Finalizing the budget: What to look for in the State House this week

The State House dome in downtown Concord.

The State House dome in downtown Concord. GEOFF FORESTER

By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY

Monitor staff

Published: 06-02-2025 7:00 AM

State senators are hunkering down to finalize their budget proposal. However, multiple loose ends remain, as they have yet to sign off on partially restoring funding for the University System of New Hampshire and other large chunks of money.

With just one month of the legislative session left, here’s what you need to know.

The past week

■The House Finance Committee added a last-minute amendment to the Senate’s proposal to make Education Freedom Account vouchers universally available. On a 14-11 party-line vote, Republicans approved removing the income eligibility requirement for the next school year, instead of doing so for 2026-27 like lawmakers had previously agreed. They created a rolling enrollment cap that would expand as more students sign up for the program.

■Players could soon bet unlimited wagers on slot machines, as state senators agreed in the budget process to remove the $50 limit. The effort to further leverage gaming as a revenue stream for the state helped mitigate some worries, such as for Nashua Sen. Cindy Rosenwald, who said the state shouldn’t encourage gambling addictions. Others argued it’s a strategy to bring in revenue and be more competitive with Massachusetts, snagging more players from the Bay State.

■New Hampshire’s proposed school cellphone ban could be among the strictest in the country. Gov. Kelly Ayotte has endorsed a “bell-to-bell” policy that would prohibit student cellphone use throughout the school day, not just during instructional time. She asked state lawmakers to send her such a law back in January, arguing that keeping cellphones out of classrooms would improve student behavior and academic performance.

The week ahead

■On Monday, June 2 at 10 a.m. and Tuesday, June 3 at 1:30 p.m., the Senate Finance Committee meets to finalize its proposal for the next state budget.

■On Thursday, June 5, at 10 a.m., the House and Senate convene for voting sessions. Topics range from LGBTQ issues to no-cause evictions to parental rights.

For more information on the budget process and other inner workings of the State House, check out our 2025 Legislative Guide.

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For a detailed unpacking of weekly news from the State House, subscribe to my newsletter, Capital Beat. Please contact me if you have questions or tips about anything happening in the Legislature.

Charlotte Matherly is the statehouse reporter for the Concord Monitor and Monadnock Ledger-Transcript in partnership with Report for America. Follow her on X at @charmatherly, subscribe to her Capital Beat newsletter and send her an email at cmatherly@cmonitor.com.