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Lawmakers reach agreement on net metering, cost shifting
In negotiations on Tuesday, lawmakers reached agreement on two key energy policy bills – hammering out crucial details about cost shifting and net metering. Both proposals are now one step closer to becoming law and will make their way to the governor’s desk. Language about cost shifting was the main point of contention in Senate […]
Lawmakers move to scrap proposal for buffer between state parks, landfills
This story was updated on June 15, 2021 to correct Sen. Kevin Avard’s chamber. On Monday, lawmakers from the House and Senate met to negotiate legislation that would create a two-mile buffer between state parks and landfills. The Senate, which had previously voted down the proposal, was unwilling to agree with a compromise proposed by […]
Several bills headed to the governor’s desk
On Thursday, the House and the Senate sent several pieces of legislation to the governor’s desk, with both bodies having reviewed the bills and concurred on any changes made up to this point. A total of 24 bills were concurred on in the Senate, and 51 were concurred on in the House. When a bill […]
Unable to reach agreement with Senate, House kills a handful of bills
There’s a long road between introducing a bill and that bill being signed into law. In a Thursday session, the House killed several pieces of legislation, unable to reach agreement with the Senate as final deadlines approach to either agree on bills that will be sent to the governor or hash out the differences in […]
Legislature poised to act on large environmental policy bills
This story was updated on June 10, 2021 at 12:11 p.m. with new information. It was also corrected to clarify that SB 91 addresses small in-state energy generators, not out-of-state generators as was previously stated. Several large environmental bills have made their way through the House, including two omnibus environmental bills approved following floor amendments […]
Dalton passes temporary emergency zoning by small margin
At Dalton’s town meeting day, a measure to extend temporary emergency zoning for another year passed in a narrow vote, 135-130. Those in support of the measure hope it will help prevent a proposed landfill from being sited next to Forest Lake State Park. This issue, which has divided the town, has also become a […]
In landfill fight’s latest chapter, Dalton voters to decide on emergency zoning extension
This story was updated on June 10, 2021. 154,000 gallons of leachate were spilled, not tons. It was also updated to clarify that the House vote on SB 103 was 333 to 33 to pass the bill. During Tuesday’s annual town meeting, Dalton residents will vote on extending emergency zoning for another year, one of […]
Foresters, loggers grapple with loss of markets for low-grade wood
Burning wood to create electricity can be a problematic proposition. It’s often highly inefficient, it generates emissions, and it’s expensive. Without subsidies, wood-burning power plants often can’t afford to stay open. While it’s been billed as a renewable fuel – trees eventually grow back – environmentalists in the Northeast have increasingly opposed inefficient power plants […]
By transplanting eelgrass, scientists aim to restore balance to Great Bay
This story was updated June 8, 2021 to state that current wastewater treatment efforts reduce nitrogen to less than 5 milligrams per liter. Great Bay is a complex, convoluted system. That’s the first thing that Melissa Paly will tell you about it. She’s been a waterkeeper there for five years, working with the Conservation Law […]
Thursday House Roundup: From election law and ‘vaccine freedom’ to remote meetings and background checks
The New Hampshire House was in session Thursday at the NH Sportsplex in Bedford. Here’s a roundup of some of the day’s big votes. (You can read a separate story about the defeat of right-to-work legislation here.) House opts for control over local elections A bill that began as a bipartisan effort to address election […]
House defeats right-to-work legislation
The House defeated a right-to-work bill Thursday, 175-199, disappointing supporters who thought a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on mandatory union dues would persuade long-standing opponents to back it. House members then defeated a motion to table the bill, which would have meant it could have been subsequently reintroduced. A motion to postpone the bill […]
The Latest: ‘Communicable diseases’ language stripped from absentee voting bill
This story was updated June 3, 2021, at 4:13. The New Hampshire House is in session at the NH Sportsplex in Bedford. We will be watching for the vote on right-to-work legislation, Senate Bill 61, among others to come. Here’s a look at some of the votes so far: Communicable diseases as qualifying condition for […]