State House
Laurie Sanborn no longer heads House casino study commission
A day after she was named in an investigation of her husband’s alleged illegal use of $844,000 in pandemic assistance, Rep. Laurie Sanborn has resigned as chairwoman of a legislative commission charged with studying the impact of new charitable gaming laws. Her appointment as head of the commission had been controversial because she operates a […]
AG: Former state senator used pandemic aid to enrich himself, buy wife a Ferrari
Former state Sen. Andy Sanborn and his wife, Rep. Laurie Sanborn, of Bedford, could face criminal charges in connection with $844,000 in federal pandemic aid that state officials say Andy Sanborn fraudulently obtained and spent on at least three high-end race cars, car parts, and 27 years of prepaid rent for another business he owns. […]
As housing concerns rise, lawmakers revisit accessory dwelling units
New Hampshire lawmakers are attempting a new way to increase housing in the state: expanding accessory dwelling units. The House Special Committee on Housing is rallying behind a bill that would require cities and towns to allow owners of single-family homes to build two accessory dwelling units on properties of a half acre or more. […]
NH Cannabis Association surveying farmers on future growing opportunities
As a legislative commission probes the potential for a state-run cannabis sales model, an industry organization is surveying farmers and agricultural professionals to gauge interest in future cultivation opportunities. New Hampshire has not yet legalized marijuana, but this past legislative session saw more movement than years past. For the first time, Gov. Chris Sununu said […]
Now state law, a formal process when African American burial grounds are discovered
If and when future African American burial grounds are uncovered in New Hampshire, state law now explicitly outlines how their discovery should be handled. Senate Bill 11, signed into law this month by Gov. Chris Sununu, requires that descendants or the descendant community be consulted prior to the excavation or exploration of African American burial […]
Lawmakers tried to end interest payments on unemployment overpayments. Sununu vetoed it.
New Hampshire officials are attempting to recover $6 million in unemployment benefits that have been incorrectly paid out to Granite Staters since 2017. But how the state enforces those collections has sparked debate. Currently, residents who wrongly receive unemployment benefits are informed by the Department of Employment Security that they must pay back the money […]
Study finds that local roots of state legislators are weakening
A new study published in the New England Journal of Political Science finds that newer generations of New Hampshire legislators were less likely during the last decade to bring in local experience, like participation in civic groups or local government, to the state Legislature. It highlights a “general picture of decline in prior activity among […]
New law may help – won’t solve – health facilities’ rising staffing costs
Hiring has become an emergency-level math dilemma for David Ross and the 120 people waiting for a bed at the Hillsborough County Nursing Home. Ross, the home’s administrator, can’t recruit enough nurses and LNAs with the hourly wages offered by the county. That’s forced him to rely on staffing agencies, which charge the county more […]
Lawmakers postpone ‘Veto Day’ to January
The New Hampshire Legislature will not be holding a “Veto Day” this September, putting off the traditional day in which lawmakers decide whether to override the governor’s vetoed bills, Speaker Sherman Packard announced Friday. Instead, House and Senate lawmakers will take up Gov. Chris Sununu’s vetoes on Jan. 3, when they return to start the […]
Free menstrual products now required at all New Hampshire prisons and jails
New Hampshire’s prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities are now bound by state law to provide menstrual products at no cost to incarcerated individuals who biologically menstruate. Signed into law by Gov. Chris Sununu on Aug. 4, House Bill 421 sought to close gaps in equitable access to menstrual products across the state’s incarceration system. While […]
It’s about to become harder to keep meeting minutes sealed forever
School boards, city councils, state agencies, and other public bodies will no longer be able to seal minutes from nonpublic meetings indefinitely unless they reconsider the decision at least every 10 years. Gov. Chris Sununu’s signature this week of House Bill 321 will require public bodies and agencies to review sealed minutes no later than […]
Commission to study state-run cannabis retail model moves ahead
New Hampshire lawmakers and stakeholders will explore a state-run approach to legalizing retail cannabis in the coming months, after Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill creating a study commission. House Bill 611, signed into law Tuesday, establishes a commission to look into how New Hampshire might legalize cannabis and allow it to be sold through […]