Bill would take away local control of agritourism

Less than a year after legislators approved a bill defining how municipal bodies should treat agritourism, the New  Hampshire Senate is considering another bill that would completely remove local regulation on the issue.  During a Senate Public and Municipal Affairs Committee hearing, the bill’s primary sponsor, Sen. Bob Giuda, argued that the law passed in 2016 didn’t go far enough to protect the commercial interests of farmers.  “We are allowing our local communities ... to define commerce in our state,” he said. “That is not a power we give to our towns and communities.”  Giuda said his proposed amendments to the law were necessary in light of several ongoing lawsuits that pit farmers who want to diversify and host weddings to stay in business against their neighbors who want peace and quiet on the weekend.  “The law is being used against individuals by other individuals because we have not clearly defined what agritourism is or how it operates,” Giuda told the committee last week.