Republican candidates sue N.H. library, claiming 'clear partisan bias' in election questionnaire
wo of the 14 legislative candidates who were invited by the Goffstown Public Library in New Hampshire to complete a questionnaire about their views on certain policy-adjacent topics are suing to block the library from publishing anyone’s answers.
The plaintiffs, former state representative Ross Berry of Weare and current state senator Keith Murphy of Manchester, both Republicans, accused library staff of asking loaded questions and illegally wielding public resources for electioneering purposes.
“Many of the questions presented by the Library address politically sensitive issues, such as reproductive/abortion rights, school funding, and LGBTQ+ concerns,” Berry wrote in the complaint. “These topics are central to ongoing political debates and inherently reflect specific ideological perspectives.”
One question asked candidates “how” they would support legislation to increase the state’s share of education funding to lessen the burden on local property taxes. Another said most Granite Staters favor “reproductive freedom” and asked what state-level legislation the candidates would support in light of the US Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning a long-standing federal precedent on abortion rights. The final two questions asked about various “marginalized communities” and disproportionately high rates of suicide and homelessness among LGBTQ+ young people.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/10/09/metro/nh-library-election-questionnaire-bias-goffstown/