A proposal in the New Hampshire Legislature to charge a $50 annual registration fee for bicyclists in order to use state-owned paths, trails and roadways is proving so unpopular that even the bill’s sponsor is backpedaling. 

“All bicycles and electric bicycles, if operated on a public way shall be registered with the division of motor vehicles,” the bill states. It says any bike riders who are not registered could face a fine of $100 per violation.

On the New Hampshire House of Representatives website, nearly 14,000 people have registered their opposition to the measure. Just 39 support it, as of Tuesday evening.

Republican Rep. Tom Walsh from Hooksett, who sponsored the bill, testified Tuesday before the House Transportation Committee.

“I don’t see the bill moving forward,” Walsh said, adding that the $50 amount was supposed to be a “placeholder” until it could be determined what a reasonable fee would be.

Walsh said he brought the “flawed” bill to committee because he wanted to start a conversation about paying for bike infrastructure as lawmakers consider toll hikes and other fee increases for car owners. He noted that ATV and snowmobile owners have to pay a fee to operate their vehicles on state trails.

“This was a genuine attempt at fair funding,” Walsh said. “I still believe that user fees are the best way to do that. If you want to use nice things, help us pay for these nice things.”  

Democratic Rep. Timothy Horgan of Durham called the bill an “extremely bad idea” and said rail trails are used heavily by pedestrians as well.

“Are we going to start handing out stickers on our walking shoes to use the rail trails?” he asked. “Where does this end?”

During public comment, Donna Cusack from Hudson called it a “horrible, horrible bill.” 

“If I have to pay a fee to ride on a rail trail, I’ll put my bike on the back of my car and drive 5 miles across the border and I’ll start driving on the Massachusetts rail trails where I don’t have to pay a fee,” she said.

Craig Rennie, the chief supervisor of the New Hampshire Bureau of Trails who did not take a position on the bill, said there are 320 miles of state-owned rail trails. He said their maintenance is funded with registration fees for snowmobiles and ATVs, as well as some federal grants and donations.

“If we had more funding for rail trail management, that would help with developing future trails,” he said.

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – House Democratic Leader Alexis Simpson, D-Exeter, called the shooting death Saturday of Alex Pretti by an ICE agent in Minneapolis a “tragic murder” as pressure mounts against the federal actions in Minneapolis.

“The brutal murder of Alex Pretti by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, just days after the brutal murder of Renee Good, is the latest example of an unaccountable federal agency using rapidly escalating and unjustified force to terrorize our communities. No one should fear being shot in the street by masked officers – anytime, anywhere,” Simpson said in a statement Monday.

Also on Monday evening, an estimated 90 people marched in a “Candlelight Procession for Alex Jeffrey Pretti and all ICE victims,” in Conway organized by the Mount Washington Valley Resistance.

Simpson said “bills now making their way through the state legislature require clear identification of state and local law enforcement officers participating in immigration enforcement activities and prohibit state resources from being used to construct ICE facilities or enable ICE’s abuses.

“These bills are simple – they demand transparency, accountability, and respect for our neighbors and communities. Granite Staters do not want masked federal agents roaming our streets. They want to feel safe in their neighborhoods, to know their tax dollars are being used appropriately, and to live under laws that reflect our ‘live free or die’ values,” she said.

“It is past time for Governor Ayotte and Republicans in Concord to put New Hampshire first, stop sitting on the sidelines, and stand with Granite Staters demanding accountability,” Simpson said.

The following bills in New Hampshire deal with immigration enforcement.

HB 1142, relative to requirements for law enforcement officers assisting in immigration enforcement. HEARING: Wednesday 1/28 at 3:30 pm in House Criminal Justice.

HB 1364, requiring quarterly reports from counties, municipalities, or any other political subdivisions of the state that enter into certain agreements with the federal government concerning assistance with federal immigration enforcement. HEARING:  Friday, 1/30 at 11:30am in House Criminal Justice.

HB 1570, relative to governmental budget authority for agreements for law enforcement agencies to participate in federal immigration enforcement. Pending a vote on floor of House.

HB 1822, relative to reporting of civil immigration detentions by state, county, and local law enforcement and correctional facilities. Pending a vote on floor of House.

HB 1609, limiting the use of state, county, and municipal funds and property for construction and operation of certain immigrant detention facilities. Pending a vote on floor of House.

The Guardian newspaper reported Monday: “President says his administration is reviewing fatal shooting as Republicans and Democrats criticize ICE surge.”

And Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz posted on Facebook Monday that he “had a productive call with President Trump earlier today. I told him we need impartial investigations of the Minneapolis shootings involving federal agents, and that we need to reduce the number of federal agents in Minnesota.

“The President agreed to look into reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota and to talk to DHS about ensuring the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is able to conduct an independent investigation, as would ordinarily be the case,” Walz said.

A Massachusetts man was flown to a hospital by medical helicopter on Saturday after crashing his snowmobile in Northern New Hampshire, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

The crash happened around 1 p.m. when 38-year-old Hanson resident Brandon Roe was riding on a trail in Pittsburg, the Fish and Game Department said in a Monday press release. He was going downhill and trying to make a left turn when he lost control of his snowmobile.

Roe was thrown from the vehicle over a steep embankment and was seriously injured, the Fish and Game Department said. His riding companions and a group of bystanders immediately provided medical aid.

Due to poor cell service in the area, first responders were notified of the crash using a satellite personal locator beacon, the Fish and Game Department said. One of the people Roe was riding with also rode to a nearby business and called 911, providing first responders with more detailed information about the crash.

The information suggested that Roe’s injuries were severe, so authorities requested that a medical helicopter respond to the scene along with firefighters, paramedics, police and a conservation officer, the Fish and Game Department said. Firefighters rode to the remote location where Roe had crashed on snowmobiles, then transported him to an awaiting ambulance.

The ambulance drove Roe to Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital in Colebrook, but he was ultimately flown by medical helicopter to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for further treatment, the Fish and Game Department said.

“This crash is still under investigation, however inexperience and unreasonable speed for the existing conditions appear to be factors in the crash. Conservation Officers would like to use this incident to remind snowmobile operators to always operate in a reasonable and prudent manner for existing trail conditions and with regard for actual and potential hazards,” the Fish and Game Department wrote in the release.