored expulsion.
Representative Shawn Jasper was the first to speak after Scamman finished.
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:21 I can count, and I can predict what the outcome will be, that tells me I should sit down and shut up...
But Jasper persisted and told his colleagues he felt it was his duty to speak.
2:55 Representative Chandler and I were friends, and I am pained that it is necessary for me to stand here. I am saddened that he has placed us all in the position that we have to choose ethics over friendship. But make no mistake, no matter how you try to rationalize your vote, anything less than expulsion dishonors this body.
Some representatives believed a vote of expulsion would dishonor the body even more.
They pointed out that his constituents argued the voters reelected Chandler after news of his scandal broke.
And therefore, the House would be overstepping its bounds to take Chandler away from his district..
Other supporters, like Representative Sheila Francouer, said the punishment didn't fit the crime.
She urged members to put in perspective the seven years of annual corn roast fundraisers, where Chandler raised tens of thousands of dollars from friends and lobbyists.
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2:53 we can not look at the recommendation of the ethics committee without looking at the whole man and his service to this state and this house....I ask you to think of that man. Did he make a serious mistake, yes he did, does it warrant expulsion form this venerable House? No, my friends, it does not.
Another familiar rallying cry was that Chandler has suffered enough.
Allies said that Chandler had already voluntarily dropped out of the Speakers race, that he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and will pay a $2000 dollar fine, and spent plenty of nights getting little sleep.
Representative Susan Emerson.
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:35 I just want to tell you that Rep. Chandler had his plate full when all this was going on. Being speaker is a full time job. But beside that, his wife had cancer, his father was sick and dying, he himself had his hip replaced, and his mother was desperately ill. That is enough to drive anyone crazy. Hasn't he been punished enough?
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1:00 Gene does not deserve this. But representative Chandler does. I am going to have to very sadly agree with the ethics committee. All good people who gave thoughtful consideration to the issue.
That's Representative Priscilla Lockwood.
She says as Speaker, Chandler, simply should have known better.
While that argument carried a lot of weight, it wasn't strong enough to carry the day.
In the end, the House voted 189-172 to not expel the former speaker.
But a number of observers and lawmakers did expressed surprise that so many people were willing to kick Chandler out.
Quickly after the vote, members made a move to reprimand the Bartlett Republican in place of removal.
But Representative Tony Soltani said that wasn't a tough enough punishment.
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:07 censure is one step below expulsion. Reprimand is generally non-public...it is the message that goes along. A censure is a public disapproval of conduct of an individual member. A reprimand is less than that. It's just a reminder not to do that again. This sentencing phase calls for one step below expulsion, but one step above just don't do it again.
The move to censure, which at least some saw as a compromise, passed the House overwhelmingly.
Curiously, three hours after the debate began, and after members voted to censure Representative Gene Chandler, a majority of lawmakers stood and applauded.
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:28 applause
The standing ovation caused Democratic House Leader Jim Craig to scratch his head.
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2:54 we went through a big deal making a censure, chaning it to a censure....and then they give him a standing ovation...
After the vote to punish Chandler, Speaker Scamman asked Chandler to approach the front of the hall.
He asked Chandler if he had anything to say.
Chandler mumbled, no, not at this time.
For NHPR News, I'm DG.
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