State House Watch: April 15, 2022

By Maggie Fogarty and Grace Kindeke

Apr 16, 2022

Photo: Cheryl Senter/AFSC

“Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

April 15, 2022

Hello State House Watchers,

We want to wish everyone who celebrates a blessed Passover, Easter and Ramadan. May these special days bring joy, renewal and time with loved ones.

Friends gathered this week to honor the life and the loss of a dedicated and spirited public servant, NH Representative Kathi Rogers. We admired her so much, for her fierce advocacy in defense of children and common sense gun laws and state budgets that prioritize human needs. She demonstrated love and courage throughout her career, and especially in the last 18 months as she remained steadfastly present to her state legislative duties while living with cancer. She was laid to rest today. You can read more here.

TPS for Cameroon!

We rejoiced to learn this morning that the Biden administration has granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Cameroon; this action will provide temporary safety to 40,000+ Cameroonians currently living in the United States. This is a long-overdue victory for immigrant organizers—especially Black immigrant leaders—and an important step forward for human rights. We should remember, however, the many thousands who suffered the violence of detention and deportation awaiting justice in the U.S. immigration system. From the UndocuBlack Network: “As we celebrate the life-saving protection TPS will provide for thousands of Cameroonians now eligible for TPS, we also mourn the harm that came to those deported back to dangerous conditions. The unnecessary delay in announcing this designation, which resulted in the detention, forced disapearance, sexual assault and torture of [deported] Cameroonian asylum seekers…painfully showcases the anti-Blackness that exists within the immigration enforcement system at large. Other majority-Black countries, such as Mauritania and Ethiopia, with very similar conditions, must also receive TPS designation immediately. The unnecessary delay will only cause more harm and suffering for people seeking safety.” Read more here, and here.

It's Time to End Title 42

Members of the executive committee of the Latino Democratic Caucus resigned this week in anger and frustration at the anti-immigrant actions by U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan and Congressman Chris Pappas, specifically their advocacy to keep in place the Trump-era Title 42 expulsions at the southern border, and their calls for heightened border militarization, including a border wall. From the letter, signed by Eva Castillo, NH Representative Maria Perez, Sebastian Fuentes and Marcus Ponce de Leon: “For many years, we have struggled, unsuccessfully, to have our voices heard; this has never been made clearer than by the recent comments and position taken by Senator Maggie Hassan and Congressman Chris Pappas concerning immigration. We take from these signals that our community does not matter, and that immigration and humanitarian steps are only welcome when white refugees are in need; when black and brown asylum seekers come needing shelter, we start to demand more ‘border security.’ The dangerous rhetoric and its accompanying attitude is something we expect from the New Hampshire Republican Party and their fear-mongering slew of candidates, but when one of our Democratic leaders acts in the same way, we must draw a line.”

Even as some lawmakers move to keep Title 42 in place, interfaith leaders from throughout the country are making clear that they are ready to welcome asylum seekers to safety in the U.S. Read more here.

New Hampshire activists for immigrant justice will hold a visibility action at the Portsmouth Harborside Sheraton (250 Market St, Portsmouth) next week, on Tuesday, April 19 at 8 AM. All are welcome to let Senator Hassan and Congressman Pappas know that New Hampshire stands in solidarity with immigrant families, friends and community members; and urge them to withdraw their sponsorship of the harmful amendments that would indefinitely extend Title 42.

In addition to joining us in Portsmouth, you can contact Congressman Pappas and Senator Hassan to insist that they withdraw their support for the Title 42 amendments to the COVID funding bill, and also sign and share this message created by our friends at NH Interfaith Action Fund. Also, you can sign and share this action alert from the ACLU.

