State House News

This totally unnecessary bill creates the false and frankly insulting impression that we have rampant problems with extremely serious educator misconduct in so many of our public schools that it can only be solved by granting unprecedented investigatory power to the head of the Department of Education, through his hearing officers! Let me be clear, nobody wants the kind of person who would hurt students to stay in a position where they can ever do it again, whether that is as an educator, a volunteer, a sports coach, a clergy person or any other adult a child might encounter.

I am here today to express our staunch opposition to the non-germane amendment to SB 54 which would require providing all public school students firearms safety training at all grade levels as part of their public education. We have many concerns about this proposed legislation as educators, parents, grandparents, and Granite State citizens.

On behalf of our members and the people we serve, I am here to express my opposition to portions of the House passed budget HB1 and HB 2. It is said that budgets are a statement of priorities. That is especially true in times when revenues are scarce. For that reason alone, priorities must remain laser focused on meeting the state’s constitutional duties and providing assistance to those who most need it. 

It’s Time to Advocate for a Better State Budget

Another week just concluded where the actions under the State House dome are increasingly isolated from what people in Granite State cities and towns actually want. It makes you wonder, who does the extremist majority in this legislature think they are representing?

Legislative Cross-Over

Up Next: Book Bans and Expanded Vouchers

This week marked the crossover point in the legislative session. Bills that have passed the House now go to the Senate for a hearing and bills that have passed the Senate move onto the House for a hearing. It gives us a second chance to use our voices to try to stop awful policies, improve bad ones and, try to pass good ones.

The biggest thing the legislature will tackle next week is the state budget for the next two years. The budget being put forward is deeply flawed. After years of tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and multinational corporations, New Hampshire is facing a significant revenue shortfall. Because of this, in the House budget to be voted on this week, you see an income tax on working-class Granite Staters to pay for Medicaid, severe cuts to community mental health centers, and the closure of the Office of the Child Advocate, to say nothing of the crippling cut to the University System of New Hampshire.

Consequential House Finance Committee Vote on

State Budget Up Next

Another tough week at the State House for those who want to see every public school student in the Granite State get the robust public education they deserve in their own school district. This past week, the Senate passed their version of the Universal School Voucher Program on its financial vote. It previously passed a policy vote. With this latest vote, the Senators and Representatives who voted for the Universal School Voucher Program made one thing very clear. They support sending our tax dollars to the wealthiest individuals in our state for private education, all while failing to provide anywhere near enough tax dollars to allow the more than 155,000 public school students to learn and thrive in their public schools.