October 6, 1999
Web posted at: 10:31 a.m. EDT (1431 GMT)

CONCORD, New Hampshire (The Telegraph of Nashua) -Ð State lawmakers on Monday said serious discussion was under way on proposals to amend New Hampshire's presidential primary law and move it back a week to accommodate Iowa.

Sen. Caroline McCarley, D-Rochester, said has not seen specific language, but many lawmakers from both parties desire to help Iowa because the date for its first caucus conflicts with the Feb. 1 primary date that Secretary of State Bill Gardner announced last week.

"I think you would find bipartisan support for legislation that would have us go back to Feb. 8," said McCarley, who formerly served on staff with the N.H. Democratic Party before her first election to the Senate in 1996.

Iowa has already made plans to hold its caucuses on Jan. 31, the night before New Hampshire's scheduled primary.

Election law in Iowa, however, requires those caucuses must be held eight days before New Hampshire's primary.

Iowa officials said moving the caucus date back to Jan. 24 caused logistical problems because a convention is planned on that earlier date and the national media and GOP leaders have reserved space anticipating a Jan. 31 event.

During five hours of meetings over two days, Iowa state officials tried without success to convince Gardner to move the date back to Feb. 8.

Gardner said he set the Feb. 1 date to preserve at least a seven-day period guaranteed in New Hampshire law between our primary and one Delaware Republicans are hosting next Feb. 8.

Iowa Democratic and Republican leaders said after the meetings that they will ask the rules committees of their national committees to intervene.

They also claimed that if national party leaders refused to seat New Hampshire's delegates, Iowa could ignore its law and hold the caucuses the night before people in New Hampshire vote.

Gardner said the threat is no surprise and wouldn't change his mind.

"We've been technically out of compliance with the Democratic National Committee rules for 20 years, but it's always been the spirit of being first that they have supported," Gardner said.

House Democratic Leader Peter Burling of Cornish said he would keep an open mind on the subject of changing the date.

"I just want to know what the consequences are. I do know there are folks (Democratic leaders) in Iowa and Delaware that aren't happy with us right now," Burling said.

"The guiding star ought to be not the year 2000, but what does this do to the long-term survival of New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary?"

Sen. Lou D'Allesandro, D-Manchester, said he's dead-set against the idea of any change to the primary law which lawmakers changed last in June.

"We have a statute and we ought to conform to it. I'm four-square behind Bill Gardner's decision," D'Allesandro said.

Gov. Jeanne Shaheen has spoken to lawmakers who want to change the law but has not seen any proposal or taken a position, said Legal Counsel Judy Reardon.

Wednesday, October 6, 1999

• House begins health care debate
• Gore emphasizes 'new' in opening campaign office
• Senators try to find exit strategy on nuclear test ban treaty vote
• Morris: Book is an 'honest portrayal of Reagan'
• NHPrimary.com: Lawmakers talk changes in primary law
• Election 2000 briefs
• The races for governor in 1999
• House debates patient rights, tax breaks for uninsured
• Medicare warns health-care providers to get ready for Y2K
• GOP proposal would make AMT protection, research credit permanent
• Clinton to address Teamsters union dinner honoring James Hoffa
• Armey challenges first lady to baseball wager
• Clinton and senators agree to focus on modest Medicare changes
• Businessman admits making illegal donations to Clinton, Torricelli
• GOP, Democrats elbow for position on Social Security, spending
• Buchanan meeting with Reform Party chairman
• Sales strong, reviews weak for Reagan 'memoir'
• Pentagon hopes pay raise can boost recruiting
• Former President Carter presses for Hearst pardon
• Open question on AFL-CIO endorsement of Gore
• FAA bill goes to House-Senate conference

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