AshBernadette88
“Charity is no substitute for justice. If we never challenge a social order that allows some to accumulate wealth--even if they decide to help the less fortunate--while others are short-changed, then even acts of kindness end up supporting unjust arrangements. We must never ignore the injustices that make charity necessary, or the inequalities that make it possible.” - Michael Eric Dyson
April 15, 2023
Dear State House Watchers,
This week is Black Maternal Health Week and this year’s theme is “Our Bodies Belong to Us: Restoring Black Autonomy and Joy!” Use this resource for important data and messages to amplify this call to “bring visibility to Black-led maternal health initiatives and center the values and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements.” And join this local conversation on Sunday, April 16.
Congratulations to the Dartmouth graduate student workers who voted, by a robust margin, to unionize this week! Read the full story here. And mark your calendars to celebrate May Day with us on April 30 in Manchester (3 PM in Veterans Park), and May 1 in Concord at 12 noon (Facebook event) and at 4 PM (Facebook event).
We celebrate the return last week of Representatives Justin Pearson and Justin Jones to the Tennessee state legislature following unanimous votes to reappoint them by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners and Nashville's Metro Council. Both lawmakers will serve on an interim basis until they can run for the seats during a special election. Read more here. At a rally in Memphis on Wednesday afternoon, Representative Pearson expressed his hope in peoples’ movements for justice: "This is the Democracy that is going to transform a broken nation and a broken state into the place that God calls for it to be. This is the Democracy that is going to lift up the victims of gun violence instead of supporting the NRA and the gun lobbyists."
Meanwhile, Governor Sununu made a speech at the NRA annual convention, on the same day that a Rochester NH middle school was closed due to a bomb threat, and the day after the arrest of a 25 year old man who threatened a mass shooting at Portsmouth High School. Read more here.
State Budget News
The state budget writing process has moved to the Senate Finance Committee, which heard several agency presentations last week. The presentations continue next week, including one from the NH Department of Corrections on Monday at 3:15 PM, and from the NH Department of Safety on Thursday at 1 PM. You can watch remotely here, either live or later.
In the coming weeks, Senate Finance will hold a public hearing on the budget. As soon as we know the date, we’ll pass it on, but you can contact the Committee now to make sure they are aware of your budget priorities. We hope that Senate budget writers take seriously the urgent need for increased funding for homeless services. Read more here: As NH cities race to find housing, some call for more state homelessness funding.
Please join the NH Campaign for a People’s Budget for a six-part series of Community Conversations on Monday evenings at 6 PM to 7:30 PM, starting this coming Monday, April 17 and running to May 22. We’ll gather in person at the Arlington Street Community Center in Nashua, and remotely via Zoom. Register here and share the Facebook event with your friends and networks. All are welcome!
One last bit of budget news – we were delighted to realize this week that the language of HB 282, which expands Medicaid eligibility for certain groups of lawfully-residing immigrants who are pregnant or children, was added to the House budget. The bill had been passed by the full House but then retained in House Finance, so this forward motion is a positive surprise.
ACTION ALERTS
OPPOSE SB 132, prohibiting cities and towns from adopting sanctuary policies. This bill, which would require local police to engage in federal immigration enforcement has a public hearing in House Municipal and County Government on Thursday, April 20 at 3 PM in Rooms 301-303, LOB. Please sign in to oppose this harmful bill. And please ask your municipal officials to sign this letter of opposition. Signers can add their names by contacting afscnh@afsc.org. We recommend these two op-eds which describe why SB 132 is wrong for New Hampshire: March 16 (Union Leader), and April 5 (Concord Monitor).
OPPOSE SB 272, the so-called parental bill of rights that would require school staff to out LGBTQ+ students. This bill has already passed the Senate and will have a public hearing in the House Education Committee on Tuesday, April 18 at 10 AM in Reps Hall. Join 603 Equality and others, including faith leaders, for visibility in front of the State House at 8:30 AM before heading into the hearing, and be sure to sign in to show your opposition.
OPPOSE SB 252, which would mandate the pretrial incarceration of people charged with any one of 13 offenses prior to arraignment based only on unsubstantiated allegations, regardless of whether the individual posed a danger to the community or flight risk. See this ACLU factsheet for more information. The bill has passed the Senate and had its public hearing in House Criminal Justice and Public Safety, which will vote in executive session on Wednesday, April 19 starting at 9:30 AM. Please contact the committee to urge them to defeat this bill.
