AFT-NH Legislative Bulletin
2023-05
Action Alert
Well, it finally feels like winter. The temperatures this weekend will be dangerously cold, and we hope you are all able to stay warm in your homes and safe. If you do have to go out, please bundle up and be safe! And if you believe the groundhog, we will have 6 more weeks of winter!
Next week will be another big and busy week for education in the State House. This week the House Education Committee voted to expand the voucher program from 300% of federal poverty to 350%, despite the program already being over budget and without any accountability. We must stop this bill on the floor and will provide actions next week! In the meantime, below we have highlighted priorities for next week and actions to help push back and protect public education.
The Edelblut/Cordelli Book Ban Next week the House Education Committee will hear the Edelblut/Cordelli Book Ban. One part of HB 514 bans public schools from displaying or disseminating “obscene material” without, of course, a definition of what obscene material means. In an interview on WMUR just a couple of weeks ago, Frank Edelblut alluded to wanting to see books banned in public schools and we have already seen some school boards or school board members look to implement this disgusting practice. Obscene materials policies and book banning is also generally aimed at the LGBTQ community and banning books is often an attempt at erasing the LGTBQ community.
Our public school students deserve access to a whole world of ideas through their school libraries. Some books they will love, some books will challenge them, some books will expose them to new ideas and get them to think critically about any number of topics. Students are not forced to take out any particular book. If parents don’t want them to read a certain book, they can relay that to the school as well as have a conversation with their child. This is how this situation should be handled and not through book banning as this bill suggests.
This bill continues a disturbing trend from the commissioner and its sponsor of looking to strip our neighborhood public schools to their bare bones and make it so they are not the vibrant learning communities they should be and our neighborhoods expect them to be. For all of our students and communities we must push back against this awful bill. Please take the requested action below.
Another equally disturbing part of this bill, deals with public libraries, public universities museums and other institutions that are generally exempted from bans on displaying or disseminating “obscene material.” This bill makes a significant change by giving the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services the ability to bring charges that specific material is obscene based on complaints they have received. If the departments are successful through a legal hearing in having material declared obscene, access to such material even by adults could be banned at public universities, public libraries and other institutions. It could also leave the employees of the library or university subject to prosecution if the material continues to be displayed or circulated.
A New Version Of “School Choice” Also this week HB 441, a bill that would eliminate residency requirements for public school attendance will be heard by the House Education Committee. We know that some public schools in our state perform better than others on state assessments. We also know that difference can be largely tied to the state’s failure to adequately fund education and differences in the ability to raise money through local property taxes. Schools that can afford better educational resources and better salaries for their workforce perform better in New Hampshire. We know that schools with a high proportion of students who face challenges outside of school such as: economic insecurity, housing insecurity, food insecurity, and learning English as a second language don’t score as well on state assessments. The fix for this is not sending all kids to schools that are higher performing, because students will bring their needs with them. the fix is to better fund our schools, with extra emphasis where the need is greatest, to make sure every child has access to the highest quality education. We owe our students that much and it is fundamental to the success of the state moving forward.
Action Request You can sign in and OPPOSE HB 514 and HB 441 and make sure the House Education Committee knows that New Hampshire supports our public schools and will push back against those who would harm public education.
Here’s the link to submit your opposition: Remote Sign-In
You will need to submit your opposition to each bill.
Step 1: Fill in your personal information.
Step 2: Select February 8th at 9:45am for HB 514. Select February 7th at 9:30am for HB 441.
Step 3: Select House Education Committee
Step 4: Select Bill Number (HB 514 and HB 441) [You need to submit the form twice.]
Step 5: Select a member of the public and you are representing yourself.
Step 6: Select OPPOSE
Step 7: Click Submit.
Thank you for your taking the time to have your voice heard on these important issues.
For breaking news and other legislative information, please be sure to like us on Facebook at AFT New Hampshire or follow us on Twitter @AFTNewHampshire to receive the latest news. Please share this with friends so they can sign up for this bulletin at http://nh.aft.org/.
You can also read written testimony submitted to the legislature at STATE HOUSE NEWS.
