The Little Capitol with the Big (and Free) House

"The oldest state house in which the legislature still occupies its original chambers," said the engraving in the granite wall.

That engraving was just to the left of the two tall but otherwise unremarkable doors into the New Hampshire state house. From the street, it looked like it might have been a preserved relic from the past, as small as it was, and as in the middle of the small city as it was. Just a tourist center located in an old facility smack in the middle of downtown we thought. Surely the capitol in all it's grandeur, and the supporting state office buildings must have been located in another part of Concord.

As we approached the building, we wondered if it was occupied or just a facade. No one came in or out. There was no milling or sidewalk activity around it. We carefully opened the doors when  we noticed a security guard posted at a desk inside and around the corner to the right of the entrance. Other than the guard, there was no one in the hall we entered.

"Can we come in," we asked?

"Of course," he replied, "here to visit, or take a tour?"

"Um, yeah, we thought we'd poke around if that's permitted. Is it open to the public?"

"Absolutely, you're free to walk around, or you might visit the Tourist Center on the right over there. They could give you a self guided tour brochure, or might even provide you with a guide. In the meantime, you could look at the hall of flags here."

One hundred and three New Hampshire military flags, actually carried by troops in the civil war, the Spanish American war, both world wars, and the Vietnam war were displayed in large, mahogany cases. The bore the wear and tear of the battlefield. Quite a sobering start to a Capitol tour.

Still not sure if this was the actual capitol of the state, we entered the tight quarters of the tourist center. A simple sign outside the door said, "Air Conditioned Inside." Also inside were the books and knick-knacks you would expect in a gift store/tourist center. We looked for a brochure or sign that might help with a self-guided tour.

"Welcome folks. Where ya' from," asked an elderly lady behind the counter?

"Just visiting from Minnesota," we responded," wondering if you might have something that would help us navigate your capitol building."

"Sure, here are three brochures you could use, but why don't you let one of our guides take you around? Say Dan, would you be available to share some stories with these folks?"

Finance Committee Hearing Room

Just like that we were introduced to former state legislator Dan, who walked us out to start a walk around the three stories of the old capitol building and the state office attached to that building. All in all, both connected buildings, along with the state court house, occupied 2.8 acres in the middle of downtown Concord. And that was it. All of it. There was and is no more than that, at least as far as the three branches of government are concerned.

Former State Treasury Vault

Dan started our tour at the state budget office, where a half dozen or so employees manage the state's budget from a very small closet in the corner of the first floor of the capitol. Between that and the state treasurers office, another small and modest space, is the conference room for the Finance committee. You can tell because on one wall is the original safe of the state treasury, and another safe that originally housed critical state documents. The original spiral staircase remained in the corner of the room, though to optimize space, the staircase down to the basement was floored over, with just the top of the hand rail showing.

Dan explained that when the state decided to build in Concord, there was a particular advantage in that the required granite could be mined at the Swenson quarries on the north end of town, with cutting, shaping, and facing done by inmates of the local prison, saving significant construction costs. Always looking to save in the cost of government - a theme that seems to run throughout New Hampshire politics.

Legislators Resource Room

Another example of this value: A small room next to the treasurers offices held a couple of desks, a conference table, and a couple of printers. This was the total sum of space available to any and all  legislators that wanted to step out of chambers and work or meet in a separate space. Very spartan, without any comforts. That was true of any of the spaces in the capitol.

More evidence. The Senate chambers and the Representatives Hall are both located on the second and third floors of the small capitol building we saw from the roadway. Especially remarkable because the house of representatives consists of 400 state reps, the largest in the U.S., and the 4th largest english speaking legislature in the world. That's about one representative for every 3400 citizens. How can they afford such a large body? Well, pay them just $100 per year (plus $.50 a mile for those out-of-towners). And don't give them a stipend. In Minnesota we pay each representative $45,000 per year plus a daily per diem. Essentially, all legislators, including the 24 state senators, are volunteers. They even have to pay for their own personalized license plates.

Another unique feature of New Hampshire government is that all office holders have two year terms with no limits. Including the governor. In fact, in the past, it was considered protocol to serve only one term, so that the burden could be shared by another. That's not been the case lately, but the volunteer nature of politics makes for a more senior (retirees) and independent  (flexible job demands) demographic.

In discussing this with our local friends over lunch on this visit, they explained that this is what makes politics a bit different in New Hampshire. Residents are expected to serve in one way or another, and one point in time or another. Serve on the planning commission, parks & recreation board, agriculture board, town council, zoning board, etc.. Or serve in the legislature - at your own expense.

A march up the three flights of stairs - the elevator was small, old, and slow - took us to the Representatives Hall. Four hundred and eight chairs from what must have been the 1950's wrapped around theater style facing the speakers podium. A small anteroom was in the back, a place for members to take a break, check their email (no cell phones or computers used in the hall), or get a drink of water. Given the size, you'd hope no more than a dozen members would step out at a time.

Small mail slots were used to provide representatives copies of bills under consideration during session. It helped to give a feeling of operations from the past, even though the methods are used in the present. The only accommodation that seemed to be made was the installation of electronic vote registration boxes mounted in front of each chair.

The house sessions are conducted from January through June, with one meeting per week. Committee meetings were held as needed during the week or even outside of session periods. Same in the senate. That limits bill writing to six months of the year. And with 400 representatives, getting those passed can't be easy either.

As we walked the halls of the legislative office building, from the wing of the majority party to the wing of the minority party, you could feel the electricity from the recent elections in the air. Our host, Dan, was a representative from Merrimack. We ran into other representatives in the hall and they all stopped to talk with Dan for a moment. We figured out they all must have been from the former majority, now minority, as voices were lowered and the common question was, "did you survive? How about so and so?" In one conversation with another representative from the Merrimack region, she responded, "I survived, four of the eight of us did not. I warned them. You need to get out there. And they didn't so..." as she drew here forefinger in a slicing motion across her neck.

Governor's Executive Council Chambers

Offices were being packed for the move from one wing to another. Kind of like a political migration. To the left of those wings was another area of disruption. Dan explained, as he brought us to a large conference table with six chairs, that the Governor was now the lone part of government in republican hands. A New Hampshire governor is among the weakest in the nation by virtue of the fact that any action he takes must be approved by something called the Executive Council. The five members of that council are elected in the same fashion for the same term as the legislative branch, making the executive branch a collective. After this election, the formerly republican council majority is now a mirror minority of three democrats to two republicans, giving governor Sununu one more hurdle to climb in getting anything done.

Beyond the governors chambers was the office of the Secretary of State, another unique component of New Hampshire politics. First of all, cabinet members are not appointed by the governor, but by the legislature. And these positions are not defined by term limits. In this case, the Secretary of State has been in his position for 42 years. His office is the site of an event we most think of when we think of New Hampshire politics every four years. It's the office that the media invades every time a presidential candidate shows up to pay his or her $2000 to register on the ballot for one of the earliest primaries in the country. Pictures of many of those candidates are posted on all the walls of the office, many of the faces already forgotten.

The tour seemed a bit surreal - as though everything was there just for our entertainment and education. Other than a class of elementary school kids, were were the only tourist show in town, walking relatively empty halls, and getting behind the scenes with expert commentary all along the way. What a great way to be introduced to another dimension of a great state.

Downtown Concord