Politics
‘Absolutely needed’: Overwhelmed by onslaught of education bills, House will split them by policy and funding
By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY
In Rick Ladd’s 16 years in the State House, he’d never seen so many education bills.That is, until 2022, when they skyrocketed – so much so that Ladd, a Haverhill Republican and chair of the House Education Committee, said lawmakers can no longer...
On the trail: Scanlan’s to-do list for the next two years includes defending the NH primary
By PAUL STEINHAUSER
New Hampshire Secretary of State Dave Scanlan says he aims over the next two years to put “the finishing touches” on programs he and his team have been implementing the past couple of years.“We spent the last two years doing a lot of work with the...
Meet James Thibault: New Hampshire’s youngest representative
By MICHAELA TOWFIGHI
In the political library at Saint Anselm’s Institute of Politics, James Thibault sat down to do his homework in a gray suit. Pins of both the New Hampshire flag and United States flag were fastened to the lapel, and his red, white and blue tie was...
Political leaders demand ‘civility,’ bipartisanship as new lawmakers embark on the 2025 session
By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY
On election night, Republicans in New Hampshire delivered what many thought of as a slam dunk. But outgoing Gov. Chris Sununu doesn’t see Republicans’ trifecta control of the governor’s office, the House and the Senate in Concord as a free pass.The...
Sununu’s final request: a Dartmouth takeover of Hampstead Hospital.
By MICHAELA TOWFIGHI
Chris Sununu has one ask before he leaves the corner office: to see Dartmouth Health take over operations at Hampstead Hospital.He knows it’s a unique proposition – the private hospital would lease the facility from the state, gaining full control...
What’s next for abortion laws in New Hampshire
By ETHAN DeWITT
In Kelly Ayotte’s campaign for governor, the now-governor-elect was clear in ads and speeches: She would not be making changes to the state’s abortion law. That law, passed in 2021, bans abortions after six months of pregnancy except in cases of fatal...
Members of NH congressional delegation condemn Biden pardon
By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY
Congresswoman-elect Maggie Goodlander warned that President Joe Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, doesn’t bode well for Donald Trump’s impending return to the White House.“I’m concerned about the precedent that this pardon sets and the ways it...
‘Laser focused’: One thing lawmakers can agree on? New Hampshire’s in a housing crisis.
By MICHAELA TOWFIGHI
Ellen Read and Joe Alexander don’t agree on much. In the primary, mailers attacked Read, a Newmarket Democrat, as the “AOC of N.H.” In his three terms in the House, Alexander, a Goffstown Republican, has quickly risen through party ranks. Both voted...
Biden pardons his son Hunter despite previous pledges not to
By ZEKE MILLER, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and COLLEEN LONG
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the...
Squirrels, magic mushrooms and cat claws: A look at New Hampshire’s offbeat bills
By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNANand CHARLOTTE MATHERLY
From a social media-famous squirrel named Peanut that’s inspiring legislative action to hot-button issues like cat declawing, hallucinogenic mushrooms and sticky rodent traps, New Hampshire’s State House docket is set to feature some quirky...
‘It hits government too’: With cuts on the horizon, here’s what to know about New Hampshire’s next budget cycle
By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY
It’s no secret that New Hampshire’s headed toward leaner times. Outgoing Gov. Chris Sununu hoped to get ahead of the revenue problem by asking state agencies to reduce their budgets requests.Still, this year’s proposals totaled nearly $17 billion...
New attempt made to drop circumcision from Medicaid coverage in NH
By RICK GREEN
New Hampshire lawmakers will consider next year whether the state should end Medicaid coverage for routine circumcision, an elective procedure frequently done on newborn boys.The proposed legislation is similar to House Bill 1683, which the N.H. House...
Chances for pot legalization in NH seem to dim
By RICK GREEN
New Hampshire lawmakers will pursue efforts to legalize marijuana for recreational use next year, but their chances seem slim, with Gov.-elect Kelly Ayotte and new state Senate President Sharon Carson in firm opposition.“Hopes have dimmed to near zero...
‘Trash juice’ gets a legislative spotlight following management failures
By CLAIRE SULLIVAN
When it rains over a landfill, water trickles through the waste, picking up contaminants in the trash and forming a polluted liquid called leachate.Lawmakers will consider a bill next session that would create more comprehensive requirements around...
New Hampshire lawmakers to revisit medically assisted death in next legislative session
By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN
Legislation allowing terminally ill individuals to legally end their lives through medication is back on the table for next year’s legislative session but with one change – patients would be prohibited from taking the prescribed medication in public...
A law enforcement resume helped Kelly Ayotte rise. It may also shape how she leads.
By JOSH ROGERS
Gov.-elect Kelly Ayotte sometimes describes the time she spent leading the New Hampshire Department of Justice as serving as “the people’s lawyer.” But from the moment she launched her run for governor this year, Ayotte tended to highlight one...
Republicans push to extend new voter ID law next year; Democrats seek repeal
By ETHAN DeWITT
The new law that will require hard proof of voter ID and citizenship to vote in New Hampshire just barely took effect – six days after the Nov. 5 general election.But already, Republican and Democratic lawmakers are seeking to change it this...
Ayotte forms Public Safety Task Force to tackle labor shortages, bail reform
By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY
State leaders warned of climbing labor shortages throughout New Hampshire’s government agencies during budget hearings this month and Governor-elect Kelly Ayotte plans to tackle that issue.Ayotte assembled a Public Safety Task Force, her transition...
On the trail: Sununu’s swan song
By PAUL STEINHAUSER
MARCO ISLAND, Fla. — Gov. Chris Sununu was busy making the rounds this week, as he attended his final annual winter meeting of the Republican Governors Association after eight years steering New Hampshire.Sununu is in his final weeks of serving as...
Advocates urge legislative panel to reject proposed landfill regulations
By CLAIRE SULLIVAN
North Country advocates are asking a legislative committee to object to the Department of Environmental Services’ proposed updates to its landfill rules, arguing they aren’t protective enough and were overly shaped by industry interests.The Joint...
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