News
For housing advocates, new eviction ban is welcome but complicated
When last week began, New Hampshire’s COVID-19 transmission rate status appeared manageable. Then the picture began to change. On Wednesday, Aug. 4, only three of the state’s 10 counties had community transmission levels listed as “substantial”; the rest fell into the category of “moderate.” On Friday, the number of counties with substantial transmission had increased […]
Starting next month, kids under 14 can legally sell lemonade without a permit
There’s a new exemption for young entrepreneurs in New Hampshire: They can sell lemonade without a permit. The exemption applies to other soft drinks, too, as long as they are being sold on family property. House Bill 183 was signed into law by Gov. Chris Sununu at the end of July and will go into […]
Some executive councilors say they’ll oppose contracts with advance payments
Some members of the Executive Council have told the state Department of Health and Human Services they will oppose all future contracts that include advance payments for startup costs. The department said that decision would jeopardize its ability to provide mental health care, support for kids, and other services. Prepayments have been included in 39 […]
Children’s Scholarship Fund gets one-year contract to administer ‘education freedom accounts’
This story was updated on Aug. 9 at 11:15 a.m. to correct the income level for a family of four at 300 percent of the 2021 federal poverty level. New Hampshire will launch its new “education freedom accounts” program with one organization administering the accounts, after the Executive Council approved a single-source contract Wednesday with […]
When it comes to vaccine mandates, employers have the law on their side
It’s a short conversation when workers call employment attorney Jon Meyer asking if their employer can require a COVID-19 vaccination and fire them if they refuse. With very few exceptions, the answer is yes – regardless of arguments that doing so is illegal until the vaccines get final approval from the Food and Drug Administration. […]
Biden extends freeze on student loan payments to Jan. 31
WASHINGTON – The Biden administration announced Friday afternoon that it is extending the pause on federal student loan repayments until January of next year, as the Delta variant of the coronavirus surges across the country. “As our nation’s economy continues to recover from a deep hole, this final extension will give students and borrowers the […]
House Dems document U.S. history of discrimination in shaping John Lewis voting rights bill
WASHINGTON – A House panel released a new report on Friday that will help lawmakers craft legislation named after the late Georgia civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis that aims to protect voting rights across the United States. The 124-page report, put forth by the House subcommittee on elections, outlines the U.S. history of discrimination […]
$116 million headed to state’s schools as part of pandemic relief package
New Hampshire will receive another $116 million to support its schools as they deal with lingering effects of the pandemic, officials announced Thursday, the final tranche of a program passed by Congress in March. In a statement Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said the federal department had approved New Hampshire’s proposal for how […]
Vulnerability of state’s infrastructure takes center stage at roundtable discussion
Jay Minkarah hadn’t thought about the possibility of a severe flood shutting down the Central New Hampshire Turnpike in Merrimack until he worked on a Department of Transportation assessment looking at exactly that scenario. “It really brought home to me the vulnerability of our infrastructure at a time when we are, you know, pretty clearly […]
Sununu disbands juvenile justice advisory group to form new commission
The news caught members of the longstanding Juvenile Justice Statewide Advisory Group by surprise. Gov. Chris Sununu announced Wednesday he had disbanded the group to start his own, saying it was time to “bring in fresh perspectives and ideas” as the state rethinks treatment for at-risk juveniles. He asked anyone interested in joining his new […]
Assisted migration aims to help forests – and people – adapt to a swiftly changing climate
A tree doesn’t just all of a sudden pull up its roots, pack its bags, and decide to set out for a more hospitable home when the climate changes. But trees do migrate. This can occur through processes like natural selection, where the tree species that are best adapted to a particular area are the […]
Democrats say governor, administration not doing enough to support vaccination effort
With vaccination rates lagging and COVID-19 cases climbing in New Hampshire, a group of Democratic lawmakers and public health advocates called on Gov. Chris Sununu to step up the state’s push to get more residents immunized. Promoting videos of himself and public health officials urging residents to get vaccinated is not enough, they said. “In […]