New Hampshire’s motto proudly proclaims “Live Free or Die,” but the way some of our lawmakers are governing today, that freedom is increasingly coming at the cost of our children’s lungs—and our collective safety.
This legislative session, language from HB649-FN—a bill to eliminate emissions testing for most vehicles—has been quietly folded into HB2, a move that sidesteps transparency and dodges public accountability. But the damage isn’t just procedural; it’s real, and it’s dangerous.
The legislation in question was built on anecdotes, not evidence. A few loud voices, often the same voice, repeated many times, claimed that safety inspections are a nuisance and that emissions tests are costly and unnecessary. But 50 phone calls from one “constituent” do not constitute 50 constituents. Legislators know this. Or at least, they should.
This is not how sound policy is made. You don’t dismantle a 20-plus-year public health and safety program based on the complaints of individuals who happen to have the time and volume to flood an inbox or spam an online poll.
What’s being overlooked is the real-world success of New Hampshire’s safety and emissions inspection program. For over two decades, it has prevented dangerous vehicles from remaining on the road and has kept our state in compliance with federal EPA requirements. It works. Is it perfect? No. But like any complex system, it requires targeted, informed improvements, not wholesale abandonment driven by the frustrations of shade-tree mechanics who swap parts and complain about cost rather than addressing root causes.
Let’s not pretend this is about the people. This is about a handful of legislators protecting their own wallets or chasing a talking point about “government overreach.” But weakening this program won’t save New Hampshire residents money in the long run. It will cost more in higher medical bills, vehicle damage, and lost federal dollars when we fall out of compliance with clean air standards.
And let’s be honest: those who stand to benefit most from gutting the system aren’t regular citizens; they’re the ones with the worst-maintained vehicles, the ones cutting corners, and in some cases, those looking to profit from less oversight.
The vast majority of Granite Staters want safe, clean roads and responsible governance. They don’t want to see our air quality decline or share the road with unsafe vehicles. But right now, the loudest voices are winning, not the wisest.
We owe it to our communities, to our kids, and to the truth to take a more surgical, informed approach to reform. Not everything needs to be preserved forever. But when something has served the public well for two decades, it deserves better than to be gutted based on stories that wouldn’t pass a high school debate.
To lawmakers: please slow down. Look at the data. Talk to real experts. And stop mistaking noise for consensus.
If freedom really matters in this state, then let’s preserve the freedom to breathe clean air and drive on safe roads, not just the freedom to ignore common sense.