Week of February 6th Legislative Hearing Schedule
Time | Bill | Description | Sponsors | Location |
Mon 2/6 9:30 AM | HB 439 | Relative to The Duty to Provide An Education and Contracts with Private Schools. | Rep. Glenn Cordelli | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Mon 2/6 9:30 AM | HB 440 | Relative to The Uses Of Education Trust Fund. | Rep. Glenn Cordelli | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Mon 2/6 9:30 AM | HB 377 | Relative to Screening and Intervention In Public Schools For Dyslexia and Related Disorders. | Rep. Katelyn Kuttab | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Mon 2/6 9:30 AM | HB 102 | Requiring High Schools to Include Instruction On The Nature and History Of Communism. | Rep. Michael Moffett | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Mon 2/6 9:30 AM | HB 540 | Relative to Adequate Education Grant Amounts For Pupils Receiving Special Education Services. | Rep. Rick Ladd | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Mon 2/6 9:30 AM | HB 437 | Relative to A Reading Assessment and Intervention Program. | Rep. Glenn Cordelli | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Mon 2/6 9:30 AM | HB 272 | Increasing Chartered Public School Per Pupil Funding. | Rep. Maureen Mooney | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Mon 2/6 9:30 AM | HB 529 | Relative to Additional Aid Grants For Schools Based On Free and Reduced Price Meals and Fiscal Capacity Disparity. | Rep. Sallie Fellows | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Mon 2/6 9:30 AM | HB 464 | Relative to Eligible Students In The Education Freedom Account Program. | Rep. Erica Layon | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Mon 2/6 9:30 AM | HB 601 | Relative to State Participation In The Medicaid Direct Certification Program For Free and Reduced Price School Meals. | Rep. Mary Heath | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Mon 2/6 9:30 AM | HB 466 | Relative to Water Bottle Filling Stations In Schools. | Rep. Rick Ladd | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Mon 2/6 1:00 PM | HB 134 | Extending The Public Employees Labor Relations Act to Employees Of The General Court and Relative to The Duties Of The Joint Committee On Legislative Facilities. | Rep. Kristina Schultz | LOB 301-303 (Legislative Administration/H) |
Tue 2/7 9:00 AM | HB 382 | Authorizing Local School Boards to Give Students Release Time For Participation In Religious Instruction In An Elective Course For The Purposes Of Satisfying Curriculum Requirements. | Rep. Matthew Santonastaso | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Tue 2/7 9:15 AM | SB 193 | Relative to The Obligation Of Collective Bargaining Units to Negotiate In Good Faith. | Sen. Suzanne Prentiss | SH 100 (Commerce/S) |
Tue 2/7 9:30 AM | SB 214 | Establishing A Department Of Early Childhood Education and Relative to A Pre-kindergarten Pilot Program. | Sen. Rebecca Whitley | LOB 101 (Education/S) |
Tue 2/7 9:30 AM | HB 441 | Eliminating Residency Requirements For Public School Attendance. | Rep. Josh Yokela | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Tue 2/7 10:00 AM | SB 155 | Relative to The Adoption Of School Administrative Unit Budgets. | Sen. Kevin Avard | LOB 103 (Election Law and Municipal Affairs/S) |
Tue 2/7 10:00 AM | HB 104 | Relative to Multi-stall Bathrooms and Locker Rooms In Schools. | Rep. Michael Moffett | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Tue 2/7 10:00 AM | HB 241 | Relative to The Opportunity Of School District Employees Representing The Collective Bargaining Unit to Meet with The Public Employer As Part Of Collective Bargaining Negotiations. | Rep. Vanessa Sheehan | LOB 305-307 (Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services/H) |
Tue 2/7 10:45 AM | HB 352 | Relative to Excused Absences Due to A Student's Mental or Behavioral Health. | Rep. Joe Alexander | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Tue 2/7 11:15 AM | HB 505 | Relative to Comprehensive Mental Health Education In Schools. | Rep. Jodi Newell | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Tue 2/7 1:00 PM | HB 74 | Relative to An Employee's Unused Earned Time. | Rep. Michael Cahill | LOB 305-307 (Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services/H) |
Tue 2/7 1:00 PM | HB 57 | Relative to The State Minimum Hourly Rate. | Rep. Kristina Schultz | LOB 305-307 (Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services/H) |
Tue 2/7 1:00 PM | HB 118 | Prohibiting Employers From Engaging In Certain Anti-union Activities. | Rep. Joshua Adjutant | LOB 305-307 (Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services/H) |
Tue 2/7 1:00 PM | HB 58 | Prohibiting Payment Of Subminimum Wages. | Rep. Kristina Schultz | LOB 305-307 (Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services/H) |
