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Budget provision would make EV, hybrid drivers pay fee for road maintenance
This story was updated on May 24 at 10:37 a.m. to clarify that the legislation affects plug-in hybrids only. In New Hampshire, as in many states, highways are maintained with revenue from the state gas tax. But a 2020 Department of Transportation report projected that as more drivers trade in their gas-powered cars for electric […]
‘Fired up’ parents, ‘underpaid’ workers, and the state child care shortage
Clover, a 6-month-old infant with a pink bow on her head, spent May 2 at a Senate Finance Committee hearing with her mom, Isabelle Plante. Clover didn’t have much to say, but Plante was “fired up” about the lack of accessible child care in the state. Plante, who was born in New Hampshire and moved […]
Attendance matters in the House this session. Have some voters ‘lost their voice’?
When Rep. Benjamin Bartlett, a Nottingham Republican, stepped down last week, margins in the House got even tighter: 200 Republicans to 196 Democrats. With the House so closely divided, attendance this session has often played a major role in the fate of legislation. An attempted repeal of the state’s abortion ban failed in a tie. […]
Citing poor health, Nottingham Republican House member steps down
Rep. Benjamin Bartlett, a Nottingham Republican, stepped down from the House Wednesday. He cited health issues that have “taken longer than I anticipated” to resolve. Bartlett’s resignation brings the margin between House Republicans and Democrats down to four, with Republicans holding a 200-196 majority. Prior to his resignation, Bartlett had participated in only one of […]
Ski areas fight to keep snow on slopes amid warming winters
Ski season is over at Whaleback Mountain, and snow remains only in scattered patches across its 30 trails. It’s normal for the mountain to be closed this time of year, said Business Operations Director Alex Lahood. But these remaining patches tell the story of Whaleback’s efforts to adapt to warming winters. “Anywhere where we’ve made […]
Loan fund in budget would help communities address cyanobacteria blooms
Cyanobacteria blooms are “the biggest threat to New Hampshire that nobody knows about,” according to Rep. Rosemarie Rung, a Merrimack Democrat. These harmful blooms, which often manifest as green scum floating on the surface of lakes and ponds, are on the rise in New Hampshire. They sometimes result when excess nutrients from farms or over-fertilized […]
Party leaders attempt compromise ahead of House budget vote
This story was updated on April 6 at 1:15 to clarify the wording in the marijuana amendment. On Thursday, the House will vote on its proposed budget for state fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Anticipating difficulty getting a majority on board with the proposed budget, Republican Majority Leader Jason Osborne and Democratic Minority Leader Matt […]
Lack of data leaves state flying blind in efforts to reduce food waste in landfills
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services projects that if Granite Staters keep trashing their waste at the same rate, without changes to existing landfill capacity, the state will run out of places to put its refuse in about 10 years. Limited landfill capacity, in part due to huge amounts of imported trash from nearby […]