State House
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 […]
Senate committee to take up legislation addressing future of Sununu Youth Services Center
Lawmakers know the Department of Health and Human Services will not meet its March 1 deadline for closing the Sununu Youth Services Center and replacing it with a smaller, more therapeutic setting for at-risk youth. The question will be whether they can agree on a new deadline and size of the new facility, fatal challenges […]
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 […]
Legalization advocates hope new Legislature will bring momentum to cannabis fight
Efforts to legalize cannabis in New Hampshire are coming back this legislative session, after years of legislative defeats. Lawmakers have tried simple legalization bills and complex legislation. Both approaches have crashed against opposition in the state Senate. But this year, supporters say they’re coming at the problem with their biggest coalition yet. A sprawling bill […]
In letters, Democrats and Republicans reject DNC demands regarding first-in-the-nation primary
This story was updated on Jan. 5 at 3:45 p.m. When the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted in December to recommend bumping New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary to second place, it also added a caveat. New Hampshire could get that second spot only if it changed its laws to expand absentee voting […]
With Medicaid expansion back before lawmakers, supporters point to all that’s at stake
Expanding Medicaid insurance to more low-income Granite Staters was a tough sell before it passed the Legislature nine years ago. Fiscal conservatives urged lawmakers to reject predictions that more access to free or subsidized health insurance would lower medical costs and improve health outcomes. They warned it would instead discourage people from seeking jobs that […]
New Hampshire House rejects efforts to allow for remote voting, ban firearms
The New Hampshire House voted down two attempts to allow for remote participation in the House, keeping in place pre-pandemic rules that require a physical presence for floor votes and committee hearings. On a roll call vote Wednesday, the House chamber rejected an effort by House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm to allow for proxy voting, […]
Lawmaker withdraws right-to-know bill that would have added hourly charge of up to $15
A Newmarket lawmaker has withdrawn a bill that would have added as much as a $15 hourly charge to search for, redact, and provide public records requested under the state’s right-to-know law. Currently the law allows public offices to charge only for copying records. Several groups, from the the ACLU of New Hampshire and the […]
The New Hampshire Bulletin’s 2022 year in review
2022 began with a lot of big questions – for the world, the nation, and New Hampshire. Would this be the year that COVID-19 loosened its grip on a weary public? Would the political anger and violence of Jan. 6, 2021 be replicated in the aftermath of the November 2022 midterm election? And, here in […]
Right-to-know ombudsman could settle disputes when records are denied
Currently, there’s one way to challenge a state agency or municipality that denies a right-to-know request for public documents or access to governmental meetings: take them to court, which can be costly. There may soon be an alternative. Six months after the Legislature created a “right-to-know ombudsman,” Gov. Chris Sununu has nominated attorney Thomas Kehr […]
As budget season approaches, rift between Sununu and House Republicans grows
A year after resigning amid controversy, Rep. Ken Weyler is back at the helm of the House Finance Committee, the House Speaker’s Office announced this week. But not everyone in the State House is pleased about it. “It’s a terrible move,” said Gov. Chris Sununu, calling the decision “tone deaf” on the “New Hampshire Today” […]