OPPOSE SB 58, relative to arrests without a warrant while in the care of a medical professional on the premises of a residential care or health care facility. This bill, which is opposed by harm reduction and mental health advocates for the danger it would pose to people experiencing a mental health crisis, has a public hearing in the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on Wednesday, April 19 at 9 AM in Rooms 202-204, LOB. The bill will be considered in Executive Session immediately after the hearing. Please sign in to oppose this bill.
OPPOSE SB-54, relative to purchased power agreements for electric distribution utilities. This bill could re-establish utility control over competitive markets for electricity generation and supply, to the detriment of Community Power customers. According to Community Power advocates in Harrisville NH, SB 54 would drive Community Power and competitive suppliers out of business and force customers back to the utilities by granting monopolies an unfair advantage over their market-based competitors. The bill has a public hearing in the House Science, Technology and Energy Committee on Monday, April 17 at 10 AM in Rooms 302-304, LOB. Please sign in to oppose this bill.
SUPPORT HB 639, relative to the legalization and regulation of cannabis and making appropriations therefor. Having passed the full House last week, this bill has a public hearing in Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, April 20 at 2:15 PM in Room 100, SH. We hope that the date of the hearing is a playful sign of growing bipartisan support. Please sign in to support this bill.
Immigration News
We celebrate some rare good news on immigration from the Biden Administration this week, with the President’s action to expand access to the Affordable Care Act for DACA recipients, a move which will enable nearly 600,000 young immigrants to apply for Medicaid and other insurance through the ACA exchange. Read more here.
Advocates are speaking up about the lack of humanitarian assistance available to migrants who have been waiting at the border for weeks and months for an opportunity to seek asylum in the US and to enter the country through legal pathways when the US public health emergency is formally lifted on May 11. We recommend Border Report for ongoing news and analysis of the current situation at the US/Mexico border, including these two recent articles:
African, Mideastern migrants amassing along border wall in San Diego (April 12, 2023)
California nonprofit that caters to migrants bashes ‘expedited asylum’ idea (April 12, 2023)
Beyond the Dome
Stories of the human impact of New Hampshire’s affordable housing crisis continue to be told, including through the experiences of New Americans who spoke with Concord Monitor’s Michaela Towfighi: With limited options and increased costs, housing becomes a barrier for New Americans to stay in New Hampshire. “When Emmanuel Kanagawa’s landlord told him his rent was going to increase, his car insurance was the first to go. Working full time to support his wife and newborn baby, the couple extra hundred dollars per month for rent was not in his budget. Kanagawa has seen friends in similar situations. An increase in rent means they’re packing up from their apartments and moving, either within Concord or even out of state, in hopes of more affordable housing. Since arriving in Concord in 2017, Kanagawa has already moved three times, chasing lower costs.”
The 2023 NH Statewide Housing Needs Assessment, released last week by the NH Housing Finance Authority, reports that 60,000 new units of housing are needed to address the current shortage by 2030, and a total of 90,000 housing units are needed by 2040. Home prices and rental rates have increased dramatically over the last 20 years, significantly more so than wages, and the stress is felt most acutely by low-income renters. Read the full report here.
Last Week at the State House
We are happy to see that the full Senate voted last week to defeat HB 117, which would have ended just cause evictions.
We’re surprised and disappointed to earn that senators defeated, on a voice vote, HB 56, which would have established a safe distance from water for siting a landfill, an important step for preventing contamination of water by toxic chemicals which is already a serious problem in NH.
More disappointments in the Senate last week, when lawmakers defeated, on party-line votes, two reproductive justice proposals, HB 88 and HB 224. The former would protect the right to an abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, and the latter would remove the criminal and civil penalties facing medical providers in current law. The Senate’s action on HB 88 means New Hampshire will remain the only New England state without proactive protections for the right to abortion, and one of only three states nationally where abortion is currently legal but not protected.
The outcome is particularly disheartening in the same week that a Texas judge attempted to block FDA approval of mifepristone, one of two drugs commonly used to terminate a pregnancy. The TX decision has been put on hold, and the US Department of Justice, 17 states and the District of Columbia have taken legal action to protect access to the medication. ACLU of NH has urged Governor Sununu to join this effort. Read more here.
On Thursday, the Senate approved HB 49 by a voice vote. The bill will replace the Sununu Youth Services Center with a new, smaller facility designed to prioritize trauma-informed and therapeutic treatment for the young people who will reside there. The governor promptly signed the bill into law on the same day.
Key:
LOB – Legislative Office Building (33 N. State St. Concord)
SH – State House (107 N. Main St. Concord)
TABLED – Laid on the table. A vote to put the bill ‘on the table’ means that no further action will be taken until the bill comes off the table. A 2/3 vote may be required to remove the bill from the table. After Crossover, tabled bills cannot be acted on for the remainder of the legislative year.
