With the clock ticking on the next state budget, Gov. Kelly Ayotte threatened to veto lawmakers’ spending plan unless certain line items are restored.

The final pitch also includes a plan to repeal mandatory car inspections and a deal on a school cell phone ban.

Here’s what you need to know.

This past week

■After delegates from the Senate and the House of Representatives struck a last-minute deal on pension reform for police officers, corrections officers and firefighters — deviating from the governor’s proposal that they had already approved — Ayotte called foul. She told WMUR on Thursday that she’d veto the budget if it includes cuts to retirement, like a pension cap, plus other healthcare and education cuts that budget architects have agreed on. The House and Senate now have a choice this week: pass the budget and challenge Ayotte to get out the veto pen, or vote on more time and head back to the drawing board.

■The budget includes a last-ditch effort to what Republican lawmakers call the “sticker scam.” Policy language added late last week would repeal the requirement for New Hampshire drivers to get their cars inspected every year, starting in 2026. Legislators have tried for years to pass such a law, saying mandatory vehicle inspections give dealerships too much power and force drivers to pay unnecessary fees to meet legal requirements. New Hampshire is currently one of 14 states that require inspections every year or two years.

■Despite some uncertainty that cropped up last week, Ayotte’s proposed ban on student cell phone use in schools appears to be moving forward, as reported by Monitor education reporter Jeremy Margolis. Senate President Sharon Carson added the “bell-to-bell” ban into the state budget’s policy language after a hangup over concerns from some Republican senators who wanted students to have access to their phones in case of an emergency.

The week ahead

■On Wednesday, June 25 at 10 a.m., the Executive Council will convene in its State House chambers.

■On Thursday, June 26 at 10 a.m., the House and Senate will meet to vote on the state budget and a few dozen outstanding bills relating to topics including immigration, LGBTQ issues and election procedures.

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.