Checkpoint Notification Bill Defeated in the Senate

We are disappointed that HB 579, which would have required public notice of immigration checkpoints, and which had previously passed the full House with strong bipartisan support, was defeated in the Senate on a party-line vote. From InDepthNH: “Sen. Becky Whitley, D-Hopkinton, called [the immigration checkpoints] ‘fishing expeditions for unlawful purposes,’ and Sen. Donna Soucy, D-Manchester, noted that often the arrests and convictions are overturned because they violated search and seizure laws of the state. Sen. Suzanne Prentiss, D-Lebanon, noted while she was on Lebanon City Council several years ago, they dealt with an issue where ambulances on Route 89 were delayed from getting to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center because of the roadblocks and checkpoints. ‘There are larger implications,’ she said to the federal government’s border stops.” Read more in the Keene Sentinel.

We hope that the ACLU lawsuit will succeed where the legislature did not.

In Other News...

The Senate Judiciary Committee has recommended Ought to Pass on HB 1609, which would remove the requirement that all people seeking abortion care first undergo an ultrasound at every stage of pregnancy, regardless of whether it is medically necessary, and make an important adjustment to mitigate some of the harm caused by New Hampshire's 24-week abortion ban, by allowing exceptions for fatal fetal diagnoses.

The House Election Law Committee voted OTP/A on SB 418. The New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights released the following statement: “Republicans in the House Election Law Committee voted to allow politicians to know who people voted for, make it harder for eligible voters to register to vote at the polls, and threaten voting rights for overseas military members. The amendments passed today fail to mitigate the inherent flaws in a bill that will completely overhaul how New Hampshire conducts elections by creating provisional ballots and making it harder for a range of voters, including active overseas military personnel, to cast their secret ballots. In a state where elections frequently come down to small margins of victory, passing a law that stops any voter from fairly participating in our elections undermines the core of our democracy. The New Hampshire House must protect the right to vote for overseas military personnel and all Granite State voters by voting against SB 418.” The full House will vote on the bill next week, so please contact your Representatives to urge them to defeat this harmful bill.

And the House Special Committee on Redistricting has recommended OTP for two sets of gerrymandered maps—SB 240, the state Senate district maps, and SB 241, the Executive Council maps. From InDepthNH: “During the public hearings, bill opponents lamented that partisan gerrymandered districts drawn 10 years ago were made even more partisan by the Senate approved maps for the State Senate and the Executive Council. Many testifying argued the district maps should reflect the partisan divide of voters which is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, but noted the new maps will produce a Senate with at least 15 Republican senators and an Executive Council with Republicans filling four of the five seats.”

Action Alerts for This Week

HB 1266 an anti-immigrant bill that would prevent local communities from prohibiting police collusion with federal immigration enforcement is scheduled for a public hearing in Senate Judiciary on April 19 at 2 PM. Please register your opposition to this bill and join us at the hearing if you are able to do so (Room 100 at the State House). Here are some talking points from the NH Immigrant Rights Network.

HB 1625, repealing the prohibition on entering or remaining on a public way or sidewalk adjacent to a reproductive health care facility, has a public hearing in Senate Judiciary on April 19 at 2:30 PM. Please sign in to oppose this bill. Everyone deserves to feel safe while accessing health care services.

A Few Shout Outs

Cheers to the Manchester Community Action Coalition (MCAC) whose community organizing model and tutoring program at the SEE Science Center was featured earlier this month in Manchester Ink Link: “The mission of MCAC is [to create] an encouraging space where people of color can have an opportunity to grow in leadership that is team-based and community-led, with a chance to build a lasting legacy on issues that are affecting us,” [MCAC Executive Director Kile] Adumene says ... Grace Kindeke, project coordinator for MCAC, describes the organization’s approach as a village model, based on the social structure of communities in Africa, where both Adumene and Kindeke immigrated from. ‘In the village model your family is an extended family: the people within your community, relatives, friends, neighbors.’ [This approach] tries to break through the individualistic nuclear family mindset that you can only rely on [a] small group of people.’”

Belated congratulations to Rev. Sandra Pontoh whose committed advocacy and leadership as an immigrant and a religious leader within the Indonesian community was highlighted in a new series in Manchester Ink Link.

