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Public schools slow to embrace new law allowing ‘innovation plans’
As middle school students returned to the classroom after remote learning during COVID-19, Concord School District officials knew they needed a new learning approach. Kids were disoriented after remote and hybrid learning had disrupted their ability to socialize. So the district looked outside of its own walls for solutions. In May 2022, Concord received state […]
Trans youth feel unheard as Republicans debate parental rights in State House
Three years ago, when Flynn Ortiz came out as transgender, they followed a deliberate strategy. First, they told a friend. “I was like, ‘Do you mind calling me these pronouns? This name?’ And they were like, ‘Yeah, sure,’” Ortiz, now a high school senior, recalled Tuesday. After waiting to get used to the change, Ortiz […]
The 2023 parental rights bills, compared
Republicans in the Legislature are pursuing two bills focused on parental rights in schools this year – and putting significant political effort into passing them. But while both the House and the Senate have their own versions, the two bills have some major differences. Here’s what you need to know about where the two bills […]
Department of Education requests new power: subpoenas for teachers
When the New Hampshire Department of Education investigates a teacher for a potential code of conduct violation, they send a notice in the mail. Under a new proposed law, that teacher could also be served a subpoena. The New Hampshire Department of Education is pushing to be given the power to subpoena teachers or school […]
8 items in Sununu’s budget that didn’t make his address
Gov. Chris Sununu wants to do much more than give state employees a big pay raise, put millions into housing, build a new men’s prison, and double funding for “education freedom accounts” in the next two years. The so-called “budget trailer bill” released Wednesday evening runs more than 220 pages and gives a clearer picture […]
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 […]