Coverage of CACR 20 and HB 1130 from Manchester Ink Link.
“For Carla Gericke, Chairwoman and President Emeritus of the Free State Project, one of the primary reasons is a fear of the United States dollar losing its status as the world’s reserve currency, which would drastically harm the U.S. economy if it occurred.
Both Gerhard and Gericke believe that the separation would be peaceful with Gerhard stating that the move would emulate portions of the New Hampshire Constitution already in place such as Part 1, Article 10, which guarantees the “right of revolution.”
Gericke told the committee that the state should have the right to peacefully secede from the United States through democratic means and felt that the violent is a tool of authoritarianism, something she believes this legislation is meant to circumvent. Following the hearing, she stated that if federal response to secession was violent then it would serve as proof that secession was needed, comparing it to a domestic abuse victim blaming themselves for being abused.
“If the answer (to secession) is that (the federal government) is going to murder us because they don’t agree with our positions, then it’s probably a good time to leave the relationship,” she said. “When someone is abusing you and then tells you, ‘You can’t leave or I’m going to kill you,’ that doesn’t seem like a healthy relationship.”
She added that with the ability for people to “vote with their feet” making it easier for many to reject the values of governments in places where they might currently reside, Gericke agreed with Gerhard that the move toward greater local autonomy of some sort everywhere is inevitable.
“I think we’re just so caught up in these fear paradigms and in these little boxes that we just look at the world and we’re like ‘this is how it was and this is how it must be’, but I’m like ‘no, what can we do?’” she said.
Rather than scholarly works, the book contains eighty personal essays written by libertarians of varying degrees of prominence worldwide, from the legendary to those deserving wider recognition. The purpose was to convey their mindset before embracing libertarianism and how it has impacted their personal and professional lives. Block and Cavallo assert libertarianism is the ‘last best hope for humankind with regard to economics, liberty, justice, prosperity, peace, and thus even survival’… Block and Cavallo have edited a magnificent collection of autobiographies that convey what it means to be a libertarian regardless of where you live, and everyone should read it.
Tony Senatore
Read the full “Review of Libertarian Autobiographies: Moving Toward Freedom in Today’s World”…
Free State Project Names Maine Senator Eric Brakey as New Executive Director
[Manchester, November 30, 2023] – The Free State Project, a political migration movement dedicated to attracting liberty-minded individuals and libertarians to New Hampshire, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Maine Senator Eric Brakey (35) as its new Executive Director, effective December 1st.Senator Brakey, who will finish his third term in the Maine Senate next year and not seek re-election, brings a wealth of experience and a steadfast commitment to the principles of liberty, making him the ideal choice to lead the Free State Project into its next chapter.
“After twenty years, the positive impact of the Free State Project is undeniable. New Hampshire stands today as a granite fortress of freedom as other states succumb to the siren songs of socialism ,” said Senator Eric Brakey. “I am excited to join the Free State Project to help achieve liberty in our lifetimes with a homeland for all who wish to live free.”
In 2003, supporters of the Free State movement chose New Hampshire as their destination. Today, more than 7,000 live in the state. The Free State Project hosts two annual events to showcase the NH Advantage: Liberty Forum, an intimate, 300-person winter hotel conference, and the Porcupine Freedom Festival (aka “PorcFest”), a summer camping event with about 3,000 attendees.
Over the past two decades, Free Staters have been elected to office, served on school boards and civic committees, run independent media sites, and have started businesses, private clubs, and charities. Free Staters have been instrumental in expanding liberties in many different areas, from jury nullification and craft brewing, to cryptocurrencies and First Amendment activities. In 2023, NBC Boston broadcast an extensive, 11-part docuseries about the Free State Project called Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of New Hampshire.
“New Hampshire was just ranked Number One by the Cato Institute as the freest state in the nation overall,” said Free State Project founder and current board member, Jason Sorens, who worked on the report. “With our low tax burden, natural beauty, and policies like expanded school choice and Constitutional Carry, New Hampshire is becoming difficult to beat in terms of overall quality of living.”
As the new Executive Director, Senator Brakey will play a pivotal role in promoting these advantages to help attract more liberty-minded individuals and libertarians to the ‘Live Free or Die’ state.
Eric Brakey began in liberty politics as the Maine State Director for the Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign. Elected shortly thereafter to the Maine Senate, Brakey became the youngest state senator in America at the age of 26. Across three terms, Senator Brakey authored Maine’s Constitutional Carry law, negotiated significant welfare reforms, enacted Right to Try legislation, legalized over-the-counter birth control, and oversaw market-based reforms to the state’s medical cannabis program. In 2018, Senator Brakey served as the Maine Republican nominee for U.S. Senate. Between terms of office, Eric Brakey also worked as a national spokesperson, growth strategist, and policy advisor at Young Americans for Liberty based in Austin, TX.
“Eric is a big ‘get’ for us,” said Carla Gericke, president emeritus and chairwoman of the Free State Project. “Getting a senator from another state to join the Free State Project represents, in very real terms, the value proposition of our mission, which is to concentrate the best and brightest, the smartest, solution-driven thinkers of our time, in one place: the Free State of New Hampshire. I left Silicon Valley and NYC to come build something new. I can’t wait to see what Eric does.”
In his role as Executive Director, Senator Brakey will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Free State Project, working closely with the Board of Directors, the organization’s staff, and its large, dedicated volunteer community. Brakey’s tenure promises to be a dynamic period of growth and outreach, as the Free State Project continues to attract individuals who share a commitment to individual freedom and limited government.