And hooray for the unionized workers at Cummins Corporation facilities in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts who won a fair contract this week after two months on the picket line. Arnie Alpert covered the story for InDepthNH: “’We’re in an interesting moment right now where workers are starting to realize their power in the labor market and starting to flex their muscle,’ commented Todd Vachon, who directs the Labor Education Action Research Network at Rutgers University ... ‘What some call a labor shortage is really a wage and good job shortage,’ says Vachon. But whatever you call it, ‘it’s really empowering the workers that do have unions in their shops and that are negotiating contracts right now, threatening to go on strike and even going on strike, putting a lot of pressure on employers who don’t have a reserve pool of labor to draw from, to really do the right thing to keep their operations running. They’re going to need to satisfy the demands of their workers.’”

And for a little more inspiration, we invite you to enjoy the video recording of AFSC’s recent online gathering that featured a panel of Quaker climate activists, workshops on peace and justice issues, and a keynote speech from Winona LaDuke.

Last Week in the Senate

The Senate met in full session on April 14. Here are the results of several bills we’re tracking. First, a key:

OTP – “Ought to Pass,” the recommendation for approving a bill or an amendment.
OTP/A – Ought to Pass with Amendment.
ITL – “Inexpedient to Legislate,” the recommendation for defeating a bill or an amendment. “ITL” can also be used as a verb.
IS – Referred for interim study.
RC – Roll call vote. Each legislator’s vote is recorded and attributed to them.
VV – Voice vote. Individual legislators’ votes are not tallied.

On the Consent Calendar

EDUCATION
HB 1421-FN, relative to lead in school drinking water. Voted OTP/A and referred to Finance.
HB 1594, relative to assistance to certain students with disabilities in registering to vote. Voted OTP/A.

ELECTION LAW AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS
HB 87, relative to the definition of electioneering. Referred to IS.
HB 1157, relative to electronic ballot counting devices. Voted OTP.
HB 1457-FN, relative to chain of custody of ballot boxes after an election. Voted OTP.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION
HB 1037, relative to the governor’s duties during a state of emergency. Voted OTP.
HB 1337, relative to the duration of unemployment benefits. Voted ITL.

JUDICIARY
HB 576, relative to victims’ compensation fund eligibility. Voted OTP. This bill will amend the provisions of the Victims’ Compensation Fund by permitting claims for victims of human trafficking to be filed at any time and eliminating the consideration of contributory negligence.
HB 597-FN, relative to the expectation of privacy. Referred to IS.
HB 1411-FN, relative to transparency of federal agency operations within New Hampshire. Voted ITL.
HB 1577-FN, relative to exemptions from prosecution for victims of human trafficking. Voted OTP.
HB 1614-FN, requiring the recording and storing of digital video in all state-funded juvenile detention facilities. Voted OTP and referred to Finance.
HB 1673-FN, relative to the scope of the fetal life protection act. Voted OTP. Enacting this language will clarify that the law is not meant to require an ultrasound for every abortion, but only for those where there is a risk that there is a gestational age of 24 weeks.

On the Regular Calendar

ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
HB 543, establishing a commission to study nuclear power and nuclear reactor technology in New Hampshire. Voted OTP/A.

JUDICIARY
HB 579, requiring notice to the public before immigration checkpoints are conducted. Voted ITL 14-10.

Coming Up in the House

The House will meet on Thursday, April 21 starting at 9 AM. You can watch the session via the livestream. Session days are also planned for May 5, May 12, and May 26. Due to the number of bills, it is likely the House will be in session on Wednesday, May 4 as well.

On the Consent Calendar

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY
SB 293-FN, (New Title) establishing a committee to clarify the intent of RSA 644:9 relative to violation of privacy. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 16-3.
SB 376-FN, (New Title) relative to creating a board to review police incidents involving citizens affected by mental health issues. Recommended OTP by a vote of 21-0.

