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Democrats seek to limit EFA program to public school attendees, sparking debate
A Democratic bill seeking to limit New Hampshire’s “education freedom accounts” to students who have spent at least one year in public school has reignited debates over who should have access to the program. Sponsored by Rep. Dave Luneau, a Hopkinton Democrat, House Bill 430 would allow students to benefit from the EFA program only […]
Republicans seek major voting overhauls, but chances of success appear slim
The bills were as ambitious as they were short-lived. A pair of Republican attempts to overhaul who gets to vote in party primaries – and who gets to run – suffered major setbacks last week, when the House Election Law Committee voted to recommend they not move forward. One bill, House Bill 101, would have […]
Bill would allow New Hampshire cities and towns to pass rent controls
New Hampshire cities and towns would be allowed to set their own rent controls on large developments – including limitations on how quickly rents could rise – under a bill proposed in the House this year. House Bill 95 would allow municipalities to cap the amount that certain landlords can increase rents and allow the […]
Cities, towns hoping state will make retirement contributions permanent
When New Hampshire lawmakers consolidated the state’s public retirement systems in 1967, they offered cities and towns a deal: Add municipal employees to the system, and the state would pick up 35 percent of the cost. At the time, the offer was deemed necessary. The state had four separate pension fund systems, one each for […]
U.S. District Court allows ‘banned concepts’ lawsuit to proceed
A lawsuit brought by state teachers unions and the ACLU of New Hampshire against a law banning certain instruction in the classroom around race, gender, and equity will move forward to trial, after the U.S. District Court rejected an attempt to dismiss it. In an order issued Thursday, District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro struck down […]
Teachers, public school advocates push for repeal of ‘divisive concepts’ law
Persuasive research papers are a yearly assignment in David Scannell’s English classes, and grading them is part of the job. But last school year, the Milford High School teacher faced a new challenge. The New Hampshire Legislature had passed a law in 2021 barring public school teachers from advocating for certain positions around race, gender, […]
Bill would increase signature threshold, filing fees for state primary candidates
A trio of Republican House lawmakers are pushing to raise the entry requirements for candidates in New Hampshire party primaries, requiring significantly more money or signatures to get onto a primary ballot. But the measure has attracted opposition from other Republicans and Democrats, who argued this week that it will prevent less well-resourced candidates from […]
House weighs making New Hampshire primaries closed to independent voters
New Hampshire lawmakers are weighing a bill to end the state’s tradition of open primaries by requiring residents to register with a political party at least four months before the state primaries in order to vote in that primary. House Bill 101 would bar a longstanding practice in the state: independent-minded voters voting in a […]
Legalization advocates hope new Legislature will bring momentum to cannabis fight
Efforts to legalize cannabis in New Hampshire are coming back this legislative session, after years of legislative defeats. Lawmakers have tried simple legalization bills and complex legislation. Both approaches have crashed against opposition in the state Senate. But this year, supporters say they’re coming at the problem with their biggest coalition yet. A sprawling bill […]
Pandemic aid, inflation drive higher per-pupil spending in NH public schools
New Hampshire’s schools are spending more per student than ever before, in part because of an increase of federal COVID-19-related funding. New figures released by the state’s Department of Education Friday show that the schools spent about 5.24 percent more per student in the 2021-2022 school year than in the prior school year. The 2020-2021 […]
In letters, Democrats and Republicans reject DNC demands regarding first-in-the-nation primary
This story was updated on Jan. 5 at 3:45 p.m. When the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted in December to recommend bumping New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary to second place, it also added a caveat. New Hampshire could get that second spot only if it changed its laws to expand absentee voting […]
New Hampshire House rejects efforts to allow for remote voting, ban firearms
The New Hampshire House voted down two attempts to allow for remote participation in the House, keeping in place pre-pandemic rules that require a physical presence for floor votes and committee hearings. On a roll call vote Wednesday, the House chamber rejected an effort by House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm to allow for proxy voting, […]