When Not Studying Politics in the Classroom, He Experiences it in the State House

Brian Poznanski '11 has a passion for politics. He spends one-half of his week in the classrooms of his major, learning theoretical lessons, and travels to the state capitol when he does not have class. But Poznanski is not an intern at the state house -- he represents the 26th District of Nashua in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. The state's youngest representative began his term last January at the age of 19. He says he ran because the average age in the state House is approximately 63 and "that's not the average age of the state population.

"I wanted to give a voice to young people and issues," he said, because "the young think differently."

The youngest representative himself, Poznanski shares the two-member district with the state's oldest representative. "She's a sweetheart and she is 93," he said.

Poznanski was recently in headlines after being cited for underage drinking at an October party in Bedford. He accepts responsibility for the incident.

"I made a mistake," he told The Crier. "But I learned from it and can't change it."

He would like to move on from the incident and "return to being a leader on campus which I know I'm able to do."

"It affected me more on campus than in my role as a state representative," he said. "My initial thought was not about my position as state rep, but how are my friends and peers, professors who know me, what will they think?"

Poznanski had been the primary sponsor of the so-called "Good Samaritan" legislation to be brought up in session this spring. This law would allow underage drinkers to seek medical assistance, if needed, without facing arrest.

Since Poznanski has been involved in an underage drinking incident, Dartmouth College's Democrats have had the task of finding a new main sponsor for this legislation. Poznanski's arrest has the state's college democrats upset.

"It wouldn't be feasible for someone who was arrested for underage drinking to advocate for a bill that, at least in a small way, grants amnesty to underage drinkers," the New Hampshire College Democrats communications director, Dartmouth College's Ryan Tincher '12, told The Dartmouth.

In light of these events however, Poznanski has had many interesting experiences in his first year as representative.

He sits on the Environment and Agriculture Committee in the House. The Committee meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays and in the last general session, which begins in January and ends in June, the committee tried to pass a "Bottle Bill" which would give New Hampshire the same refund for returned plastic and glass bottles as Massachusetts and Maine do.

Poznanski appreciates the uniqueness of New Hampshire's legislative system because he says after a committee bill goes to a hearing "any citizen can come in" to listen to the bill or testify for or against it making it "truly a citizens legislature."

He explains also that it is "unusual how political it is."

"It's a little different [than I expected], I didn't expect a high level of partisanship," Poznanski said. "There are many party votes and cooperation between parties."

He also explains that once a bill reaches the house floor, all members of the House can speak regarding the bill that is on floor for a vote.

"It is good to hear everything but it does slow down the process," he explained, but "eventually people leave or it can sway the vote."

Poznanski says also that sometimes each member of a party speaks, saying the same thing and it "gets really annoying" because the committee members are trying to either make the bill go to the next session, or to truly change the minds of other members of the House.

This held true when it came time for New Hampshire Representatives to vote on the gay marriage bill. He remembers that it took "four separate days-the same debate. People have a reason to be upset, especially when people don't have jobs [in the state (due to the recession)] and the [state] budget was put on the last day, which deserves time to be heard." The bill eventually passed in the state.

There was another bill "on transgendered people," which requires employers to not discriminate on the basis of "gender identity which needs to be added to protect people from discrimination."

He says that the Republican Party diverted from the issue and says the Republicans are "good as publicizing, talking to the press and influencing the media. They called it the 'Bathroom Bill'."

With the bill being called the "Bathroom Bill" many became upset when in fact, it had nothing to do with bathrooms but instead discrimination in jobs and housing. Poznanski says "it came to a point where people actually believed it [that the bill had to do with transgender people and bathrooms]."

"I really enjoy it [working as a representative]," he said. But citing academics and post-graduation plans, explained that "I don't know if I'll run again.