New Hampshire state representative calling for pardon of convicted Bundy standoff participant has history of supporting legislative extremism
On Thursday March 15, 2018 the House chamber of New Hampshire state legislature will vote on a non-binding resolution urging the federal government to pardon Gerald 鈥淛erry鈥� DeLemus, a so-called 鈥淧atriot鈥� anti-government extremist who听听in the armed standoff at the Bundy Ranch in 2014.
The statement, , was introduced by State Rep. Daniel Itse, along with seven other co-sponsors: Reps. J.R. Hoell, Werner Horn, Elizabeth Ferreira, Jordan Ulery, Scott Wallace, and Sens. Harold French and Bob Giuda.
Rep. Itse, however, has a particular track record of supporting other legislation mired in far-right, anti-government extremism.
As far back as February 2009, shortly after Barack Obama became President, Itse sponsored . The non-binding document advanced a 鈥溙齮hat, in effect, claimed states have the right to refuse to comply with any federal laws or policies enacted deemed 鈥渦nconstitutional.鈥� (The states鈥� rights argument has a documented history of being used to and continues to be used as a to resist ongoing attempts at racial equity.)
In 2011, Itse sponsored a bill, House Bill (HB) 343, which called for a 鈥減ermanent state defense force,鈥� separate from the New Hampshire National Guard.
While state defense forces exist legally in many states, they often and experts have that they frequently become a venue for right-wing extremist activity. As result, many state defense force units have been purged or altogether banned. Far-right extremists often supported the creation of these units where they didn鈥檛 previously exist or were inactive so that they can legally engage in paramilitary activities. Not surprisingly, a blog posted by the Tenth Amendment Center, which is run by anti-government extremist Michael Boldin, Itse鈥檚 bill.
In 2015 and 2018 Itse sponsored his second and third 鈥渟tates鈥� rights鈥� resolutions, and , respectively. Both documents asserted that states have a 鈥渘atural right鈥� to 鈥渘ullify鈥� its ties to the United States and secede in the event of a perceived abuse of powers by the federal government. In 2018, Itse also HB 1653, a bill that seeks to protect so-called 鈥淪overeign Citizen鈥� anti-government extremists from any legal consequences due to participating in pseudo-legal tactics such as filing false liens against government officials.
Outside of anti-government extremism, Itse has also co-sponsored proposals like Senate Bill , which are so-called 鈥渧oter identification鈥� bills that require eligible New Hampshire state residents to present a valid photo ID card before they could vote. Critics of voter ID bills , point out that their effect has been to suppress voter turnout among poor and minority voters.
Gerald DeLemus is the spouse of Susan DeLemus, a former New Hampshire state legislator who once made national headlines for calling Pope Francis 鈥�,鈥� and has her own history of far-right legislative and political activity. During her short time as a state representative she has sponsored or co-sponsored bills attacking Muslims, attacking immigrants, attacking refugees, that promote the conspiracy theories like the North American Union and anti-government resolutions like HCR 7 (the same one Itse cosponsored) advancing racially-coded states鈥� rights arguments.
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