Also on today’s menu:
2024 Has Seen Unusual Number Of Snowmobile Deaths
New Civil Suits Filed Against Sig Sauer
The New Hampshire House of Representatives has approved House Bill 1583, which would increase the base amount of the state’s adequacy grants to school districts from the current $4,186 per pupil to $4,404. The bill would provide additional aid to lower-income school districts.
The adequacy aid formula already provides more money for students enrolled in the free or reduced-price lunch program, who require special education, and who are learning English, among other categories.
Under HB 1583, “relief funding” for students qualified for free or reduced-priced lunches would increase, and “fiscal capacity disparity aid” would help school districts whose property values per student are below a certain level. Having passed the floor of the House, the bill will now go to the House Finance Committee to determine its fiscal impact.
The Finance Committee also will be reviewing House Bill 1656 which would provide graduated funding for special education instead of the lump-sum amount currently offered. Based on how much help students need, the payouts for students in Category A — those who require out-of-class special education services for less than 80 percent of the day — would be $2,642; for Category B — those who require out-of-class services more than 80 percent of the day — it would be $5,285; and for Category C — those who require services in separate schools, hospitals, or facilities — the district would received $7,927.
Discussion: It is clear that state aid falls far short of the actual costs of education, and much of the so-called “state aid” is actually money collected through local property taxes. A number of court cases have ordered the state to pay more, but the legislature is reluctant to commit state money to provide what the courts say is support of an “adequate education”. With school budgets comprising roughly 70 percent of total property tax rates, an adjustment in actual state aid would be welcome.
2024 Has Seen Unusual Number Of Snowmobile Deaths
New Hampshire Fish and Game Lieutenant Mark Ober says that the three snowmobile fatalities this year are “way above what we ever see” in a full year. Authorities believe that operator inexperience played a role in the deaths of all three Massachusetts women. Stacey McGarry, 56, died in a January snowmobile crash, while Shawnee Hollis, 39, died in a February 16 crash and Krista Bebezas, 48, died in a crash on February 24.
Ober, who is based in Coos County, said, “This really isn’t a toy. It’s a dangerous thing you can get badly hurt or killed riding. There is no safety mechanism other than a helmet to protect someone when they get into a crash. You are open to the elements.”
There have been at least a dozen snowmobile accidents in the last two weeks, Ober said. Speed, inattention, and marginal trail conditions were factors in some of the accidents. The operators, including two who were minors, were mainly from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York.
Discussion: Snowmobiling is a fun sport, but operators need to be on the lookout for sudden turns in the trail and hazards that may be partially buried in the snow. Inexperienced operators often react by grabbing the handlebar more tightly, pushing on the throttle and lurching ahead so they lose control.
New Civil Suits Filed Against Sig Sauer
Sig Sauer’s website states, “The P320 meets and exceeds all US safety standards” but also notes, “all precautions should be taken to avoid dropping a loaded firearm. Although extremely unlikely, it is still possible for any loaded firearm to discharge when dropped.” A number of civil lawsuits against the New Hampshire manufacturer claim that a design flaw has caused several unintentional discharges.
A new court filing includes allegations by “seven highly trained and experienced firearms users whose lives were upended by a dangerously defective pistol: the Sig Sauer P320.” A police officer in Puerto Rico claims his holstered P320 discharged as he seated himself in a vehicle. A New Jersey police officer says his department-issued P320 discharged while he was practicing at a gun range. A Marine Corps veteran in Michigan claims his holstered P320 discharged as he removed his belt.
Following concerns voiced in 2017 about the P320’s risk of firing when dropped from certain angles, Sig Sauer made hardware changes to the trigger and striker. The company previously settled lawsuits involving alleged discharges and successfully blocked a proposed class action lawsuit that centered on financial harm for P320 owners.
Discussion: Gun manufacturers take safety very seriously in order to avoid this type of lawsuit. Sig Sauer custom-builds the P320 to its customers’ specifications for frame size, slide, and barrel length, with personalized optics and accessories. Still, something obviously is missing if that many users are experiencing the same problems.