Politics
Transgender sports ban receives Senate committee support
By JEREMY MARGOLIS
A controversial bill that would ban transgender girls from participating on NHIAA- sanctioned girls’ sports teams in New Hampshire is expected to be voted on by the Senate next week, after it received support from the Senate’s Education Committee on...
NH Senate panel frowns on bill to ease vehicle inspection requirements
By RICK GREEN
A state Senate panel pumped the brakes Tuesday on a House-passed bill that would allow motorists to skip inspections on brand-new cars for at least two years.The Senate Transportation Committee recommended unanimously that the full Senate take no...
In New Hampshire governor’s race, some finance reports are clearer than others
By ETHAN DeWITT
By last December, Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington had raised a total of $1.059 million for her campaign for governor – a number clearly visible on the cover sheet of her Dec. 6 campaign finance report. What is harder to see is who, exactly,...
House kills ‘HOMEnibus bill,’ voting against attempt to incentivize housing
By ETHAN DeWITT
The New Hampshire House voted down a bipartisan bill meant to make it easier to build housing in the state, in a 188-173 vote last week that kills the legislation for the year.Proponents of Senate Bill 538, known as the “HOMEnibus,” argued it would...
Legally required expense records still missing for several current, former NH officials
By RICK GREEN
The N.H. Attorney General’s Office is in charge of enforcing RSA 14-C, a state law requiring legislators to submit reports after organizations cover more than $50 of their expenses in attending political, charitable or ceremonial events.An...
Community health workers, Republicans disagree over who should pay for their services
By ANNMARIE TIMMINS
Understanding the impact of a community health care worker requires connecting the dots. Paula Smith, director of the Southern New Hampshire Area Health Education Center, did that for lawmakers recently while asking them to secure funding for that...
On the Trail: Navigating the politics of pro-Palestinian protests
By PAUL STEINHAUSER
The pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protests over the fighting in Gaza that have swept across American college campuses reached New Hampshire this week.More than 100 arrests were made at the campuses of Dartmouth College in Hanover and the University...
House passes bill to raise minimum marriage age to 18, sending it to governor
By ETHAN DeWITT
The New Hampshire House passed a bill Thursday raising the legal age of marriage to 18, sending the legislation to Gov. Chris Sununu’s desk after years of advocacy.Senate Bill 359, which passed 192-174, states that “no person below the age of 18 years...
Abortion data bill raises concerns among providers, privacy advocates
By TODD BOOKMAN
Abortion providers and some privacy advocates are rallying against a Republican proposal to collect abortion statistics, arguing the bill as written could put patient identities at risk.New Hampshire is one of four states that doesn’t collect and...
House Republicans recommend eliminating most of anti-hunger bill
By ETHAN DeWITT
House Republican lawmakers are moving to strip out major portions of a bipartisan bill aimed at addressing child hunger, arguing they are costly and unnecessary, in a decision that drew sharp criticism from Democrats and advocates.The House Finance...
Senate holds hearing on trans sports ban bill
By JEREMY MARGOLIS
In the latest hearing for a proposed ban on transgender athletes under consideration in New Hampshire’s State House, Pembroke resident and retired physician Jennifer Smith expressed a more nuanced position than most on the divisive issue.While...
On the trail: NH Democrats quietly hold second presidential primary
By PAUL STEINHAUSER
The Democratic National Committee will welcome New Hampshire’s delegates to the national nominating convention this summer in Chicago after the state party conducted a very small party-run presidential primary this weekend.An official vote bringing...
Senate weighs farm-to-school pilot program
By ETHAN DeWITT
Senators are considering creating a state-run “farm to schools” program to increase the amount of local produce that goes to school meals. House Bill 1678 would create a two-year pilot program to reimburse 10 public schools that purchase food from New...
As lawmakers contemplate requiring voter ID, one organization is ready to help
By ETHAN DeWITT
Sue Nastasi lost her birth certificate years ago. “Beats me where it is,” she said. But getting it back is not a simple matter. Nastasi was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in a hospital that doesn’t exist any more, under a different name, she said. She...
New Hampshire residents weigh compassion and caution in medical aid in dying bill
By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN
Phillip Kaneb, sporting a vibrant blue shirt with a sticker boldly stating “no suicide,” strolled around the State House’s hallways on Wednesday, pausing intermittently to admire the paintings hanging on the walls, his infectious smile bringing joy to...
Bill requiring educators to answer parents’ questions moves forward
By JEREMY MARGOLIS
A bill that would require educators to answer parents’ questions about their children “completely and honestly” will move forward in the New Hampshire House without a recommendation from its Education Committee.On Tuesday – a day after the committee...
College due process rights at issue in NH bill
By RICK GREEN
An attorney for the University System of New Hampshire testified Tuesday that pending state legislation would disrupt an already effective system for handling disciplinary complaints at higher learning institutions.House Bill 1288 is aimed at ensuring...
At House hearing, some argue proposed transgender sports ban would violate anti-discrimination law
By JEREMY MARGOLIS
A week after a federal appeals court ruled a transgender sports ban in West Virginia was discriminatory, more than a dozen transgender girls, parents, educators and advocates in New Hampshire argued that a similar ban under consideration in New...
Committee approves bill allowing host communities to join charitable gaming
By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN
The House Ways and Means Committee unanimously voted on Tuesday to advance Senate Bill 472, which allows host communities to participate in charitable gaming alongside charities and non-profits.Senate Bill 472, now heading to the full House of...
Charities will not have to pay rent to casinos under new law
By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN
Deb Leahy can finally breathe easy, freed from the fluctuating rental fees each time her organization partners with a New Hampshire casino for donations.Thanks to a new law, casinos are now prohibited from imposing rent charges on charities for...
