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Jabs and dodges but few breakthrough moments for GOP debate watchers at Murphy’s Taproom
They cheered when Vivek Ramaswamy denounced the “climate change hoax.” They applauded when North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said that abortion law should be left to the states, and booed when former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said that Donald Trump’s conduct was beneath the office of the president. But after two hours of watching […]
‘It’s really a defense’: As cyberattacks rise, officials urge schools to take precautions
When the Concord School District experienced a cybersecurity attack in 2016, Pamela McLeod was the director of technology. The aftermath, she recalled, was crushing. The infiltrators swept up the W-2 wage and tax forms for all of the district’s employees, which included their names, addresses, and Social Security numbers. The targets were forced to move […]
‘Gay panic’ defense eliminated in New Hampshire starting next year
Defendants in New Hampshire murder cases will no longer be allowed to use a victim’s perceived sexual orientation or gender identity as a defense, after a law signed by Gov. Chris Sununu this month. House Bill 315 adds a new limit to the conditions that could downgrade a murder conviction to a manslaughter conviction. Under […]
Here’s what’s next for a pair of New Hampshire school funding lawsuits
For over a year, a group of taxpayers have waged a lawsuit against the state of New Hampshire, seeking to prove that the state’s school funding model is unfair. This month, lawyers behind that effort made an ambitious ask. In a proposed settlement offer sent in early August, the plaintiffs asked the state to require […]
Lawmakers tried to end interest payments on unemployment overpayments. Sununu vetoed it.
New Hampshire officials are attempting to recover $6 million in unemployment benefits that have been incorrectly paid out to Granite Staters since 2017. But how the state enforces those collections has sparked debate. Currently, residents who wrongly receive unemployment benefits are informed by the Department of Employment Security that they must pay back the money […]
Lawmakers postpone ‘Veto Day’ to January
The New Hampshire Legislature will not be holding a “Veto Day” this September, putting off the traditional day in which lawmakers decide whether to override the governor’s vetoed bills, Speaker Sherman Packard announced Friday. Instead, House and Senate lawmakers will take up Gov. Chris Sununu’s vetoes on Jan. 3, when they return to start the […]
State board tables effort to approve PragerU financial literacy course after pushback
The New Hampshire State Board of Education tabled a proposal Thursday that would allow public school students to take a financial literacy course from PragerU, a conservative media organization, amid strong pushback from educators. In a voice vote, the board decided to delay the vote for at least another month. Chairman Drew Cline argued that […]
Commission to study state-run cannabis retail model moves ahead
New Hampshire lawmakers and stakeholders will explore a state-run approach to legalizing retail cannabis in the coming months, after Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill creating a study commission. House Bill 611, signed into law Tuesday, establishes a commission to look into how New Hampshire might legalize cannabis and allow it to be sold through […]
New Hampshire business tax cuts did not create state’s economic boost: report
Since 2015, New Hampshire Republican lawmakers have steadily lowered the state’s business profits tax, taking it down from 8.5 percent to 7.5 percent in intervals of two-tenths of a percent. The reduction has been touted as a means to make the Granite State more inviting to businesses, inspire expansion and hiring, and grow the economy. […]
As New Hampshire voting machines age, state weighs alternatives
New Hampshire cities and towns received a clear warning in 2020: The Accuvote machines used by many communities to count ballots at elections are growing old. In a July 2020 letter to cities and towns, LHS Associates, the Salem-based vendor that sells and services the machines, said it would “continue to provide services and parts […]
Rents continue to climb in New Hampshire amid sluggish construction
Across the American West, construction of new homes is booming, and the cost of rent is falling. New housing starts increased by double-digit percentages there in May, and rents fell about 2 percent. But in New Hampshire, the picture is different. Construction starts have declined in the last year, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. […]
New Hampshire students are learning faster than in 2019, helping close COVID learning gap
New Hampshire students are learning at a faster pace in 2023 than in 2019, new figures suggest – an indication that schools and teachers are beginning to turn around learning loss from COVID-19. Data from the New Hampshire Student Assessment System shows that New Hampshire students in third to eighth grade are learning at a […]