Author

Amanda Gokee is the New Hampshire Bulletin’s energy and environment reporter. She previously reported on these issues at VTDigger. Amanda grew up in Vermont and is a graduate of Harvard University. She received her master’s degree in liberal studies, with a concentration in creative writing, from Dartmouth College. Her work has also appeared in the LA Review of Books and the Valley News.
Court releases congressional district maps drawn by special master
By: Amanda Gokee - May 27, 2022
The New Hampshire Supreme Court released congressional district maps drawn by the appointed “special master,” Nathaniel Persily, a Stanford law professor, on Friday, a day after the Legislature failed to produce a viable one of its own by the legislative deadline. The court rejected a motion to dismiss the plan filed by President Sen. Chuck […]
Congressional district maps en route to governor
By: Amanda Gokee - May 26, 2022
Update: 3:11 p.m. Gov. Chris Sununu told a WMUR reporter he will veto the congressional district map passed by the Legislature Thursday. “The citizens of New Hampshire will not accept this map, which moves both members of Congress into the same district. Our races have to be fair, which is why I will veto this […]
DES poised to get $30,000 to address cyanobacteria
By: Amanda Gokee - May 25, 2022
Fueled by climate change, the state’s cyanobacteria problem has been worsening in recent years – making some rivers and lakes potentially harmful to human health. On Thursday, lawmakers in the House and Senate will vote on House Bill 1066 – one attempt to tackle this problem. If both bodies approve it, the bill would advance […]
Intimidation at the polls and what it means for elections in the future
By: Amanda Gokee - May 25, 2022
When Zib Corell decided to run for supervisor of the checklist in Concord, it wasn’t a hard decision. She had seen her mom work the polls as a child, and she was eager to fulfill her civic duty in turn. But Corell worries that recruiting the next generation of poll workers won’t be so easy. […]
Game camera legislation fails ahead of deadline
By: Amanda Gokee - May 23, 2022
This story was updated at 2:04 p.m. on May 23, 2022 to include comments from Rep. Terry Roy, the prime sponsor of House Bill 490. Negotiations failed to reach the finish line last week on a bill that would have established rules for placing game cameras and temporary tree stands and blinds on private land. […]
Farmers market food assistance program bill won’t advance after lawmaker balks at amendment
By: Amanda Gokee - May 20, 2022
An agreement to advance a bill that contained funding for a food assistance program at farmers markets crumbled ahead of Thursday’s legislative deadline for lawmakers to sign off on final negotiations. Rep. John Hunt, a Rindge Republican, declined to sign off on House Bill 1099, and Speaker of the House Sherman Packard didn’t replace him […]
Game cameras pit hunters against landowners
By: Amanda Gokee - May 19, 2022
Game cameras in the woods of New Hampshire have become increasingly common to the dismay of some landowners who are concerned about their privacy. Lawmakers Wednesday reached a final agreement on a bill addressing that tension, while also adjusting when hunters can set up tree stands and blinds on private property. House Bill 490 would […]
Lawmakers revive farmers market assistance program
By: Amanda Gokee - May 18, 2022
A food assistance program to help low-income mothers and children access fresh food at farmers markets is one step closer to becoming law after a panel of lawmakers from the House and Senate agreed to fund it Tuesday. The provision was added into House Bill 1099 by Sen. Becky Whitley, a Hopkinton Democrat, who had […]
Lawmakers close in on $25 million for PFAS remediation and new regulations
By: Amanda Gokee - May 18, 2022
Of the nine bills this session that aimed to address PFAS contamination in the state, three are still in play. One would put $25 million into a PFAS remediation fund, while the other two address how the chemicals are regulated in the air and before they enter wastewater treatment facilities. Those are meaningful changes, according […]
New Hampshire lawmakers work on a new congressional district map
By: Amanda Gokee - May 16, 2022
Lawmakers from the House and Senate met Monday to negotiate their latest attempt at drawing a congressional district map that can gain Gov. Chris Sununu’s signature, a process intended to determine voting districts for the next decade. After a few last-minute tweaks were discussed in a morning session, the joint panel of lawmakers met again […]
New Hampshire faces increased cyberattacks due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict
By: Amanda Gokee - May 16, 2022
Some of the consequences from the conflict in Ukraine are easily spotted in New Hampshire: expensive energy costs or Ukrainian communities grappling with war and organizing drives for supplies and funding. Others are less visible, such as a dramatic increase in cyberattacks spurred by new technologies developed amid the conflict. Cybersecurity consultant Jason Sgro has […]
Federal relief money to aid young people formerly in foster care
By: Amanda Gokee - May 13, 2022
Young adults formerly in foster care are eligible for federal pandemic relief money to cover expenses like rent, groceries, transportation, education, and utilities. New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services is urging eligible youth to apply, through outreach efforts like a press release and social media advertisements on Facebook. The department is also reaching […]