HB 648 5/19/11:
A public hearing HB 648 relative to eminent domain by public utilities was held before Senate Judiciary Committee. About 400 were in attendance (most of them wearing orange).

Larry Rapport
State Rep. Larry Rappaport (R-Colebrook) is the sponsor of HB 648 and spoke about some of the false claims of the bill.

Jim Parison
State Rep. James Parison (R-New Ipswich) is a member of the House Science, Technology & Energy Committee talked about the amendment to HB 648 as it happened in committee.

Bill Remick
State Rep. Bill Remick (R-Lancaster) said this bill was about a willing buyer and willing seller.

Brandon Giuda
State Rep. Brandon Giuda (R-Chichester) talked about how legislators first responsibility is to the Constitution of the State of NH not to the New England power grid.

Al Baldasaro
State Rep. Al Baldasaro (R-Londonderry) talked about his own experience with eminent domain and his trip to Quebec with Hydro-Quebec officials.

Kathy Taylor
State Rep. Kathy Taylor (R-Franconia) gave a short speech about how eminent domain affects farms.

Rick Ladd
State Rep. Rick Ladd (R-Haverhill) says land is precious.

John Tholl
State Rep. John Tholl (R-Whitefield) is a co-sponsor of HB 648.

Charles Brosseau
State Rep. Charles Brosseau (R-Campton) said eminent domain is atrocious.

Dan Itse
State Rep. Dan Itse (R-Fremont) talked about his involvement on working on HB 648.

David Campbell
State Rep. David Campbell (D-Nashua) opposes HB 648 saying it is for the common good.

Deb Reynolds
Former State Sen. Deb Reynolds (D-Plymouth) and current real estate attorney spoke in favor of HB 648.

Ken Merrifield
Franklin Mayor Ken Merrifield stated his opposition to HB 648 and that Northern Pass will benefit his town.

Ann Ross & Mike Harrington
NH Public Utilities Commission General Counsel Ann Ross and Senior Policy Advisor Michael Harrington discussed their input on HB 648 and got into the complexities of power grids and what constitutes a "public utility".

Tom Thomson
Strongly supports HB 648 and discusses how the Northern Pass project would affect his property and how it could damage his and other property owners ability to provide open space for the public.

Donna Gamache
Donna Gamache, Director of Governmental Affairs for Public Service of New Hampshire talked about

Will Abbott
Will Abbott is the Vice President for Policy & Land Management at the Society for the Protection of NH Forests says noone has a right to take land that doesn't belong to them.

Bob Dunn
Attorney Bob Dunn from Devine Millimet spoke on behalf of the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce in opposition to HB 648.

Tom Mullen
Tom Mullen is the owner of the Owl's Nest Resort in Campton and supports HB 648.

Donald Pfundstein
Donald Pfundstein of the law firm Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell says Northern Pass is a public utility.

Jim Dannis
Jim Dannis is a property owner in Dalton and he and his wife hired appraisers to study the economic impacts of Northern Pass on their property and Jim testified that passing HB 648 is necessary to prevent another Kelo v. New London case.

Elizabeth Dragon
Franklin City Manager Elizabeth Dragon spoke in opposition to HB 648.

Diedre Matthews
Diedre Matthews is the Director of Siting and Permitting for National Grid opposes HB 648.

Nancy Portman
Nancy Portman already has a PSNH easement on their property.

Jay Bowers
Franklin City Councilor Jay Bowers opposed HB 648.

Naida Kaen
State Rep. Naida Kaen (D-Lee) is a member of the House Science, Technology & Energy Committee supports HB 648 because of so much uncertainty about the Northern Pass.

Mike Skelton
Mike Skelton, lobbyist for the Manchester Chamber of Commerce spoke in opposition to HB 648.

Russ Thibeault
Russ Thibeault hired by Devin Millimet law firm to research property values.

Ken Colburn
Ken Colburn is the chair of the board of Conservation NH

Julia Frayer
Julia Frayer is managing director of the Boston office of London Economics International, a global advisory professional services firm specializing in energy and infrastructure and spoke in opposition to HB 648.

Blair Foltz
Blair Foltz of the Green Mountain Conservation Group warns that eminent domain can undo conservation land.

Joe Casey
Joe Casey is president of the New Hampshire Building Trades says HB 648 would kill jobs.

Bob Baker
Attorney Bob Baker from Columbia supports HB 648 and helped craft the original version. He talked about his clients affected by Northern Pass.

Brian Underwood
Brian Underwood real estate appraiser hired by Northern Pass to refute the Dannis appraisal report.

John Harrigan
North Country writer John Harrigan of Colebrook talked about how Northern Pass is being steamrolled on NH.

Joe Drinon
Joe Drinon of Chichester introduced how NY deals with eminent domain for a transmission line project.

Joel Zipp
Joel Zipp from the law firm Holland & Knight in Washington, DC talked about his experience in eminent domain cases before.

Gretchen Draper
Gretchen Draper is a resident of New Hampton and supports HB 648.

Linda Brownson
Linda Brownson of Wentworth read a letter from a Canadian farmer who owns land in Pittsburg.

Hariette Thorpe
Hariette Thorpe supports HB 648.

Interview- Matt Houde
Immediately following the hearing, Bulldog interviewed Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Matt Houde (D-Plainfield) about what happens next.

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