Search Results for "NH-New%20Hampshire/town/belknap/Center-Harbor"

Resolve Action Alert

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S.2063 Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight On September 22, 2021, JPus managing member Loretta Jay testified (51:25) at the Massachusetts Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight on S.2063, the Resolve to create a commission to evaluate the One Day Solemnizer rule. This hearing was in response to JPus’ members concerns, conveyed through JPus’ January 2019 white paper. JPus and the Town Clerk Association would be members of the Commission. Background: A summary of the problems with the One-Day Solemnizer rule and the Resolve’s legislative history is available. Action is needed now. To be successful we need Massachusetts […]

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MA Call to Action – End Child Marriage

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Updated 11/7/2021 If passed, S937 (Senator Harriette Chandler) and H1709 (Representative Kay Khan), would End Child Marriage in Massachusetts. Please call your Representative and ask them to cosponsor and support the legislation to #EndChildMarriage. You may use the script below for some guidance. Please look up your Legislators at https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator Testifying to Committee Members Instructions to submit written or oral testimony to the Massachusetts Legislature when a hearing is scheduled Contacting Your Legislator Conducting a Successful Call Introduce yourself and what town you live in. The office will want to know your zip code to make sure you’re a constituent! If the Representative […]

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4 Reasons to Consider a Wedding for Just the Two of You

Posted on | Author Barbara Jay

Weddings represent a rite of passage in most of our lives. They represent a turning point and a new dream of the future. Why then – on such an important occasion – would you choose a ceremony just for the two of you (and the wedding officiant)? Here are the top four reasons why an intimate “just the two of you” wedding may be right for you. 1. A “just the two of you” wedding is affordable. Fancy weddings can cost tens of thousands of dollars and in today’s uncertain economy saving for future major expenses may make more sense than […]

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Who Should be Your Officiant: A JP or Your Best Friend

Posted on | Author Cynthia Dumont

Friend officiating wedding ceremony

Your wedding:  imagine that magical moment when you say “I do” and your life changes forever. Who could be better than your best friend to join you in marriage? STOP.  Are you sure about that? In recent years, some states have relaxed the rules for who can officiate a wedding, authorizing almost anyone to be “officiant for a day.”  Fill out a one-page form, bring it to your town hall, give them a check, and voila! For one day, you’re official. From the government’s perspective, it’s an easy way to generate a little revenue. In Vermont, for $100 any adult can now […]

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Mobilize NH: HB1599

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Updated June 12, 2020 The House of Representatives failed to secure a 2/3 majority to suspend its rules and allow the vote on HB1599 to go forward. The bill is stalled, for now. We will proceed with our planned Zoom call on Monday, June 15th (see below) to respond to any questions and prepare for next steps, if needed. All the behind-the-scenes details are here. Special Marriage Officiant Bill During the spring of 2020, the Special Marriage Officiant bill (HB1599) worked its way through the New Hampshire General Court, despite JPUs’ efforts to block it. We haven’t given up, though. […]

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Fees – Survey Results

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What do you charge to perform a marriage ceremony?  That was the question posed by the Justice of the Peace Association in its anonymous survey of marriage officiants. Most respondents have been officiating for more than eight years, and 82% are members of JPus. All of the almost 100 people who completed the survey live in New England. The Justice of the Peace Association encourages a range of fees, depending on the circumstances of the ceremony. One third of respondents charge $100 for their low-end. On the other hand, three people indicated that $500 is their lowest rate.  Eleven percent […]

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Justices of the Peace Needed: 8/12/2019

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August 12, 2019 South Burlington, VT. New opportunity for civic-minded, people-oriented Vermonters to get involved. The Justice of the Peace Association and the Vermont Municipal Clerks’ and Treasurers’ Association (VMCTA) are teaming up to engage residents to become justices of the peace.  JPs, as they are informally called, are entrusted to help with elections, hear tax appeals and officiate weddings. How to become a Justice of the Peace? Candidates for JP’s are solicited by the political parties in their town during their bi-annual caucuses in July (next one is in 2020) and those names are placed on the ballot in […]

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Justices of the Peace Needed

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August 12, 2019 South Burlington, VT.  New opportunity for civic-minded, people-oriented Vermonters to get involved. The Justice of the Peace Association and the Vermont Municipal Clerks’ and Treasurers’ Association (VMCTA) are teaming up to engage residents to become justices of the peace.  JPs, as they are informally called, are entrusted to help with elections, hear tax appeals and officiate weddings. How to become a Justice of the Peace? Candidates for JP’s are solicited by the political parties in their town during their bi-annual caucuses in July (next one is in 2020) and those names are placed on the ballot in […]

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Amateur Officiants

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Online Officiants Online officiants are individuals who secure permission to solemnize marriages through the auspices of a religious organization, most often the Universal Life Church (ULC). Typically, they are lay people who fill out a form online so they can marry their friend or family member. Some use the authorization to circumvent JP rules which limit the number of civil officiants per town. There are no regulations or oversight to ensure compliance with state laws. Oftentimes the ULC ministers treat the legal act of marrying couples as frivolously as the ULC distributes certifications, invalidating marriages. Massachusetts’ One-Day Solemnizers The biggest […]

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Coronavirus Update #2

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As we enter the third week of distancing ourselves from each other, it is becoming clearer that we’re in this for the long haul. There will not be a quick fix, and how we navigate our new normal will affect our own personal health and safety, as well as that of our loved ones and community. This pandemic is testing our resolve, and that of our communities. Marriage officiants must confront this reality and consider multiple factors. Physical safety and community health Whether it is our own personal health, or that of our loved ones, safety must come first. Similarly, […]

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2020 Legislative Wrap-up

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All of the legislation that JPus has been following has wrapped up for the 2020 spring session. A summary of each follows. Amateur Officiants Massachusetts The Resolve for a commission study to evaluate the one-day solemnizer rule passed out of committee favorably at the end of February. But, then it got stuck and died in March. In order to plan for next year, we’ve spoken with Senator Cyr’s office and requested that the bill be resubmitted in January. More about our work to address one-day solemnizer problems. New Hampshire After the special marriage officiant bill died in the House, it […]

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Bring back the real JPs!

Posted on | Author Sarah Jay

Is the title “Justice of the Peace” destined to become a generic term for marriage officiant? Not so long ago, most states elected or appointed JPs whose primary duty was to perform marriages. Today many of those states have abolished that role and that official title. Justices of the Peace in Nevada, Texas, Florida and other southern and western states are primarily the lowest level of court justice for whom officiating at marriages is a subordinate (and happy) perk of the office. In some states, a law degree is a prerequisite; in others, not. The New England states are the […]

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