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House committee recommends end to COVID-19 civil immunity bill
House lawmakers appear to be moving against a bill that would give New Hampshire businesses immunity against certain COVID-19 lawsuits. In a near-unanimous vote Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee recommended that the bill be killed, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle stating that it was no longer necessary or relevant. The bill, House […]
Department of Education moves to block school-wide remote learning related to COVID-19
The New Hampshire Department of Education is proposing to bar school districts from implementing remote learning due to COVID-19, a move that has drawn backlash from some districts. An administrative rule proposed before the State Board of Education earlier this month would require that all schools provide in-person instruction throughout the school year, except in […]
Survey aims to shed light on housing insecurity among people with developmental disabilities
A leading New Hampshire disability rights group is surveying housing accessibility for people with developmental disabilities in New Hampshire, focusing on what the organization says is a threat of homelessness across the state. In an online survey distributed to its members, ABLE NH is looking into the availability of affordable housing, and how that availability […]
Courts deploy mediators as latest tool in effort to reduce the number of evictions
In the weeks since the abrupt end to the nationwide eviction moratorium, attorneys and judges have raced to dampen its effects. Eviction court judges have used the bench to promote federal rental relief. Legal assistance organizations have doubled down on their efforts to take on clients. Aid agencies have appeared in court to help tenants […]
Redistricting committees schedule Grafton County listening session for next week
New Hampshire’s legislative redistricting committees have added an additional public input session next week, the third out of 10, as House and Senate lawmakers tour the state before redrawing the state’s political lines. On Tuesday, Sept. 28, the House Special Committee on Redistricting and its Senate counterpart will meet in North Haverhill to hear suggestions […]
Lawmakers to push for COVID-19 vaccine to be added to list of required immunizations for kids
New Hampshire Democratic lawmakers are pushing to add COVID-19 vaccines to the list of immunizations required for all children – provided the vaccines become approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In a bill set to be introduced in 2022, eight Democrats, led by newly converted member Rep. William Marsh, aim to add COVID-19 […]
There’s a shortage of educators in New Hampshire – and COVID is only part of the reason
There was a time when an opening for an English teacher at Madison Elementary School would draw 30 to 40 applicants. These days, Michael Whaland said, the school is lucky to get six. Whaland, the superintendent of SAU 13, which includes Freedom, Madison, and Tamworth, knows the numbers well. Two weeks after classes began, his […]
Sununu: Vaccine freedom law does not prohibit vaccination mandates for public employees
A “medical freedom law” passed into law this summer does not prevent vaccine requirements for public employees, Gov. Chris Sununu said at a press conference this week. Asked Wednesday about the new law, which states that “every person has the natural, essential, and inherent right to bodily integrity, free from any threat or compulsion by […]
Council approves federal aid to address homelessness among students
New Hampshire students who experienced homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic could soon benefit from wraparound services in their schools, after the New Hampshire Executive Council approved federal aid money Wednesday. As part of the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief program’s Homeless Children and Youth Fund – a piece of the American Rescue Plan passed […]
19 reports of misconduct logged in new reporting system at St. Paul’s School
Students and staff at St. Paul’s School have made 19 reports of sexual assault and other misconduct since January 2021, according to a report released by the school’s independent compliance overseer last week, with nine reports listed as “active.” In his latest semi-annual report, the overseer, Donald E. Sullivan, noted that the Concord private school […]
‘Education freedom accounts’ program partners with national firm to administer money
New Hampshire’s new program allowing eligible families to pay for private school expenses using public funds continues to see unexpectedly high take-up. Now, as the state gears up to distribute the money, the organization running the “education freedom accounts,” the Children’s Scholarship Fund, is officially partnering with a national company to oversee how it’s spent. The […]
Discussions on how to police the police hit snag on proposed panel’s investigatory powers
When Julian Jefferson finally called the police that night, it wasn’t to report a crime. Late in the evening in winter 2010, Jefferson was walking home in Concord, making a familiar trip from the University of New Hampshire law school back to his house. A police cruiser passed by, stopped, and flashed its floodlights. Jefferson, […]