EARLY ACTIVITY OF LIBERTY FORUM A SUCCESS

Nashua, NH - January 3, 2008 - Free State Project members enjoyed their first day visiting New Hampshire for the 2008 Liberty Forum. Members from as far away as Hawaii braved the cold and got involved. The opening day activities included trips to a firing range and the state capitol and hearing from local authors.

Dozens of members visited Manchester Firing Line to practice target shooting and use weapons which are illegal in their various home states. Everyone was given an overview of gun and range safety and of the various types of firearms. Newcomers received basic safety training from local NRA-certified instructors. As the morning continued, experienced FSP members helped the less skilled shooters.

After lunch a large group of about 40 visited the State House to watch the Legislature in session. They met several state reps and watched committee hearings on banning light bulbs, costing an adequate education, regulating clotheslines, and reducing the tolls in Merrimack, then they took a tour of the capitol.

Reps. Jason Bedrick and Dan Itse explained the legislative process and related past successes and outlined various political games that get played in Concord. They also discussed an upcoming bill for a state guard and how it related to homeland security and the National Guard.

Rep. Bedrick relayed an interesting fact on the trip: the Afganistan legislature uses the rules of the New Hampshire House. A delegation had come through last year and were so impressed with how we do things in the Granite State that they adopted it for their own use.

In the evening, at the Crowne Plaza, Sakal/CAI hosted a reception for locals and the visiting FSP members to hear from some of the authors present at the Forum. Among them were Brian Wright, James Maynard, and Gardner Goldsmith. The evening was capped by a humorous and informative re-enactment of the debate to adopt the Constitution put on by some current state representatives playing various figures from the time, including George Washington. The re-enactment covered many issues of the debate such as sound money, ceding power, managing an alliance of states, having a standing army and preserving states' interests through the Senate. After the official events broke, most attendees gathered around TVs watching the results of the Iowa Caucus or listened to interviews conducted by Free Talk Live.

The Liberty Forum runs through Sunday the 6th at the Crowne Plaza in Nashua. Full info at http://www.freestateproject.org/libertyforum

EARLY ACTIVITY OF LIBERTY FORUM A SUCCESS

Nashua, NH - January 3, 2008 - Free State Project members enjoyed their first day visiting New Hampshire for the 2008 Liberty Forum. Members from as far away as Hawaii braved the cold and got involved. The opening day activities included trips to a firing range and the state capitol and hearing from local authors.

Dozens of members visited Manchester Firing Line to practice target shooting and use weapons which are illegal in their various home states. Everyone was given an overview of gun and range safety and of the various types of firearms. Newcomers received basic safety training from local NRA-certified instructors. As the morning continued, experienced FSP members helped the less skilled shooters.

After lunch a large group of about 40 visited the State House to watch the Legislature in session. They met several state reps and watched committee hearings on banning light bulbs, costing an adequate education, regulating clotheslines, and reducing the tolls in Merrimack, then they took a tour of the capitol. Reps. Jason Bedrick and Dan Itse explained the legislative process and related past successes and outlined various political games that get played in Concord. They also discussed an upcoming bill for a state guard and how it related to homeland security and the National Guard.

In the evening, at the Crowne Plaza, Sakal/CAI hosted a reception for locals and the visiting FSP members to hear from some of the authors present at the Forum. Among them were Brian Wright, James Maynard, and Gardner Goldsmith. The evening was capped by a humorous and informative re-enactment of the debate to adopt the Constitution put on by some current state representatives playing various figures from the time, including George Washington. The re-enactment covered many issues of the debate such as sound money, ceding power, managing an alliance of states, having a standing army and preserving states' interests through the Senate. After the official events broke, most attendees gathered around TVs watching the results of the Iowa Caucus or listened to interviews conducted by Free Talk Live.

The Liberty Forum runs through Sunday the 6th at the Crowne Plaza in Nashua. Full info at http://www.freestateproject.org/libertyforum

Congressman Ron Paul to Speak at NH Liberty Forum

December 11, 2007 

Nashua, NH -- The Free State Project is pleased to announce that Congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul will be the keynote speaker at the closing ceremonies of the upcoming New Hampshire Liberty Forum in Nashua, NH.

Congressman Paul will cap a full weekend of noteworthy speakers including Senator John Sununu and Liberty Dollar founder Bernard von NotHaus. Ron Paul will speak on Sunday afternoon, January 6th.

The recent surge in membership and movers and the ability to attract first rate speakers shows the continuing impact of the Free State Project. Irena Goddard, FSP president noted that "the presidential primary is the main reason for the surge in interest in the FSP. We are very pleased to have a pro-liberty candidate with rapidly increasing popularity as one of our featured speakers. We think it shows how serious our members are about politics and making better communities, a better state and a better country."

Other presidential campaigns have expressed interest in appearing at the forum, though no speaking times have been confirmed as yet.

The Liberty Forum is a 3-day convention focusing on successful political and social action in New Hampshire. Members and friends of the Free State Project will socialize and get a firsthand New Hampshire experience. Locals will learn about the FSP, meet its participants, and get to understand their goals and how they can work together.

There will be multiple program "tracks" covering many interests. Panel Discussions include Media, Jobs, Education choice, 2nd Amendment, Drug Policy, Making the Move, Working with Political Parties and Taxpayer Activism.

The Liberty Forum runs January 3-6, 2008 at The Crowne Plaza, Nashua, NH

Whether you are planning a legislative effort, grassroots campaign, formal conference, or public demonstration, you will find an enthusiastic legion of libertarian activists ready to help. By choosing New Hampshire, you will maximize your odds of success. With its small population and live-free-or-die culture, New Hampshire is the ideal place to pioneer reform. New Hampshire offers a variety of benefits, including

• Ranked consistently #1 as the most livable state
• Plenty of recreational resources, including mountains, lakes, rivers, forests, and beaches, with year-round tourism being the state’s leading industry
• With 400 members, the largest state legislature in the US, providing the highest ratio of representation and easy access to politics
• An existing culture of liberty that will enable you to fight for freedom while already enjoying more, e.g. low regulation and no state sales or income tax!

New Hampshire was the first colony to declare independence from Great Britain, and was one of the original states of the Union. The seal has the optimistic rising sun in the background with a ship in the shipbuilding yard at Portsmouth, supposedly the Raleigh. The Raleigh was first launched in 1776 and was one of the earliest ships of the U.S. Navy.

For more information on the many advantages that New Hampshire has to offer, visit the FSP's New Hampshire Information Center.