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Taste but don’t drink: Bill would let students under 21 take college wine and beer courses
The hospitality program at the University of New Hampshire’s Paul College of Business and Economics offers a number of courses, from event planning to finance. But one of the most sought-after courses is available only to its oldest students. Students seeking to study International Wine and Beverage learn about “the wide world of wine, beer, […]
New Hampshire Senate weighs making voting machine audits permanent
During the 2022 elections, the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s Office audited voting machines in six different polling places, checking for accuracy and consistency as part of a one-time requirement by the Legislature. Now, Senate lawmakers are hoping to make the auditing permanent. Senate Bill 157 would require the office to audit at least two […]
Ahead of DNC meeting, tensions mount over New Hampshire’s political future
When members of the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted in December to propose a new calendar for the party’s presidential primary lineup – one that replaced New Hampshire with South Carolina as the host of the first-in-the-nation primary – many national Democrats saw a chance for progress. “This calendar does what is […]
As Democrats press to increase school funding, different approaches emerge
Democrats and public school advocates have pushed for years to increase the default amount the state pays public schools per student. This year, Rep. Tom Schamberg, a Wilmot Democrat, has a simple solution: Calculate the average amount school districts pay to educate students, cut that number in half, and require the state to pay that […]
Democrats seek to limit EFA program to public school attendees, sparking debate
A Democratic bill seeking to limit New Hampshire’s “education freedom accounts” to students who have spent at least one year in public school has reignited debates over who should have access to the program. Sponsored by Rep. Dave Luneau, a Hopkinton Democrat, House Bill 430 would allow students to benefit from the EFA program only […]
Republicans seek major voting overhauls, but chances of success appear slim
The bills were as ambitious as they were short-lived. A pair of Republican attempts to overhaul who gets to vote in party primaries – and who gets to run – suffered major setbacks last week, when the House Election Law Committee voted to recommend they not move forward. One bill, House Bill 101, would have […]
Bill would allow New Hampshire cities and towns to pass rent controls
New Hampshire cities and towns would be allowed to set their own rent controls on large developments – including limitations on how quickly rents could rise – under a bill proposed in the House this year. House Bill 95 would allow municipalities to cap the amount that certain landlords can increase rents and allow the […]
Cities, towns hoping state will make retirement contributions permanent
When New Hampshire lawmakers consolidated the state’s public retirement systems in 1967, they offered cities and towns a deal: Add municipal employees to the system, and the state would pick up 35 percent of the cost. At the time, the offer was deemed necessary. The state had four separate pension fund systems, one each for […]
U.S. District Court allows ‘banned concepts’ lawsuit to proceed
A lawsuit brought by state teachers unions and the ACLU of New Hampshire against a law banning certain instruction in the classroom around race, gender, and equity will move forward to trial, after the U.S. District Court rejected an attempt to dismiss it. In an order issued Thursday, District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro struck down […]
Teachers, public school advocates push for repeal of ‘divisive concepts’ law
Persuasive research papers are a yearly assignment in David Scannell’s English classes, and grading them is part of the job. But last school year, the Milford High School teacher faced a new challenge. The New Hampshire Legislature had passed a law in 2021 barring public school teachers from advocating for certain positions around race, gender, […]
Bill would increase signature threshold, filing fees for state primary candidates
A trio of Republican House lawmakers are pushing to raise the entry requirements for candidates in New Hampshire party primaries, requiring significantly more money or signatures to get onto a primary ballot. But the measure has attracted opposition from other Republicans and Democrats, who argued this week that it will prevent less well-resourced candidates from […]
House weighs making New Hampshire primaries closed to independent voters
New Hampshire lawmakers are weighing a bill to end the state’s tradition of open primaries by requiring residents to register with a political party at least four months before the state primaries in order to vote in that primary. House Bill 101 would bar a longstanding practice in the state: independent-minded voters voting in a […]