Hughes v. Speaker of New Hampshire House of Representatives

The defendants appeal the ruling of the Superior Court (McGuire, J.) that they violated Part I, Article 8 of the State Constitution and RSA chapter 91-A when they privately negotiated a compromise of Senate Bill (SB) 302. This appeal requires that we carefully consider: the public’s constitutional right of access to governmental proceedings, see N.H. Const. pt. I, art. 8; the public’s statutory right to know, see RSA ch. 91-A (2001 & Supp. 2004); the legislature’s constitutional authority to adopt its own rules, see N.H. Const. pt. II, arts. 22, 37; the legislature’s right to free…