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Is this the year for a bottle bill in New Hampshire?
Past attempts to pass a bottle bill in New Hampshire have failed, but proponents of the policy think this year could be different, citing a groundswell of public awareness and environmental concern around how the state deals with solid waste. This year’s proposal – House Bill 1652 – would establish a 10-cent deposit on beverage […]
State spent $4.17 million defending 2017 voting law
The state spent $4.17 million in attorneys’ fees for two lawsuits over a 2017 Republican-backed voting law, according to a letter from Attorney General John Formella to Sen. Cindy Rosenwald. Both the League of Women Voters of New Hampshire and the state Democratic Party sued the state over the law – often called Senate Bill […]
House committee takes public input on a bill to ban Native American mascots
Members of the public weighed in on a bill to ban the use of Native American mascots during a hearing before the House Education Committee on Tuesday. The bill garnered support from the ACLU, two tribal leaders, a member of the Concord School Board, a retired teacher, and a youth group leader. House Bill 1261 […]
Senate committee advances energy efficiency bill
This article was updated at 2:44 p.m. on Jan. 18, 2022 to correct Bill Newell’s name. A bipartisan bill that would restart state energy efficiency programs could reach the governor’s desk as early as February, after it passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee in a unanimous vote on Tuesday. The version […]
Redistricting listening sessions did little to influence House-approved maps
The New Hampshire House last week approved the Republican-backed plans for redistricting the congressional, House of Representatives, and county commissioner districts. Nonpartisan watchdog groups have decried the congressional maps for gerrymandering: making the 1st Congressional District more friendly to Republicans and the 2nd District more firmly Democratic. And criticism has also been leveled at the […]
Utilities commission denies motion for rehearing on energy efficiency decision
The Public Utilities Commission on Friday denied a motion for rehearing on a contentious energy efficiency decision it issued in November. This comes after the state’s utilities, along with environmental, clean energy, and consumer advocates, asked the commission to reconsider the decision. Instead, the commission doubled down on its initial decision, dismissing claims about due […]
It’s been a busy week for state lawmakers: Here’s what was passed and what was tabled
In vote after vote Thursday, the message was clear: House lawmakers wanted to get out of there. Over a series of tabling motions, the New Hampshire House pushed off final votes on a number of bills, with House leadership citing a predicted snowstorm Friday and the need to shrink the planned three-day voting session to […]
Losing winter – and big chunks of New Hampshire’s identity
All of the seasons in New Hampshire are warming as a result of climate change, but none as rapidly and dramatically as winter, climate scientists have found. Those seasonal changes, and the loss of winter, threaten to significantly alter the culture and economy of the state, warn the authors of a new study, which finds […]
Watchdog group criticizes Senate Republicans for proposed redistricting maps
Senate Republicans and Democrats released their plans for redrawing Senate and Executive Council maps last week. As expected, the parties disagree about how voting districts should look for the next decade. An initial independent review of the maps by Open Democracy, a nonpartisan nonprofit, found the Republican proposals for Senate districts were “atrocious,” worse than […]
Gardner, the nation’s longest-serving secretary of state, retiring
Bill Gardner, who has served as New Hampshire’s secretary of state since 1976, announced on Monday that he plans to retire this week. David Scanlan, the current deputy secretary of state, will take over the post, according to Gardner. The decision, which came as a surprise, opens the possibility of a multi-candidate race for secretary […]
Lawmakers seek to add PUC deadline to energy efficiency legislation
Rep. Michael Vose, an Epping Republican, and Sen. David Watters, a Dover Democrat, have drafted an amendment to House Bill 549, which would increase funding for state energy efficiency programs. The bill – not including the latest amendment – will be up for a vote this week, during a flurry of voting as legislators take […]
Vaccine, environment, energy, and abortion will dominate legislative session
Lawmakers won’t have a budget to write, debate, and negotiate this session, but with at least 900 bills awaiting their return on Jan. 5, it will be another busy year. We told you about some of the under-the-radar bills last month. We’re back with a preview of the bills that will be front and center, […]