ELECTION LAW
SB 328, relative to the date of the state primary election. Recommended ITL by a vote of 18-2.
SB 348, relative to political expenditures and contributions. Recommended OTP by a vote of 20-0.
SB 366-FN, requiring an audit of ballots cast in the 2022 primary and general election. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 20-0.
SB 405-FN, relative to fines and penalties for election law violations. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 20-0.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION
SB 223, relative to requirements for recovery houses. Recommended OTP by a vote of 13-1.

HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND ELDERLY AFFAIRS
SB 275, relative to the opioid abatement trust fund. Recommended OTP by a vote of 21-0.
SB 279, establishing a study committee on harm reduction and overdose prevention programs. Recommended OTP by a vote of 19-1.
SB 391, relative to the operation of a state forensic psychiatric hospital. Recommended OTP by a vote of 20-0.

TRANSPORTATION
SB 417-FN, establishing an electric school bus pilot program. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 15-0.

On the Regular Calendar

CHILDREN AND FAMILY LAW
SB 458-FN, relative to the Sununu youth services center and operation of a replacement secure facility. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 13-1.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY
SB 456-FN-A, establishing a law enforcement conduct review committee in the police standards and training council and making an appropriation therefor. Recommended for IS by a vote of 21-0.

EDUCATION
SB 381-FN-A, establishing an office of the advocate for special education. Recommended OTP by a vote of 10-9.
SB 420-FN-A-LOCAL, establishing an extraordinary need grant for schools. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 19-0.

ELECTION LAW
SB 365, relative to absentee ballot outer envelopes. Recommended ITL by a vote of 11-9.
SB 418-FN, relative to verification of voter affidavits. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 11-9.
SB 425-FN, relative to the establishment of an election information portal. Recommended ITL by a vote of 11-9.
SB 427-FN, modifying the absentee voter registration process, absentee ballot application, and absentee ballot voting process. Recommended ITL by a vote of 11-9.

HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND ELDERLY AFFAIRS
SB 403-FN-A, re-establishing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program. Recommended OTP by a vote of 14-7. (New Futures supports.)
SB 407-FN, relative to expanding Medicaid to include certain postpartum health care services and making an appropriation therefor. Recommended OTP by a vote of 17-4. (New Futures supports.)
SB 430-FN-A, relative to health and human services. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 19-1.
SB 444-FN, relative to childhood adverse experiences treatment and prevention. Recommended OTP by a vote of 15-6. (New Futures supports.)
SB 459-FN, relative to a health care facility workplace violence prevention program. Recommended OTP by a vote of 12-9.

SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON REDISTRICTING
SB 240, apportioning state senate districts. Recommended OTP by a vote of 8-7.
SB 241, apportioning executive council districts. Recommended OTP by a vote of 8-7.

Coming Up in the Senate

The full Senate meets on Thursday, April 21 starting at 10 AM. You can watch the session via livestream.

On the Consent Calendar

EDUCATION
HB 1263, relative to prescribed studies on health, physical education, wellness, and personal finance literacy in schools. Recommended OTP by a vote of 5-0.
HB 1530, establishing curricular transfer pathways between the community college system of New Hampshire and the university system of New Hampshire. Recommended OTP by a vote of 5-0.
HB 1624-FN-A, relative to students with disabilities participating in co-curricular activities and making an appropriation therefor. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 5-0.
HB 1626, relative to the unique pupil identification system. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 5-0.
HB 1671-L, relative to the content of an adequate education. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 5-0.

ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
HB 1491-FN-L, relative to natural gas transmission pipeline safety. Recommended OTP by a vote of 5-0.
HB 1546-FN, defining PFAS and enabling the commissioner of the department of environmental services to adopt rules relative to airborne PFAS in certain circumstances. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 5-0.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
HB 1003, prohibiting health care providers from refusing to provide care or services based on patient vaccination status. Recommended OTP by a vote of 5-0.
HB 1035, relative to exemptions from school vaccine mandates. Recommended OTP by a vote of 5-0.
HB 1487, relative to the procedure for withdrawal from the vaccine registry. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 5-0.
HB 1488, expanding the prohibition against discrimination based on an individual’s election not to participate in the state vaccine registry. Recommended OTP by a vote of 5-0.
HB 1604-FN, including state medical facilities in the statute providing medical freedom in immunizations. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 5-0.
HB 1609-FN, relative to withdrawal from the state immunization registry. Recommended OTP by a vote of 5-0. (New Futures supports.)
HB 1622-FN, relative to mental health parity. Recommended OTP by a vote of 5-0.

JUDICIARY
HB 1609-FN, relative to certain provisions of the fetal life protection act requiring an ultrasound examination. Recommended OTP by a vote of 5-0.
HB 1682-FN-A, establishing the law enforcement conduct review committee in the New Hampshire police standards and training council and making an appropriation therefor. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 5-0.

On the Regular Calendar

EDUCATION
HB 1434-FN, relative to the availability of school curriculum materials. Recommended for IS by a vote of 4-1.
HB 1513-FN, relative to the definition of a child with a disability for purposes of special education. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 4-1.
HB 1627-FN-A, establishing an education freedom account program administrator in the department of education and making an appropriation therefor, and relative to the school meals direct certification with Medicaid program. Recommended for IS by a vote of 5-0.

ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
HB 1420-FN, prohibiting the issuance of new landfill permits until the state’s solid waste plan is updated. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 4-0.
HB 1454-FN, relative to permits for the siting of new landfills. Recommended ITL by a vote of 3-1.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
HB 103-FN, establishing a dental benefit under the state Medicaid program. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 5-0. (New Futures supports.)
HB 1241, prohibiting a school district from mandating a COVID-19 vaccination for school attendance. Recommended for IS by a vote of 4-1.
HB 1379, relative to the department of health and human services’ rulemaking authority regarding immunization requirements. Recommended for IS by a vote of 3-2.
HB 1495-FN, prohibiting the state from requiring businesses to require vaccine or documentation related to vaccination or immunity status. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 3-2.

JUDICIARY
HB 629-FN, relative to the home cultivation of cannabis plants and the possession of certain cannabis-infused products. Recommended OTP by a vote of 3-2.
HB 1335-FN, relative to the parole board and the procedure for medical parole of prisoners. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 5-0.
HB 1360-FN, relative to penalties for controlled drug violations. Recommended for IS by a vote of 4-1.

WAYS AND MEANS
HB 1221-FN, relative to the rate of the business profits tax. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 4-0.

Coming Up in House Committees

Monday, April 18

MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT, Room 301-303, LOB
10:00 AM Executive Session on SB 249, prohibiting planning and zoning ordinances that prohibit short-term rentals; SB 273-A, relative to broadband infrastructure funding; SB 329, establishing a commission to study barriers to housing development in New Hampshire, including workforce and middle-income housing; SB 400-FN, relative to training and procedures for zoning and planning boards and relative to financial investments and incentives for affordable housing development. (Housing Action NH strongly supports SB 400.)

Tuesday, April 19

CHILDREN AND FAMILY LAW, Room 201-203, LOB
10:00 AM Executive Session on SB 144-FN, relative to child care scholarships (New Futures supports); SB 326-FN, relative to developing a plan to create the office of early childhood (New Futures supports); SB 431-FN, relative to child support in cases with equal or approximately equal parenting schedules; SB 457, establishing a committee to study nonprofit organizations contracting with the department of health and human services for children’s services.

EDUCATION, Room 205-207, LOB
11:00 AM SB 386, relative to the determination of state adequate education grants and chartered public school tuition amounts.

HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND ELDERLY AFFAIRS, Room 201-203, LOB
11:00 AM SB 419-FN, establishing a commission to study the delivery of public health services in New Hampshire through regional public health networks.
1:15 PM SB 288, establishing a committee to study the listing of immunizations for children.
2:00 PM SB 390, relative to telemedicine and telehealth.

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY, Room 306-308, LOB
9:00 AM Executive Session on SB 448-FN, relative to energy reduction by state agencies; SB 395, relative to the broadband matching grant initiative; SB 429-FN, relative to the site evaluation committee; SB 262, relative to customer generators of electric energy.

Wednesday, April 20

COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, Room 302-304, LOB
1:00 PM Executive Session on SB 121, relative to a state-based health exchange; SB 210, relative to the sale of manufactured housing parks; SB 287, relative to balance billing for certain health care services; SB 319-FN, relative to vaccination status and wellness incentives.

LABOR, INDUSTRIAL AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, Room 301-303, LOB
10:00 AM Executive Session on SB 209, relative to electronic wage payments; SB 345, relative to youth employment; and other bills.

RESOURCES, RECREATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Room 305-307, LOB
9:45 AM SB 452-FN, relative to lead in drinking water in schools and licensed child care facilities.
10:45 AM Executive Session on SB 258-FN-L, relative to the graves of African Americans alive during the period of American enslavement; and other bills.

Coming Up in Senate Committees

Monday April 18

ELECTION LAW AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS, Room 100, SH
1:00 PM HB 1163, relative to over voted ballots.
1:10 PM HB 1174, relative to election challengers.
1:45 PM HB 1307, modifying the authority and duties of the housing appeals board.

Tuesday, April 19

EDUCATION, Room 101, LOB
9:15 AM HB 1639, relative to the youth risk behavior survey in schools. New Futures opposes.

JUDICIARY, Room 100, SH
1:00 PM HB 408, relative to employment restrictions for registered sex offenders.
1:15 PMHB 1101, relative to a forfeiture of personal property.
1:30 PM HB 1493, relative to the drug forfeiture fund.
2:00 PM HB 1266, relative to restrictions on enforcement of federal immigration laws.
2:15 PM HB 1178, prohibiting the state from enforcing any federal statute, regulation, or Presidential Executive Order that restricts or regulates the right of the people to keep and bear arms.
2:30 PM HB 1625, repealing the prohibition on entering or remaining on a public way or sidewalk adjacent to a reproductive health care facility.

TRANSPORTATION, Room 101, LOB
1:30 PM HB 1432, prohibiting the use of state funds for new passenger rail projects.
1:45 PM HB 1636, relative to prohibitions on carrying a loaded firearm on an OHRV or snowmobile.

Wednesday, April 20

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Rooms 201-203, LOB
9:00 AM HB 1455, relative to state enforcement of federal vaccination mandates.
9:30 AM HB 1210, relative to exemptions from vaccine mandates. (New Futures opposes.)

WAYS AND MEANS, Room 100, SH
9:00 AM HB 1598-FN, legalizing the possession and use of cannabis.

State House Watch on the Radio

Join us for State House Watch Radio on Monday, April 18; the show will be hosted by Change for Concord. The program airs on Mondays at 5 PM and is rebroadcast on Tuesdays at 8 AM. You can listen at 94.7 FM, WNHN in Concord, and online. You can find podcasts of our past shows here, including last week’s show with Erika Perez and Eva Ford of the NH Youth Movement with Josie Pinto of the Reproductive Freedom Fund of NH.

Upcoming Events and Programs

World Fellowship Center Is Hiring! – Want to work with smart, fun, creative people in a multicultural and intergenerational community, in a uniquely beautiful setting? If so, check out the staff positions open at the World Fellowship Center, a wonderful place for summer vacation, social justice education and relaxation in nature. More information can be found here.

Monday, April 18

WEBINAR: School Budget & Tax Caps – 4 PM. Hosted by Reaching Higher NH. Tax caps have become a hot topic in New Hampshire over the past several years. This year, a new mechanism for limiting school spending has emerged: the school budget cap. Join us for a discussion on school budget and tax caps, current legislative proposals in New Hampshire and beyond, and the impact on students and schools.

