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Manchester takes an expansive view of COVID-era summer learning
It’s the summer of freedom, the first step in the return to normalcy. But for many New Hampshire schools, the warmer months of 2021 present a new challenge: a rush on summer school programs. Parents are calling constantly. Registrations are flowing in. Schools are expanding programs to meet what they expect to be major demand. […]
Senate Commerce signs off on bill to regulate food delivery apps
Lawmakers in the New Hampshire Senate are moving to regulate the way third-party food delivery apps work with local restaurants, citing complaints that the apps have listed some restaurants without their knowledge. In a vote Tuesday morning, members of the Senate Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee recommended, 5-0, to require that food delivery apps enter […]
Senators urged to prioritize health care, public education in state budget
This story was updated May 5, 2021 at 8 a.m. Developmental disability advocates, school representatives, health care leaders, and residents took to a public microphone Tuesday to argue for specific priorities in the New Hampshire budget, in a marathon hearing that highlighted broad concerns with the state’s funding models. During a nine-hour virtual listening session […]
Unpacking the budget: From tax reductions to red-listed bridges
This story was updated on May 4, 2021 at 10 a.m. to clarify the details of Gov. Chris Sununu’s Department of Energy proposal as well as the House’s Planned Parenthood provision. By now, debates over the big-ticket items in the New Hampshire state budget are well established. There’s Gov. Chris Sununu’s push for a continued […]
‘Ethical hacker’ named to Windham election audit
A prominent Finnish computer programmer and election expert will join a forensic audit of a New Hampshire town election last year, state officials announced Monday, boosting the profile of an investigation that’s caught the eye of Donald Trump. New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner and Attorney General John Formella have chosen Harri Hursti as […]
Lawmakers seek audit of Child Care Licensing Unit over delays
New Hampshire lawmakers have requested a performance audit of the state’s Child Care Licensing Unit, citing concerns over long delays with license renewals. The unit, a subdivision of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, is tasked with overseeing day cares, nurseries, and other programs in the state. In that role, the unit conducts […]
Senate passes bill to release ‘Laurie List’ of police officers cited for bad conduct
The New Hampshire Senate passed a bill Thursday to gradually release one of New Hampshire’s most secretive documents: the list of police officers whose supervisors say they have credibility issues. In a rare unanimous vote, the body voted, 24-0, to approve a bill that would make the “Laurie List” public. The list, which was created […]
The crumbling wall between public money and religious schools
New Hampshire’s latest bid to create “education freedom accounts” – a voucher-like program allowing public school dollars to be used by families in private schools – is not the first attempt of its kind. But it is the broadest. The proposed law, Senate Bill 130, would give parents the option of using per-pupil public school […]
Bill aims to give FBI control of gun background checks
State lawmakers are weighing whether to eliminate the role of New Hampshire State Police in handgun background checks and defer to the FBI instead. A bill passed by the Senate in early April would end New Hampshire’s “gun line” – the service by which state police assist firearm sellers with background checks for prospective buyers. […]
Outdoor dining gets a push for permanence – with a catch
As New Hampshire restaurants and bars gear up for a second summer of COVID-era outdoor dining – from parking lots to city side streets – some state lawmakers are pushing to make the option permanent. A bill moving through the House would allow restaurants to “expand outside wherever an outdoor dining area can be set […]
Liquor Commission sees $10 million boost in sales during pandemic
New Hampshire liquor profits have stayed strong during the pandemic – so strong that they’ve offset a rise in state Medicaid costs. As the 2021 state fiscal year nears a close, officials at the New Hampshire Liquor Commission expect to take in $151.6 million in revenue between July 2020 and June 2021, about $9.8 million […]
Job-search requirement for unemployment to be reinstated
A year after expanding the eligibility and minimum payment of New Hampshire’s unemployment system for the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Chris Sununu is moving to restrain it. In an announcement Thursday, Sununu said the state would restore the requirement that a person be actively looking for employment in order to qualify for unemployment insurance. That change […]