Story Archives of 'Peter Burling'

Four days of planning meetings, strategy sessions and troop-rallying addresses from a who’s who of the most influential, loyal and up and coming Democrats. We’ll look back at the four days of the Democratic National Convention, what was said and the splash it made.

Guests

• Allan Bonner, political journalist for several international publications and author of Media Relations
• Dante Scala, associate professor of Political Science at the University of New Hampshire, author of the GraniteProf political blog and contributor to PolitickerNH.com
• Dean Spiliotes, New Hampshire-based political analyst who's taught at Dartmouth College and St. Anselm College; he's the author of NHPoliticalCapital.com

We'll also hear from

• Peter Burling, Democratic state senator from Cornish and delegate to the Democratic National Convention
• Chuck Douglas, vice chair of John McCain's presidential campaign in New Hampshire, former New Hampshire Congressman and State Supreme Court Justice

A number of Democratic state senators have formally endorsed presidential candidates.

New Hampshire Public Radio's Dan Gorenstein reports.

Governor John Lynch's proposed education amendment has passed its first test...with Senate approval last week. But now the House chimes in and it gets much trickier. We'll weigh its political prospects and whether this one-hundred-and-three word amendment will have a major impact on New Hampshire's long debate over paying for public schools.

We also check in with the Bureau of Emergency Management on the status of flooding in the state.

Guests

• Gene Chandler, Republican Representative from Bartlett who is currently the Senior Republican Policy Advisor in the House and former Speaker of the House
• Peter Burling, Democratic Senator from Cornish who is a co-sponsor of CACR 18, Lynch's education funding constitutional amendment
• Jim Van Dongen, Public Information Officer for Homeland Security and Emergency Management at the New Hampshire Department of Safety
• Chuck Douglas, Concord Attorney, former NH Congressman and former Justice with the New Hampshire Supreme Court
• Ellen Shemitz, President of the Children's Alliance of NH

Lawmakers returned to Concord yesterday to open the new legislative session. For the first time since the 19th century, Democrats control the House and Senate, as well as the Executive Council and the corner office. The man many say was instrumental in this changing of the guard -- Governor John Lynch -- will be inaugurated later today.

New Hampshire Public Radio's Josh Rogers spoke with some key lawmakers about the Governor's speech and their expectations of the coming year.

In addition to the standard political contests, this year ballot will also allow voters to weigh in on 2 proposed constitutional changes.

The first seeks to clarify government's power to take property by eminent domain.

The second would aims restore the Constitutional mandate that every town or ward with sufficient population get it's legislator in Concord.

Passing any constitutional amendment requires 2/3rds support from voters who choose to vote on the questions, and the more complicated the issue, the less likely it is to pass.

New Hampshire Public Radio's Josh Rogers has more.