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Critics unpersuaded by Senate changes to ‘divisive concepts’ bill
When Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley introduced the latest version of the “divisive concepts” bill last week, he made sure to stress what it didn’t include. The newest version of the controversial anti-critical-race-theory bill does not stop teachers from teaching about racism in American history, Bradley said. It does not prohibit public employers from hosting […]
Liquor Commission poised to become direct shipper of alcohol
The New Hampshire Liquor Commission is close to gaining approval to become a direct shipper of alcohol, with the House set to pass legislation that would send the long-held priority to Gov. Chris Sununu’s desk. Senate Bill 14 would permit the commission to register with the New Hampshire Secretary of State as a direct shipper […]
Senate Finance Committee signs off on state budget bills
A broadly altered version of New Hampshire’s two state budget bills cleared a key Senate committee Friday, setting the stage for a partisan floor fight when the whole chamber votes on June 3. In a 5-2, party-line vote, members of the Senate Finance Committee voted to recommend passage of a budget that would transform multiple […]
Senate committee adds amended ‘divisive concepts’ language to state budget
A key Senate committee moved forward an amended version of the “divisive concepts” bill, adding it to the New Hampshire budget and setting up another test for Gov. Chris Sununu. In a 4-2, party-line vote, Republicans on the Finance Committee voted to insert an amended version of the legislation into the budget trailer bill, adding […]
School voucher program added to budget
A controversial proposal to allow New Hampshire parents to use public funds for private school tuition will move ahead next month, after the Senate Finance Committee added the program to the state budget. Voting along party lines Wednesday, the committee attached the proposal, known as the “education freedom account” program, to House Bill 2, the […]
‘Families deserve a remedy’: Bill would allow lawsuits against school districts in bullying cases
The bullying started on the school bus in kindergarten. It continued for years, repeating nearly daily. Shannon Bouchard knew her daughter, who has a speech disorder, was being occasionally teased on the bus by a bully. But she also thought the school had a handle on it. “I thought it would stop,” Bouchard, who lives […]
Bill barring release of mug shots approved by Judiciary Committee
Senators on the Judiciary Committee approved a measure Tuesday that would bar police from releasing most mug shots after arrests, in a 3-2 committee vote that defied party lines. House Bill 125 would still allow police departments to take post-arrest photographs of accused perpetrators. But the bill would prohibit the release of the mug shots […]
Republicans on Senate Finance vote against aid for homeless shelters
Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee voted down a $20 million proposal to aid homeless shelters Monday, stopping an effort that Democrats and the state’s Department of Health and Human Services said was necessary to meet a growing need. In a 3-4 vote, the committee declined to pass the measure, presented as an amendment to […]
House lawmakers retain bill on calculation of school adequacy funding
A House committee on Thursday pushed aside an effort to give additional funding to New Hampshire schools after COVID-19, continuing a growing rift between House and Senate lawmakers over how best to help public schools. In a party-line vote, the House Education Committee voted to retain Senate Bill 135, which would have required the Department […]
Legislation for affordable housing tax breaks sent to governor
The New Hampshire Senate passed a bill allowing cities and towns to designate tax-break areas for affordable-housing development, sending the bill to Gov. Chris Sununu’s desk. House Bill 154, which passed on a voice vote Thursday, would allow cities and towns to make any area within their borders into a “community revitalization” area and set […]
Bill that would roll back bail reform retained by lawmakers
Lawmakers shelved a set of proposed changes to New Hampshire’s bail system Wednesday, kicking a complicated policy debate into 2022. Voting 12-9, a bipartisan group of lawmakers on the House Criminal Justice Committee moved to retain a bill that would have walked back some steps the state has taken toward bail reform. That bill, Senate […]
After a challenging year, educators assess the challenges to come
Ben Lambright could talk about the toll the COVID school year has had on his peers, but he said his teachers aren’t in much better shape. “I have teachers at school who, I like to joke, they have senioritis worse than I do,” the Nashua 12th-grader joked to a panel of education representatives Monday. “So […]