Texas boy kidnapped 8 years ago now seeing parents

The Associated Press: Texas boy kidnapped 8 years ago now seeing parents:

HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas boy who was found in March after having been kidnapped eight years ago as an infant has begun getting to know his parents through weekly joint therapy sessions with them, attorneys and child welfare officials said Wednesday.

Department of Child Protective Services in hot seat

CACR 26 Rep Dan Itse Posted to the Keene Sentinal

CACR 26 Rep Dan Itse Posted to the Keene Sentinal | Kevin Avard for State Rep:

It is disturbing that a Governor and Justice would display such a lack of knowledge of New Hampshire constitutional heritage. Part 1, Article 37 says that the three powers of government ought to be as separate and independent as the nature of free government will admit or as is consistent with that chain of connection the binds the whole Constitution in one indissoluble fabric of unity and amity. This recognizes that the freedom is endangered when the powers are completely separate. It goes further, stating that you find the powers each branch has over the other in the Constitution itself. In fact Madison in Federalist Paper 47 recognizes this as a unique perfection compared to the other State Constitutions.

That chain of connection. From 1784 to 1966 the Legislature held complete power over the Judiciary having the power to dissolve and constitute all the Courts. The Article 73-a that gives the power to make rules for the administration of the courts was only put in place in 1978. Over the last 30 yr the court has stretched that power to absolve itself from all oversight by the people.

The important concept in this debate is that all power in government (including that of the Judiciary) comes from the people. It is the people who get to define the power of the Courts. The people only gave the power in question to the courts in 1978. With the administration of the courts that resulted in Thomas Balls self immolation on the steps of the Keene Courthouse because he could not receive justice, the people need to ask if the current distribution of power is achieving their goal.

Rep Paul Mirski September 9 Seacoastonline Op-Ed, CACR 26

Rep Paul Mirski September 9 Seacoastonline Op-Ed, CACR 26 | Kevin Avard for State Rep:

Dear Editor,

In a September 9 Seacoastonline Op-Ed, entitled “N.H. Legislature Should Not Run The Courts” former NH Justice Joseph Nadeau and former NH Governor Steve Merrill recommended voting against CACR 26, a proposed constitutional amendment that will be on the ballot this fall. What they want you to vote against is restoring legislative oversight of NH Supreme Court rule making that was lost when Part II Article 73a of the State Constitution was unwisely adopted in 1978. They are wrong.

The legislature does not “want to run the courts.” The legislature simply wants to restore public oversight of the courts.

Justice Nadeau and as well as your readers should know that when current Supreme Court Justice Hicks and Justice Lynn testified at the Senate hearing on the subject of CACR 26 they offered for the Senate’s consideration the exact amended language that will appear on the ballot in November and in the course of their testimony they assured the Senate that the language that they were proposing had the blessing of all of the Justices on the Court. In other words, the CACR 26 language that will be on the ballot for voter approval is language that was created and endorsed by the Justices of the NH Supreme Court themselves.

Obviously, our Justices have also come to realize that our current lack of public oversight of judicial rule making has unnecessarily provoked friction between the branches that in turn has resulted in bad public policy outcomes for both the judicial and legislative branches of state government.

When opponents of court reform like former Governor Merrill and former Justice Nadeau quote the language from Part 1, Article 37 of the New Hampshire Constitution that provides that the branches of government “ought to be kept as separate from, and independent of, each other, as the nature of a free government will admit, or as is consistent with that chain of connection that binds the whole fabric of the constitution in one indissoluble bond of union and amity.” they deliberately abuse the language to promote absolute separation between the branches when the Part I, Article 37 wording has the exact opposite meaning. The most important phrase within Part I, Article 37 consists of the words “as the nature of a free government will admit.” It is a simple and undeniable fact that a “free government” cannot exist without constant and effective public oversight and control of ALL branches of government – including the judiciary. It is public oversight that court sycophants wish to stifle and it is public oversight of Court rule making that must be restored.

Since our present Justices all support the CACR 26 language that will be on November’s ballot, I encourage all NH voters to also and enthusiastically embrace the amended language as well. Vote ‘yes’ in November on CACR 26 in order to restore public oversight of court rule making authority.

Representative Paul Mirski, Grafton District 10
POB 190
Enfield Center, New Hampshire 03749 / (Tel) 603 632 5555

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Youth in Foster Care and Psychotropic Medications

Youth in Foster Care and Psychotropic Medications - ChildLaw Blog:

Making Healthy Choices: A Guide on Psychotropic Medications for Youth in Foster Care looks like a graphic novel, but its photo-heavy format and cartoon speech balloons carry a serious message. Designed to appeal to youth, the booklet walks the reader through the decisions that have to be made when mental health problems—short- or long-term—need to be addressed.