Vote record shows Pitre is no stranger to targeting racial minorities

Concord, NH – Republican State Rep. Joseph Pitre (R-Farmington) put his racism on display at the State House today, stating during a funding discussion on SB 193 that the money (New Hampshire) spends on “black children and Latinos” could close the funding gap on the highly controversial school voucher bill.

Statement from Granite State Progress Executive Director Zandra Rice Hawkins: “Rep. Pitre’s racism was on full display today in the State House. Rep. Pitre should apologize immediately, not be rewarded with a seat on the SB 193 working group. His views are clearly out of line with American values of equality and justice for all. We call on Governor Sununu, Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut, Speaker Jasper, and all other prominent Republicans to immediately denounce his remarks and make it clear that New Hampshire does not judge you by the color of your skin, but by the content of your character. We further ask that Rep. Pitre not only be removed from the SB 193 working group, but removed from the Education Committee entirely since he clearly does not believe in quality education for all of New Hampshire’s children.”

Pitre’s vote record shows he’s no stranger to targeting racial minorities. In the past he voted for a resolution supporting the Arizona law that uses tactics such as racial profiling; voted to waste taxpayer money and force the University System of New Hampshire to make each student prove that they are not undocumented immigrants, despite the fact that undocumented immigrants cannot receive financial aid in New Hampshire; and supported a ridiculous bill that sought to require businesses to post signs in all six official U.N. languages if they had even one sign in a language other than English. Pitre voted for laying that particular bill on the table, which “politely” killed it. The bill deserved to be voted down fully. (HCR2, Roll Call #66, 2/1/2012; HB1383, Roll Call #69, 2/1/2012; HB577, Roll Call #113, 3/17/2011)

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Granite State Progress is a progressive advocacy organization that addresses issues of immediate state and local concern. Granite State Progress works as a communications hub for the progressive community to provide a strong, credible voice in advancing progressive solutions to critical community problems.