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.
RE-REFER – When a Senate committee wishes to hold onto a bill for further consideration. The recommendation to re-refer must be approved in the full Senate. The committee will have until the end of the calendar year to meet about the bill and make a recommendation for further action.
RETAIN – When a House committee wishes to hold onto a bill for further consideration. The committee makes this decision for themselves; approval in the full House is not needed. The committee has until the end of the calendar year to make a recommendation for further action.
RC – Roll call vote. Each legislator’s vote is recorded and attributed to them.
VV – Voice vote. Occurs when the speaker listens for whether yay or nay is louder (no votes are counted).
DV – Division vote. Votes are counted but names aren't recorded.
WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION - This indicates that the committee vote was a tie for both ITL and OTP. During the House session, these bills will be considered first as Ought to Pass.
Last Week in the Senate
The full Senate met in session on Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 10 AM. Here are the outcomes for the bills we’re tracking.
On the Consent Calendar
EDUCATION
HB 71, repealing a department of education report on chartered public school funding. OTP by VV.
HB 170, requiring the teaching of cursive handwriting and multiplication tables. OTP VV.
HB 207-FN, relative to school district unanticipated funds. The bill increases, from $5,000 to $20,000 the amount of unanticipated funds which would require a public hearing. OTP by VV.
HB 377-FN, relative to screening and intervention in public schools and public charter schools for dyslexia and related disorders, and establishing an addition to adequate education grants for certain pupils screened for dyslexia and related disorders. OTP by VV.
HB 435, relative to relief aid calculation in determining grants for adequate education. Increases the amount for relief aid grants based on eligibility for free or reduced priced school meals and adjusts the grants by changes in the consumer price index. OTP by VV.
HB 452, relative to the department of education procedures for school building aid applications. OTP by VV.
ELECTION LAW AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS
HB 203, relative to publication of annual county budgets. Specifies when the public hearing should be held and that notice of the meeting to adopt the budget can be mailed or delivered. Additionally, a copy of the proposed annual budget must now be made available on the county website. OTP by VV.
TRANSPORTATION
HB 111, establishing a committee to study electrical vehicle charging for residential renters. OTP/A by VV.
HB 198-FN, modifying the new resident drivers’ license transfer requirement. This bill would have required nonresident drivers who establish residency in New Hampshire to notify the department of safety if they then cease to become residents within 60 days, or if their out of state driver’s license expires or is relinquished. Re-referred by VV.
On the Regular Calendar
COMMERCE
HB 117, relative to the termination of tenancy at the expiration of the tenancy or lease term. ITL by VV.
HB 235, establishing a committee to study the landlord tenant mediation program. OTP by VV.
HB 477, to prohibit municipal inspections of owner-occupied units of multi-unit housing. ITL by VV.
HB 522-FN, relative to money transmitters. OTP by VV.
ELECTION LAW AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS
HB 36, relative to fees of sheriffs and deputy sheriffs. OTP by VV.
HB 336, relative to the format of election ballots. OTP by VV.
ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
HB 56, relative to permits for the siting of new landfills. ITL by VV.
HB 233-FN, relative to useful thermal energy under the renewable portfolio standards. OTP/A by VV.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION
HB 127, relative to the declaration of a state of emergency. ITL by VV. Note that this language was added to the House budget.
HB 193-FN, relative to administration of the New Hampshire retirement system. OTP by VV.
JUDICIARY
HB 49-FN-A, relative to postponing the closure of the Sununu Youth Services Center. OTP by VV. Signed into law.
HB 88, relative to reproductive rights. ITL by RC, 14-10.
HB 224-FN, repealing the criminal and civil penalties from the fetal life protection act. ITL by RC, 14-10.
Coming up in the House
There are no full House sessions expected to be scheduled in April. Legislators have been directed to hold open their Thursdays in the month of May for one or more session days.
Coming Up in House Committees
Monday, April 17
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY, Room 302-304, LOB
9 AM SB 225, establishing the commission to study the assessing of power generation.
9:30 AM SB 52-FN, relative to the regulation and operation of electric vehicle charging stations.
10 AM SB 54-FN, relative to purchased power agreements for electric distribution utilities.
Tuesday, April 18
EDUCATION, Reps Hall, SH
10 AM SB 272-FN, establishing a parents’ bill of rights in education.
ELECTION LAW, Room 306-308, LOB
9:45 AM Public Hearing on non-germane amendment #2023-1362h to SB 271 relative to the seating of delegates to national party conventions and relative to changing the date of the state primary election. The amendment amends several dates related to the state primary election, including filing deadlines, change of party affiliation, and session dates for the supervisors of the checklist and the ballot law commission. Copies of the amendment are available on the General Court website.
