Another controversy is putting a Democratic lawmaker in New Hampshire under the spotlight after she claimed that lawmakers should be shielded from certain law enforcement actions while traveling to and from legislative business.
State Rep. Ellen Read (D-Newmarket), who is currently seeking another term in office, is facing renewed scrutiny over two separate speeding cases. Instead of focusing solely on disputing the traffic citations themselves, Read has argued that deputies lacked the authority to stop or charge her because she was protected by what she describes as “legislative privilege.”
According to court records, Read has attempted to have both cases dismissed, maintaining that New Hampshire’s constitutional protections for legislators extend to traffic enforcement when lawmakers are traveling to or from official legislative duties. She even brought the issue before the New Hampshire Supreme Court, but the state’s highest court declined to consider her appeal at this stage of the proceedings.
