CONCORD, New Hampshire: Voters in the US northwestern state of New Hampshire won’t be asked to add a secession clause triggered by the national debt to the state constitution, nor will lawmakers study the broader issue of breaking away from the country.
Without debate, the House on Thursday rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would require the state to proceed as a sovereign nation if the national debt reaches $40 trillion. Also killed was a bill that would have created a committee to study the “economic, legal and sociological aspects of New Hampshire exerting its sovereign state rights.”
A comparable proposal calling for the state to secede failed two years ago by a similarly overwhelming margin. Some of the sponsors of that amendment also had signed a manifesto declaring New Hampshire’s government “illegitimate,” calling Gov. Chris Sununu a tyrant and insisting that the 2020 elections were invalid due to fraud.
Changing the New Hampshire constitution requires the support of three-fifths of the Legislature to put the question to voters, who then must approve amendments by at least a two-thirds majority.
Similar secession efforts have failed in other states, including Mississippi and South Carolina. Rep. Jason Gerhard, sponsor of the latest New Hampshire amendment, tried to align himself with secessionists in Texas with a letter sent Wednesday to the head of the Texas Nationalist Movement. For years, some far-right activists have promoted the fringe idea that Texas could leave the US and become independent, but those efforts have not gained traction.
“Together, both states can uphold the principle of freedom and autonomy,” wrote Gerhard, a Republican from Northfield who spent 12 years in prison for helping a New Hampshire couple escape capture on tax evasion charges. Ed and Elaine Brown remained holed up in an armed standoff at their home in Plainfield for months before being arrested in 2007.
Break away from the USA? New Hampshire state once again says nay
https://arab.news/28y3d
Break away from the USA? New Hampshire state once again says nay
- House overwhelmingly rejects proposed constitutional amendment that would require the state to proceed as a sovereign nation if the national debt reaches $40 trillion
- Similar secession efforts have failed in other states, including Mississippi and South Carolina. A fringe idea that Texas could become independent has also not gained traction
Australia holds day of reflection to honor victims of Bondi Beach attack
- The gun attack, Australia’s worst in nearly 30 years, is being investigated as an act of terrorism targeting Jews
SYDNEY: Australia held a day of reflection on Sunday to honor those killed and wounded in a mass shooting that targeted a seaside Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach a week ago.
The gun attack, Australia’s worst in nearly 30 years, is being investigated as an act of terrorism targeting Jews. Authorities have ramped up patrols and policing across the country to prevent further antisemitic violence.
Australian flags were flown at half-mast on Sunday on federal and New South Wales state government buildings, with an official minute of silence to be held at 6:47 p.m. local time.
Authorities also invited Australians to light a candle on Sunday night “as a quiet act of remembrance with family, friends or loved ones” of the 15 people killed and dozens wounded in the attack, allegedly carried out by a father and son.
“At 6:47 p.m., you can light a candle in your window to remember the victims of the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi and support those who are grieving,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on social media platform X late on Saturday.
Albanese, under pressure from critics who say his center-left government has not done enough to curb a surge in antisemitism since Israel launched its war in Gaza, has vowed to strengthen hate laws in the wake of the massacre.
On Saturday, the government of New South Wales, which includes Sydney, pledged to introduce a bill on Monday to ban the display of symbols and flags of “terrorist organizations,” including those of Al-Qaeda, Al Shabab, Boko Haram, Hamas, Hezbollah and Daesh.
Around 1,000 surf lifesavers returned to duty at Bondi Beach on Saturday, restarting patrols after a halt sparked by the shooting on the first evening of the Jewish festival.
A day earlier, Australia’s Jewish community gathered at Bondi Beach for prayers, while hundreds of swimmers and surfers formed a huge circle in the waters off the beach to honor victims.
Alleged gunman Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police at the scene. His 24-year-old son Naveed Akram, who was also shot by police and emerged from a coma on Tuesday afternoon, has been charged with 59 offenses, including murder and terrorism, according to police. He remained in custody in hospital.
Authorities believe the pair was inspired by militant Sunni Muslim group Daesh, with flags of the group allegedly found in the car the two took to Bondi.
