Institutions and those entrusted with their care have beclowned themselves so regularly over the years that Americans have lost faith in almost all sources of authority. In this environment, the New Hampshire Senate this week surveyed the cultural scene and said, “hold my beer.”
It’s hard to say what will be hurt most by the unemployment legislation the Senate’s Democratic majority passed on a party-line vote on Tuesday: New Hampshire businesses or the reputation of the New Hampshire Senate.
House Bill 1166, a hodgepodge of business mandates and impermissible exemptions to federal unemployment policy, is an absurdity that defies all attempts at reasonable explanation. In its totality, it is a stunning example of politicians choosing showmanship over the public official’s duty to govern.