State House
Secretary of State hosts controversial briefing on federal legislation to expand voting access
This story was updated April 21, 2021 at 9 p.m. The Secretary of State’s Office held a briefing on Wednesday for state election officials about the impact federal legislation would have on elections in New Hampshire. The briefing, which was led by Deputy Secretary of State David Scanlan, came after Secretary Bill Gardner’s controversial testimony […]
Court nominee Conway withdraws her name
Rockingham County Attorney Patricia Conway has withdrawn her name from consideration to serve as a superior court judge, Gov. Chris Sununu announced Wednesday, a day after at least two executive councilors had raised objections. In brief remarks to the Executive Council Wednesday morning, Sununu said he had received a call from Conway. “I’ll note that […]
Proposal would provide protections to sex workers reporting sexual assault
This story was updated on April 21 at 5:12 p.m. to correct the spelling of Pamela Keilig’s name. A proposal before the Senate Judiciary Committee aims to provide protections to sex workers who report a sexual assault. Opponents of the measure said it would grant sex workers immunity from all crimes, a claim the bill’s […]
Some schools struggle to meet mandate on in-person learning
When Seacoast Charter School in Portsmouth opened its doors for the school year last fall, there was little in the way of hard guidelines from the state. So the district designed its own plan. The school divided its students into “cohorts.” Cohort A would come into school for in-person learning on Monday and Tuesday and […]
Voting record of superior court nominee Conway under scrutiny
The state Attorney General’s Office has been asked to investigate whether a superior court judicial nominee lived in one town and voted in another in 2008. At a confirmation hearing last week, Rockingham County Attorney Patricia Conway said she voted in Atkinson in 2008 while helping her elderly father to the polls. At that time, […]
State sees boost in tax revenue
This story was updated April 20, 2021 at 4 p.m. While the COVID-19 pandemic has created an economic crisis for many, the state has seen a boost in tax revenue, including for tobacco, business, real estate, and interest and dividends taxes. The exception is rooms and meals, which is down 17 percent from what the […]
With dog theft on the rise, lawmakers look to crack down
There’s a dark side to the increase in demand for pets during the pandemic: when those procuring the animals do so illegally. Dog theft has been on the rise nationally during the pandemic, with thieves snatching dogs from their yards and even from houses. Now state lawmakers are considering a proposal to increase the penalty […]
Vaccination of minority populations continues to lag
When Clifton West learned that there was a surplus of vaccines in Strafford County, he promptly went into fire-drill mode. He made calls, sent text messages, composed emails – any method he could think of to get the word out. “It was like, oh my God, okay, we have to get people there,” he said. […]
What would a new Department of Energy mean for New Hampshire?
A proposal to create a new Department of Energy would be a major overhaul of how energy policy is made and regulated in New Hampshire. Clean-energy advocates are eager for change. With energy policy and regulation spread between various state agencies, some key decisions and the allocation of funding have been delayed for years, leaving […]
Support for closing Sununu Center stops at jail as an alternative
State lawmakers and juvenile advocates have long wanted to close the Sununu Youth Services Center, believing a youth detention facility is the wrong place to hold and rehabilitate children. They also oppose spending the governor’s proposed $13 million a year for the approximately 17 children held there at any given time. They’re divided, however, on […]
Budget dispute: House Finance chairman issues ultimatum to Senate colleagues
A week after passing New Hampshire’s two-year budget onto the Senate, one prominent House Republican is urging his Senate colleagues to keep some of its most controversial items in place – or risk defeat on the House floor. In an email Wednesday, House Finance Chairman Ken Weyler urged the Senate Finance Committee to keep a […]
Merrimack Republican Boyd wins House seat
Republican Bill Boyd captured one of the New Hampshire House’s 400 seats Tuesday evening, beating back a high-intensity Democratic challenge to succeed the late Republican Speaker Dick Hinch. In a 2,531 to 2,144 vote, Boyd prevailed against Democrat Wendy Thomas to win one of eight House seats in Merrimack. The town held a special election […]