Powerbuilders Action Workshop: Disobedience + Disruption for Social Change – 6 PM to 7:30 PM. Hosted by Rights & Democracy. Join us for an exciting new Powerbuilders training to delve into what it means to plan and execute an effective direct action! Together, we will explore types of direct action and when to use them; why direct action is so important as a way of challenging unjust power dynamics and achieving social change; and elements of tone, timing, location and messaging that make for a "good" action.

Tuesday, April 19

Clinica de Vacunas Contra el COVID-19 (Vaccine Clinic) – 4 PM to 7 PM. 189 Spruce Street, Manchester. Hosted by Centro Latino.

Repro Fund Book Club: Reproductive Justice by Loretta Ross – 6 PM. Hosted by the Reproductive Freedom Fund of New Hampshire. We’re very excited to dive into this classic primer from one of our heroes, Loretta Ross. Join us to discuss “Reproductive Justice.” Please let us know if you need help accessing a copy! It's more than fine to join us if you didn't finish the book or didn't read any of it, what matters is coming together as a community to discuss reproductive justice. Register here: https://bit.ly/3LKyEZX

Wednesday, April 20

Ward 9 Community Meeting – 6 PM. 575 Calef Road, Manchester. Hosted by Alderman Jim Burkush. All residents of Manchester Ward 9 are invited to attend a community meeting. This meeting will be attended by Schonna Green, Director of Homeless Initiatives, and representatives of Manchester Police Department and Manchester Fire Department.

Manchester Community Land Trust Visioning Session – 6:30 PM to 8 PM. Hosted by Manchester Housing Alliance, Progressive Manchester NH and Rights & Democracy NH. Join our current efforts to start a community land trust in Manchester, which will be a critical mechanism to build community power and create more permanently affordable housing. As this exciting new housing justice initiative moves forward, we still need to define the mission and governance model—and we need your voice to be part of this process! Join us on Zoom to learn more about the power and potential of community land trusts and to envision together what this can look like in Manchester!

Hope and Healing for Survivors of Trauma – 7 PM. 293 Wilson Street, Manchester. Hosted by HOPE for NH Recovery and King’s Cross Church. If you are looking for next steps forward in finding hope and healing as a survivor of trauma, or are a friend or family to someone who has experienced trauma, we would love for you to join us for this event. This will be a welcoming and safe environment to hear from Rachael Denhollander, a trusted advocate, attorney, author, and educator who is recognized as a leading voice on the topic of sexual abuse and on how to find next steps forward.

Thursday, April 21

Community Safety Beyond Policing: Gun violence and community safety – 8 PM. Hosted by AFSC. Many communities across the country have experienced an uptick in gun violence over the last two years at the same time that we are having a robust debate around the role of policing in our society. How has the movement to divest from policing and invest in community been responding?

Friday, April 22

All Persons Trail Community Celebration – 10 AM to 12 PM. Manchester Cedar Swamp Preserve. Hosted by Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki People, the Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire and Disability Rights Center – NH. Outdoor recreation is part of what makes the Granite State great. But the reality is that our outdoor spaces are not accessible or welcoming to all. The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire is working to change this reality one step at a time. That’s why our organization sought to construct a universally accessible trail at Manchester Cedar Swamp Preserve, the city’s largest conserved area. We will be joined by community leaders and residents from throughout the greater Manchester region to mark the official opening of the recently completed All Persons Trail.

Earth Day Rally – 3:30 PM. 2 Congress Street, Portsmouth. Join Seacoast Students for Sustainability at Market Square for an Earth Day rally. It will start at 3:30 PM, so stop by anytime after to participate. We encourage you to make signs and invite your friends.

