Author
State launches ad campaign to encourage reading lessons
New Hampshire residents could soon see simple words on billboards across the state, from “cat” to “star” to “wow.” And their parents might see a bigger message attached: Reading is a joy. State officials kicked off a campaign Wednesday to encourage literacy learning among children, highlighting National Reading Month as the state grapples with a […]
In Spokane, Washington, officials test a housing strategy rejected by NH lawmakers
When a proposal for a statewide law allowing single-family homes to be subdivided hit the New Hampshire House floor last week, the outcry was swift. House Bill 44 would have allowed any single-family homeowner connected to municipal sewer and water lines to apply to split their home into a maximum of four distinct housing units. […]
Poll: Most Granite Staters pessimistic about buying a house
Sixty-two percent of Granite Staters believe that it is a bad time to buy a house in New Hampshire, according to a new survey from the University of New Hampshire and the Business and Industry Association. And about 46 percent of state residents are spending more than 30 percent of their income toward housing. The […]
Democrats pass three bills after briefly gaining majority in New Hampshire House
Democrats briefly gained a majority in the New Hampshire House Thursday and passed a handful of bills – the latest example of the precarious control over the chamber this session. With a slim advantage Thursday afternoon, House Democrats revisited two bills that had been tabled by Republicans and passed them, and used their majority to […]
State lawmakers debate privacy protections for consumers in an era of data breaches
In the fall of 2021, T-Mobile contacted 116,079 Granite Staters to deliver bad news: Their personal information – including their name, date of birth, Social Security number, and driver’s license information – had been the subject of a data breach. The company had followed New Hampshire law and reported the breach to the Attorney General’s […]
House passes Democratic bill expanding school funding, suggesting bipartisan path
The New Hampshire House passed a pair of bills to increase funding for traditional and chartered public schools Wednesday, signaling a potential bipartisan path to long-term school spending increases. In a voice vote, the chamber passed House Bill 529, which would provide aid to school districts with low-income students and low property values. That bill […]
State seeks increase to benefits under homeowner assistance fund
State officials are hoping to expand payouts from a COVID-19-related homeowner assistance program, as the state continues to see lower-than-expected participation. In a request due before the Executive Council Wednesday, the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR) is asking for approval to increase the maximum payments per household for the New Hampshire Homeowner […]
Safety measure or book banning tool? K-12 obscene materials bill sparks heated debate
It wasn’t a physical school library book that sent Betsy Harrington into a state of alarm about high school reading material. It was an app. Harrington’s son, a student at Hillsboro-Deering High School, had found a book on Sora, an app that gives students in participating schools access to thousands of e-books to borrow on […]
Sununu’s budget, by the numbers
Gov. Chris Sununu’s proposed budget includes a number of new spending items, from one-off payments toward affordable housing and planning for a new men’s prison to longer-term expenses such as an increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates. Here’s a look at some of the numbers. Overall spending: Sununu’s budget would spend about $14.9 billion in total […]
Sununu’s budget suggests fears of harsh recession are easing
When Gov. Chris Sununu held budget hearings back in November, he gave his commissioners a warning: Prepare for an economic downturn. “There’s really no way to avoid some form of a national recession,” Sununu said at the time. “It is real. It is coming.” Three months later, the outlook of the governor – and many […]
Pay hikes, school funding, licensing reform highlight Sununu budget address
This story was updated Feb. 15, 2023 at 9:50 a.m. to correct the professions that are regulated by the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. Gov. Chris Sununu has big plans for the state’s $330 million surplus and what he predicts will be ongoing strong tax revenue. He gave lawmakers a budget Tuesday that would […]
State joins lawsuit targeting federal ban on pistol braces
New Hampshire’s attorney general has joined 24 other states in a lawsuit against the federal government over a new rule limiting the use of pistol braces, the office announced Friday. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in North Dakota, the states, led by West Virginia, are challenging a “final rule” implemented Jan. […]