“Eric’s passion for liberty, coupled with his experience in public service and his time at Young Americans for Liberty, makes him an outstanding choice to lead the Free State Project,” said Gericke. “We are confident that under his guidance, the organization will continue to grow and that he will embolden a new wave of Free Staters to come help build the brightest beacon of liberty in the world, right here in New Hampshire.”
About the Free State Project:
The Free State Project is a 501c3 educational non-profit dedicated to promoting individual liberty, limited government, and free-market principles in New Hampshire. Founded in 2003, the organization encourages liberty-minded individuals and libertarians to move to New Hampshire, where they can live, work, and play while advocating for a freer society. Learn more at fsp.org.
Not all Free Staters are pro-Independence, but many are. Elected state representative Matthew Santonastaso and I recently sat down with Red State to discuss upcoming secession bills.
CLICK HERE FOR RED STATE CONTENT.
Ours is a peaceful movement to try to get out from under the yoke of the corrupt and immoral federal government.
There are two bills being presented this year: one, similar to CACR32 from last year, but with a trigger this time for secession through a Constitutional amendment if the national federal debt reaches $40 TRILLION, and the second is a study committee to start grappling with the real questions we need to answer in order to make this a feasible play long-term.
In addition, Free Staters are working on a myriad of other issues, including energy independence by augmenting our nuclear power plant with other nuclear options (like small modular reactors) and introducing legal tender bills to put NH on gold/crypto/alternate currency standards, while others are making sure the next generation can actually read and write.
If YOU are demoralized where you are, perhaps it is time to MOVE for LIBERTY IN OUR LIFETIME. Also, can’t lie, it is kind of fun to live in the game of life called: BUILD YOUR OWN COUNTRY. 
Join us and come “Live free and thrive!” with me!
BONUS CONTENT!
Check out this op-ed in NH Journal: DeGRAFF: It’s Time for New Hampshire To Secede.
Today’s Sunday Union Leader features my op-ed about the current landscape of Right-to-Know in the Free State. Improvements are happening, but they are also devising new and sneakier ways to hide from us. Privacy for US, not them!
For people who cannot access behind the paywall:
TRANSPARENCY in government must start at the top. For several years now, Right-to-Know NH (RTKNH), a statewide nonpartisan open government advocacy group, has been requesting the Attorney General’s office update its outdated 138-page Right-to-Know memorandum from 2015.
Over the past 8 years, many positive Right-to-Know developments have taken place. The public deserves to understand how their rights have been expanded.
For example, a Constitutional Amendment was passed in 2018 that states: “[Art.] 2-b. [Right of Privacy.] An individual’s right to live free from governmental intrusion in private or personal information is natural, essential, and inherent.”
Sounds good, right? But Article 2-b was recently cited by Manchester City Solicitor Emily Rice to deny the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, as a matter of law, copies of “daily logs” at a homeless shelter. Rice’s interpretation seems counter to the spirit of openness and good governance, highlighting the need for more clarity from the attorney general.
Several recent state Supreme Court decisions have also strengthened our Right-to-Know.
Thanks to the dedication of the Union Leader and other local papers, the Fenniman decision was rightfully overturned after almost 30 years. This win significantly narrows the application of an exemption to disclosure of governmental records under the law. Instead of a “blanket ban” applying to all government personnel records, now, a balancing act between privacy interests and public’s Right-to-Know must be considered.
Due to the relentless efforts of Laurie Ortolano, former RTKNH president, there is even more good news, not least of which is that she will be honored at the Nackey Loeb First Amendment Awards this Thursday. Tickets are available at loebschool.org.
Ortolano’s transparency battle with the City of Nashua reached historic proportions. Requests for tax assessments and finances were met with denials and court battles. They even arrested her for criminal trespassing at City Hall (later annulled).
But Ortolano didn’t give up. She was finally awarded $63,400 in attorneys’ fees, generally unheard of, for the City of Nashua’s non-compliant behavior, and officials were ordered to undergo remedial RTK training to avoid future violations.
The city appealed to the state Supreme Court and in August Ortolano’s victory was upheld. In their decision, the justices quoted the state’s Right-to-Know law: “The purpose of the Right-to-Know law is to ensure both the greatest possible public access to the actions, discussions, and records of all public bodies, and their accountability to the people.”
On top of these developments, a new Right-to-Know Ombudsman office (RKO), attached to the Secretary of State, has opened. The intent is to provide the public with a simpler, cheaper, and quicker way to resolve Right-to-Know complaints. Anyone can file a written complaint and pay the $25 filing fee. The ombudsman is tasked with determining if any Right-to-Know violations have occurred, and issues a ruling.
If you don’t like the RKO ruling, you may still appeal to the superior court within 30 days. If the ombudsman’s final ruling is not appealed, it may be registered in Merrimack County Superior Court as an enforceable judgment.
Based on the above, it’s clear the public and municipalities need better guidance on the current landscape of our Right-to-Know laws. The old, outdated memo from almost a decade ago simply isn’t cutting it.
We respectfully request that the attorney general update the Right-to-Know Memo by the end of the year. After all, Granite Staters have the right-to-know what’s up with their Right-to-Know, because without transparency, there is no accountability.
A former Republican candidate for state Senate, Carla Gericke is an outspoken open-government advocate and serves on Right-to-Know NH. She lives in Manchester.
I was honored to chat to Shaun Thompson on AM 560 Talk Radio last Friday about the Free State Project, and some upcoming NH independence bills being introduced by elected pro-liberty legislators this legislative session.
Listen now…
The Free State Project’s Carla Gericke joins us with updates: RFK, Jr., on secession, bold moves in the New Hampshire legislature, the fate of the “Crypto 6,” and plenty more.
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