Saturday, April 23

Earth Day Mobilization – 11 AM. 107 N Main Street, Concord. Hosted by 350 New Hampshire Action and Rights & Democracy NH. We need climate action at the scale of the crisis. We need millions of union clean energy and care jobs. We need real action on racial, economic, and environmental justice. Join in a nation-wide Earth Day mobilization to demand President Biden, Congress, and Sununu prioritize bold investments in climate, care, green jobs and justice. Join us to plant the seeds of change in NH, grow stronger as a community, and demand Governor Sununu declare a climate emergency—or get out of the way! We will have music, posters, and native NH seeds to giveaway to all participants. We will also write postcards together to collectively mail to Sununu. All are welcome!

Sunday, April 24

NH Interfaith Climate Justice Conference – 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Hosted by Unitarian Universalist Church of Concord and several partners, including AFSC. Join us for an afternoon of worship, education and relationship building as we strive to unleash the power of faith communities into the climate justice movement in New Hampshire and Beyond. Our keynote speaker will be Rev. Mariama White-Hammond. This hybrid event will be held at UU Concord and online over Zoom.

Monday, April 25

Peace & Justice Conversations: Costs of War with Stephanie Savell – 7 PM to 8 PM. Hosted by NH Peace Action. Join us for a webinar on the Costs of War Project which analyzes the implications of the US post-9/11 wars in terms of human casualties, economic costs, and civil liberties. Stephanie Savell, co-director of the project will tell us about their research which documents that over 929,000 people have died due to direct war violence; 38 million war refugees and displaced persons were created; and the US federal price tag for the post-9/11 wars is over $8 trillion—funds that could have been spent on public health or in sectors that create far more jobs than the defense sector, like education or green energy.

Sunday, May 1

International Workers Day – 3 PM. Veteran’s Memorial Park, 723 Elm Street, Manchester. Hosted by Progressive Manchester NH, the Reproductive Freedom Fund of NH, Worker’s Democracy NH, Party for Socialism & Liberation. Join progressive working class organizations for May Day in Manchester. We will have a rally, live music, speeches, teach-ins and more!

Monday, May 2

May Day New Hampshire – 4:30 PM. Manchester City Hall. Hosted by Raise Up NH, NH Faith & Labor, AFSC and many other partners. A coalition of Immigrants and workers rights organizations and supporters are planning a May Day event at the Manchester City Hall. In addition to supporting immigrants and workers overall, we want to bring attention to the current resolution Raise Up NH is working on to raise the minimum wage the City of Manchester will pay municipal workers to $15/hour.

Tuesday, May 3

Demilitarizing the Budget: Important Even in Times of War – 7 PM. Hosted by AFSC. As the war in Ukraine adds to the many violent conflicts around the world, governments are responding by increasing military budgets, sending weapons to allies, and calling for escalatory measures against other nations. In 2020, the world spent almost $2 trillion on militaries, and if we don't join together, this number will only get worse. In this webinar, you'll learn why the United States' obscene spending on weapons and war isn't actually keeping us safe, how the budget and appropriations process works, and how you can get involved in the call to move money out of militarism and into our communities.

With best wishes,

Maggie Fogarty, Grace Kindeke and Anne Saunders

AFSC’s New Hampshire "State House Watch" newsletter is published to bring you information about matters being discussed in Concord including housing, the death penalty, immigration, education, civil liberties, and labor rights. We also follow the state budget and tax system, voting rights, corrections policy, and more.

The AFSC is a Quaker organization supported by people of many faiths who care about peace, social justice, humanitarian service, and nonviolent change. Maggie Fogarty and Grace Kindeke staff the New Hampshire Program which publishes this newsletter. Anne Saunders is AFSC’s State House Watch researcher and co-writer.

“State House Watch" is made possible in part by a grant from the Anne Slade Frey Charitable Trust. Your donations make our work possible. Click the DONATE NOW button on our web page to send a secure donation to support the work of the AFSC’s New Hampshire Program. Thank you!