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After Uvalde shooting, little chance of new gun laws in New Hampshire
This story was updated June 3, 2022 at 10 a.m. to correct the spelling of Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington’s name. Two days after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, the topic of gun control came to the New Hampshire House. The conversation was brief. Rep. Debra Altschiller, a Stratham Democrat, […]
$720,000 for police department body cameras approved by Executive Council
The New Hampshire Executive Council approved state funding to help 29 police departments install body camera systems Wednesday, clearing the way for departments to secure $719,646 in matching grants. Paid for by the state’s new Body-worn and Dashboard Camera Fund, the awards are capped at $50,000 per town, and may be used for up to […]
Sununu vetoes bill limiting governor’s emergency powers, angering some on right
Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed a bill that would have limited the governor’s powers over declaring a state of emergency, transferring those powers to the Legislature. Sununu called the attempt “irresponsible.” In a veto of House Bill 275 issued Friday afternoon, Sununu said the bill could prevent assistance from reaching people in need if the Legislature […]
Senate drops bail reform rollback bill after apparent drafting errors
The New Hampshire Senate abandoned a bill intended to pare back sections of the 2018 bail reform law Thursday, in a surprise turnaround brought about by drafting errors in the final legislation. Voting unanimously, senators opted to table the legislation, House Bill 1476, which would have imposed stricter requirements around jailing people charged with crimes […]
In narrow vote, parental rights bill rejected by House
This story was updated at 7 p.m. on May 26, 2022, with additional comments and details. The New Hampshire House rejected a “parental rights” bill Thursday that would have required schools to notify parents of a number of developments with their children, including with their gender identity and expression. In a narrow 171-176 vote, the […]
Program to address teacher and student stress runs into Executive Council funding hurdle
The idea came to Emily Read Daniels in 2017. Teachers appeared to be observing greater stress levels, both personally and among their students. If given training, Read Daniels thought, they could take control over those emotions and re-establish balance and calm in the classroom. In the following years, Read Daniels, a certified school counselor, developed […]
Parking garage bill survives negotiations; workforce housing provisions in tatters
One week of negotiations later, State House lawmakers are on their way to getting their new parking garage. But a workforce housing package favored by Gov. Chris Sununu and affordable housing advocates is all but defeated. A series of committee of conference meetings over the legislative parking garage bill last week saw House and Senate […]
As ‘parental rights’ bill debate rages, LGBTQ+ advocates feel left out of the process
Linds Jakows lived through high school in two realities. At their school in Arizona, they were out and queer, with friends and teachers who accepted that. At home, Jakows kept that information hidden. To Jakows, the consequence of telling their father was clear: He would reject that identity and potentially seek punishment. So Jakows planned […]
Sununu vows veto of ‘parental bill of rights’
This story and headline were updated on May 19 at 2:16 p.m. to reflect Gov. Chris Sununu’s statement vowing to veto the final version of the bill. Gov. Chris Sununu vowed to veto a controversial “parental rights” bill Thursday, arguing that it could cause “challenges” to children, hours after Republican Senate and House negotiators had […]
New meeting scheduled to resume negotiations over parental rights bill
House and Senate lawmakers will continue to negotiate a controversial “parental rights” bill, despite an impasse Tuesday that had appeared final. The Legislature announced Wednesday that the committee of conference for the bill will reconvene on Thursday at 9 a.m. That committee had met Tuesday but ended with Senate and House negotiators unable to find […]
‘Parental bill of rights’ falls after objections from Attorney General’s Office, advocates
An effort to pass a “parental bill of rights” came to an end Tuesday after House Republicans and Democrats voiced concerns the bill could require schools to “out” students’ gender identities to their parents and exacerbate teen suicide rates. “There are a lot of great parents out there,” said Rep. Kimberly Rice, a Hudson Republican. […]
Parents’ rights bill goes to House and Senate negotiators to work out disagreements
This story was updated at 9:30 a.m. on May 17 to correct the name of one of the representatives on the committee of conference. House and Senate Republicans are continuing to negotiate a proposed “parental bill of rights,” but the two chambers face broad differences over the controversial legislation. The original version, from the House, […]