Press

Statement from AFT-NH President Deb Howes on Senate Passage of HB 1792

Statement on Senate Passage of HB 1792 as a Reenactment of the Unconstitutional Divisive Concepts Law

"The extremist majority in the NH Senate’s passage of HB 1792 is another betrayal of public-school students and a direct attack on honest education.

"Once again, extremist politicians in the NH House have betrayed Granite State public school students by passing SB 434. The bill strips students of their right to read freely and learn from a full range of ideas in their public schools.

AFT-NH President Deb Howes Statement on Defeat of SB 101 (Open Enrollment)

Granite State public school students won today when the New Hampshire House put the needs of all public-school students first and defeated SB101, an Open Enrollment proposal that was far from ready to become law. All students deserve robust, well-funded public schools in their home districts, and this proposal lacked the safeguards, stable funding, and predictability needed to protect students, classrooms and communities. This bipartisan vote showed respect for local voters and property taxpayers, who voted at annual

“The majority of the House Education Policy Committee failed Granite State public school students by rushing through a statewide open enrollment proposal without doing the hard work required to make it fair and workable for all public school students.

Governor Kelly Ayotte’s signing of HB 1815 is a direct blow to New Hampshire’s public-school students. The bill tries to rewrite the state’s constitutional duty to fund public education without fixing the broken system that already leaves New Hampshire last in the nation for its share of school funding.

Instead of delivering real support to students in property-poor districts, HB 1815 lets the state walk away from decades of court rulings and deepens inequities for students and taxpayers alike. Every single Granite State child deserves a fair, fully funded public education in their local

“By passing HB 1792, the House has turned its back on students, educators, and New Hampshire’s constitutional duty to ‘cherish’ public education. This bill censors honest teaching, undermines state academic standards, and revives the same vague, viewpoint‑based restrictions a federal court struck down in AFT Local 8027 v. Edelblut.

This bill creates endless chaos and added costs for taxpayers while weakening our members’ voices in the workplace. It sets up a second, parallel bargaining system that allows individuals to cut side deals with their employer and even tacks on criminal penalties for basic First Amendment advocacy.

In the Granite State, we take pride in our public schools. Families choose them because they trust the dedicated teachers, paraeducators, and school staff who work tirelessly to meet the needs of every student and create inclusive classrooms where all can learn and thrive.

CONCORD, N.H.— Today, Governor Ayotte vetoed HB 324 which was the book banning bill. AFT-NH President Deb Howes issued the following statement:

“Today's veto of the book banning bill is a victory for Granite State public school students and their right to a robust public education. We thank Gov. Ayotte for vetoing this harmful bill and protecting the First Amendment right of students to access a wide variety of materials in their schools. This decision affirms the long-standing tradition of local control by elected school boards over policy making for our neighborhood public schools. They know

CONCORD, N.H.— Today, the New Hampshire Supreme Court released its opinion in Contoocook Valley Sch. Dist. v. State. The Court upheld the original Claremont Decision and upheld the recent ConVal ruling and its funding number given by Judge Ruoff last year, while not enforcing the funding immediately. AFT-NH President Deb Howes released the following statement:

Statement from AFT-NH President Deb Howes on Senate Passage of HB 1792

Statement from AFT-NH President Deb Howes on Passage of SB 434

AFT-NH President Deb Howes Statement on Defeat of SB 101

Statement on Passage of Open Enrollment Bill by House Education Committee

Statement from AFT-NH President Deb Howes on Governor Ayotte’s signing of HB 1815

AFT-NH Statement on Passage of HB 1792

Statement from AFT-NH President Deb Howes on House Labor Committee Action on HB 1704

Statement from AFT-NH President Deb Howes on Comments by NH House Education Policy and Administration Chair

AFT-NH Statement on Governor Ayotte’s Veto of the Book Ban Bill

AFT-NH President Statement: Supreme Court Confirms New Hampshire is Failing Students, Demands Action