It's Okay With Me if Rep. Kyle Tasker Doesn't Vote

Last week, I wrote about NH State Rep. Kyle Tasker. Rep. Tasker was in some hot water for posting a racist video on his Facebook page. I chimed in, helpfully, with a look at his voting record in the House this past session. Not only had Tasker missed a number of votes, he hadn't voted on a single roll call vote in the House since April 3. Now, it's possible he was there and voted in voice votes or division votes, but that begs the question....why?

Yesterday, Kyle Tasker was present and accounted for at the beginning of the House session. The first roll call vote was on SB 48, relative to school performance and accountability. He voted no. The next roll call was SB 148, an act relative to electric renewable energy standards and relative to group and individual health insurance market rules.

Humph, you say - what the hell kind of bill is that? It's a mutant bill, caused by the Senate's refusal to regulate the ACA in NH in any way. Some of our state senators are under the impression that if they stomp their expensively shod little feet long and hard enough, we won't have "Obamacare." The fact that it is the law hasn't yet become clear to them.

In any case, Kyle was there to vote no on SB148. The next roll call vote was on a motion made by gubernatorial aspirant George Lambert, to reconsider the voice vote made on SB 135. (relative to the practice of genetic counseling. Tasker voted yea on the motion to reconsider, but it failed. Next up in the land of roll call was HB-1, the budget bill. Tasker voted yes on passing the budget. HB-1 was followed by HB-2, the budget trailer bill. (the bill that makes appropriations and deals with revenue.)
Tasker didn't vote. He didn't vote on HB 124, either, a bill concerning disability retirement insurance.

Then along came HB 247, relative to child passenger restraint requirements. This was a hotly contested bill, with the libertea faction objecting strenuously to the idea of the gummint regulating their kids. The safety of children should be up to their parents. After all, nothing says freedumb like a dead kid in a car crash. He voted against it, of course. This was followed by SB295, a bill that would mandate background checks for volunteers and employees of summer youth skill camps. Kyle voted nay on that.

And then he disappeared.

He didn't vote on HB 472, the rooming house bill. He didn't vote on HB 573, the medical marijuana bill. He didn't vote on HB 595, the voter ID bill. He didn't vote on HB 664, HR11, or SCR1.

Out of 14 roll call votes, Tasker voted 7 times. There were voice votes and division votes that he may well have participated in. I saw him twice so I know he was there for much of the session.

So, why? Why would you show up and not vote?

It's okay with me if he doesn't vote. One less freedumb/libertea wingnut in the mix works just fine for me - but the voters of Rockingham District 2 may feel otherwise.