The House Labor Committee has scheduled a hearing on SB 61, the so-called “right to work” bill for Thursday, March 25. We need the committee members to know that there is substantial opposition to this bill, which could reduce the compensation and benefits of all workers in New Hampshire. Make your voice heard! Learn how.

Right to Work Action Needed.   The top story this week is the impending hearing in the House Labor Committee on SB 61, the so-called “right to work” bill.  The hearing is scheduled for the morning of March 25, and we urge you to register your opposition to this scheme to reduce the compensation and benefits of all workers in NH by registering at this link no later than 8am on Thursday, March 25 Register your opposition to SB 61 here.   It is a quick and easy form to complete. Go to the date, March 25^th, Select House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services, 10:00 am, SB 61. Drop down menu for “I am a member of the public” and “representing myself”. Then you can click “I oppose this bill”. Click “Continue”. Fill in your first name, last name, phone number, and email address, and click "Continue."  Check the box next to "By clicking this checkbox, you agree that the information you have provided is truthful to the best of your knowledge."  Click "Continue."

March 14, 2021 ~ Bow, NH

Watching the snow fall and listening to the wind howl today, just a few days after we had temps in the 60s with bright sunshine.  Ah, welcome to March in New Hampshire!

Senate Voucher bill. Our biggest story continues to be SB 130, the Senate version of the “voucher” bill shelved in the NH House.  This past week, the Senate Education Committee voted along party lines to send SB 130 to the Senate for a vote on this coming Thursday, March 18.  As explained below, SB 130 has been amended, but the effect is akin to putting lipstick on a pig—it is still a pig.  And so, please contact your NH senator, whether Republican or Democrat, and urge her/him to vote against this giveaway of tax dollars which will result in raising your property taxes. 

Click the link and Tell your State Senator to OPPOSE Senate Bill 30. No to vouchers

March 7, 2021 ~ Bow, NH

Educator Vaccines   The most consequential news this week started in Washington DC, when President Biden ordered the prioritization of educators (teachers, staff, child care workers) for COVID vaccinations.  The goal?  Speed up the vaccinations and thereby speed up the reopening of schools and a further return to at least a semblance of normality.  Here in NH, Governor Sununu initially declared that President Biden’s pronouncement would make no difference here in the Granite State, but only a day or so later, amidst mounting public criticism, Governor Sununu reversed course.  Not that he admitted any such thing.  Instead, suddenly the pace of vaccinations here in NH permitted moving up the vaccination of educators starting around the middle of March.  Of course, this had nothing to do with President Biden’s order; Governor Sununu just had a sudden insight that this could be done.  Typical political move by the governor, but at least it was the right move this time.  After bashing AFT-NH, teachers, and their unions for over a month, the governor reversed course and announced NH would do what educators, through their unions, have sought since January—vaccinations!  We’ll take it, and even if Governor Sununu refuses to acknowledge us, we can take quiet pride in helping to move NH forward towards a restoration of some sort of normality in this COVID-pandemic world.

February 28, 2021 - Bow, NH

 NH House Session   Over two days this week, the NH House met in session for the first time since early January.  The first day, in particular, was ugly, ill-tempered, and ultimately chaotic, one of the worst days in the NH House in recent memory.  Keep in mind that the day began with over thirty Democratic members unable to attend due to health concerns related to the COVID pandemic.  Republican leadership continues to refuse to even consider any means of remote access to accommodate these representatives, even voting down a rules change to allow for remote access (Republicans have rejected rules permitting remote access at least twice already, then claim the lack of a rule permitting remote access prevents implementation of a remote accommodation). At the same time, however, Speaker Packard (R-Londonderry) continues to bend over backwards to accommodate the 60 or 70 Republicans who refuse to wear masks or take even the slightest precautions in the midst of this pandemic.  These “unmasked” Republican members sat on one side of the Bedford Sportsplex, but while they were urged to wear masks when leaving their area, they were not required to do so.  Their lack of collegiality, civility, and respect for the welfare of others set the tone for the Republican majority’s behavior the entire day.

February 20, 2021 ~ Bow, NH

A rather surprising event occurred this past week, when on Thursday in the Education Committee, chairman Rick Ladd (R-Haverhill) moved to retain HB 20.  The committee quickly voted unanimously to retain the bill, meaning that HB 20, the education “voucher” bill, will not come to the floor of the House in 2021. 

What happened to HB 20 in the House Education Committee?

Why this sudden turn of events?  It began with a wholesale revision of the bill via an amendment presented to the committee on Wednesday, Feb. 17.  This Republican amendment placed an income cap on eligibility (approx. $100,000 for a family of four) and provided some financial assistance to local school districts losing students to private schools and home-schooling.  The joke, however, was that the amendment explicitly repealed these provisions in 2026, thereby returning to giving away public funds to any family regardless of income or need and providing no State assistance to property taxpayers in districts losing State funds to “vouchers.”  In other words, it was a shell-game, aimed at simply delaying the looting of public funds via a massive giveaway accompanied a huge downshifting of costs onto local property taxpayers.