Tue 2/7 1:45 PM | HB 539 | Relative to Vaccination Clinics At Schools. | Rep. Jim Kofalt | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Tue 2/7 2:30 PM | HB 552 | Relative to Making Incentive Grants For School Districts That Improve In Certain Assessment Scores. | Rep. Michael Moffett | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Tue 2/7 3:15 PM | HB 634 | Relative to Students' Participation In Religious Instruction to Satisfy Elective Curriculum Requirements. | Rep. Jason Gerhard | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Wed 2/8 9:00 AM | HB 627 | Relative to Local Education Improvement Plans and Disparities In Education. | Rep. Alicia Lekas | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Wed 2/8 9:00 AM | HB 32 | Relative to Possession or Discharge Of A Firearm In A Safe School Zone. | Rep. Steve Shurtleff | Representatives' Hall (Criminal Justice and Public Safety/H) |
Wed 2/8 9:45 AM | HB 514 | Relative to The Dissemination Of Obscene Material By Schools and Institutions Of Higher Learning. | Rep. Glenn Cordelli | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Wed 2/8 10:15 AM | HB 604 | Relative to Reading Specialists. | Rep. Glenn Cordelli | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Wed 2/8 10:45 AM | HB 623 | Establishing A Teacher Candidate Loan Forgiveness Program. | Rep. Mel Myler | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Wed 2/8 11:00 AM | HB 533 | Relative to Public School Human Rights Complaints. | Rep. Glenn Cordelli | LOB 206-208 (Judiciary/H) |
Wed 2/8 11:00 AM | HB 362 | Relative to Complaint Procedures In Cases Before The Commission For Human Rights. | Rep. Mark McLean | LOB 206-208 (Judiciary/H) |
Wed 2/8 11:00 AM | HB 647 | Relative to Causes Of Action For Individual Rights. | Rep. Tony Lekas | LOB 206-208 (Judiciary/H) |
Wed 2/8 11:15 AM | HB 563 | Relative to The Adoption Of School Administrative Unit Budgets. | Rep. John Sellers | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Wed 2/8 11:15 AM | HB 78 | Repealing An Act Prohibiting The State From Enforcing Any Federal Statute, Regulation, or Presidential Executive Order That Restricts or Regulates The Right Of The People to Keep or Bear Arms. | Rep. Suzanne Vail | Representatives' Hall (Criminal Justice and Public Safety/H) |
Wed 2/8 1:00 PM | HB 452 | Relative to The Department Of Education Procedures For School Building Aid Applications. | Rep. Rick Ladd | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Wed 2/8 1:45 PM | HB 354 | Relative to Chartered Public School Eligibility For State School Building Aid. | Rep. Maureen Mooney | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Wed 2/8 2:30 PM | HB 394 | Relative to The Organization Of Cooperative School Boards. | Rep. John Sellers | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Wed 2/8 3:00 PM | HB 632 | Relative to The Cooperative School District Budget Committee. | Rep. John Sellers | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Thu 2/9 9:00 AM | HB 533 | Relative to Public School Human Rights Complaints. | Rep. Glenn Cordelli | LOB 206-208 (Judiciary/H) |
Thu 2/9 9:00 AM | HB 362 | Relative to Complaint Procedures In Cases Before The Commission For Human Rights. | Rep. Mark McLean | LOB 206-208 (Judiciary/H) |
Thu 2/9 9:00 AM | HB 647 | Relative to Causes Of Action For Individual Rights. | Rep. Tony Lekas | LOB 206-208 (Judiciary/H) |
Thu 2/9 9:30 AM | HB 135 | Prohibiting No-knock Warrants. | Rep. Kristina Schultz | LOB 202-204 (Criminal Justice and Public Safety/H) |
Thu 2/9 10:30 AM | HB 293 | Allowing A Town to Appropriate Funds to Create A Town Scholarship Fund. | Rep. Gregory Hill | LOB 301-303 (Municipal and County Government/H) |
Thu 2/9 10:30 AM | HB 123 | Relative to Governing Body Members Of The Budget Committee. | Rep. Terry Roy | LOB 301-303 (Municipal and County Government/H) |
Fri 2/10 9:45 AM | HB 651 | Authorizing The Department Of Education and Local School Districts to Contract with Transportation Network Companies to Provide School Transportation Services. | Rep. Glenn Cordelli | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Fri 2/10 11:15 AM | HB 275 | Relative to Schools Approved For A School Tuition Program By A School Board. | Rep. Rick Ladd | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Fri 2/10 1:15 PM | HB 628 | Requiring Certain Non-public Schools or Education Service Providers That Accept Public Funds to Perform Background Checks On All Employees and Volunteers. | Rep. Linda Tanner | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Fri 2/10 2:00 PM | HB 427 | Relative to Public Comment and Inquiry During School Board Meetings. | Rep. Judy Aron | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |
Fri 2/10 2:45 PM | HB 629 | Establishing A Student Bill Of Rights. | Rep. Linda Tanner | LOB 205-207 (Education/H) |