10:15 AM Executive Session on SB 70-FN, relative to the establishment of an election information portal; SB 156-FN, relative to voter registration and verification of voter identity; SB 157-FN, relative to election audits; SB 158, relative to absentee ballot outer envelopes; SCR 1, affirming the general court’s support for New Hampshire’s first in the nation primary.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY, Room 302-304, LOB
9 AM Executive Session on SB 40, relative to participation in net energy metering by small hydroelectric generators; SB 52-FN, relative to the regulation and operation of electric vehicle charging stations; SB 54-FN, relative to purchased power agreements for electric distribution utilities; SB 68-FN, relative to municipal host for purposes of limited electrical energy producers; SB 69-FN, relative to allowing certain nonprofits to participate as a customer-generator group hosts under net energy metering; SB 79, relative to the participation of customer generators in net energy metering; SB 113-FN, relative to cost effectiveness review of the joint utility energy efficiency plan; SB 161, relative to low-moderate income community solar projects; SB 166-FN, relative to electric grid modernization; SB 167-FN-L, relative to green hydrogen energy and infrastructure.
WAYS AND MEANS, Room 202-204, LOB
1:30 PM SB 191-FN, relative to road toll registration surcharges for electric vehicles.
Wednesday, April 19
COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, Room 302-304, LOB
1:15 PM SB 198, directing the insurance department to conduct a cost study of providing coverage for certain reproductive health care.
1:45 PM SB 235-FN, relative to services provided through a primary care behavioral health model.
2:15 PM SB 243, establishing a committee to study implementing a state-based health insurance exchange.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY, Room 202-204, LOB
9 AM SB 58, relative to arrests without a warrant while in the care of a medical professional on the premises of a residential care or health care facility.
9:30 AM Executive Session on SB 58, relative to arrests without a warrant while in the care of a medical professional on the premises of a residential care or health care facility; SB 244-FN, relative to false public alarms; SB 252-FN, relative to release of a defendant pending trial.
EDUCATION, Room 205-207, LOB
10 AM Executive Session on SB 135, relative to alternative dispute resolution in special education;
11:30 AM SB 215-FN, relative to nursing certification requirements; SB 216, making changes to the requirements for civics education in schools.
HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND ELDERLY AFFAIRS, Room 201-203, LOB
9:30 AM SB 239-FN, relative to the use of harm reduction services to treat alcohol and other substance misuse.
10:30 AM SB 238-FN, relative to the use of telemedicine to treat mental health conditions.
11:30 AM Executive Session on SB 50, relative to pharmaceutical drug take-back programs; SB 34-FN, relative to the controlled drug prescription health and safety program; SB 236, establishing a committee to study nonprofit organizations contracting with the department of health and human services for children’s services; SB 32-FN, relative to the opioid abatement trust fund.
JUDICIARY, Room 206-208, LOB
10 AM SB 255-FN, relative to the expectation of privacy.
RESOURCES, RECREATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Room 305-307, LOB
1 PM SB 164-FN-L, relative to consideration of biodiversity in the land and community heritage investment program.
Thursday, April 20
MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT, Room 301-303, LOB
10:15 AM SB 111-L, relative to the town council-town manager form of local government.
2 PM SB 47, establishing a commission to study barriers to increased density of residential development in New Hampshire.
3 PM SB 132-FN, prohibiting cities and towns from adopting sanctuary policies.
Coming Up in the Senate
The full Senate is not in session next week.
Coming Up in Senate Committees
Monday, April 17
FINANCE, Room 103, SH
1 PM AGENCY BUDGET PRESENTATIONS
Tuesday, April 18
COMMERCE, Room 100, SH
9 AM HB 74-FN, relative to an employee’s unused earned time. EXECUTIVE SESSION MAY FOLLOW
EDUCATION, Room 101, LOB
9 AM HB 530-L, relative to withdrawal from a cooperative school district.
9:30 AM HB 364-FN, relative to transportation for students attending career and technical education centers.
9:45 AM HB 492-FN, requiring the department of education to provide the house and senate standing committees responsible for education with copies of the laws and rules relative to education.
FINANCE, Room 103, SH
1 PM AGENCY BUDGET PRESENTATIONS
JUDICIARY, Room 100, SH
1 PM HB 266, relative to notice and public access requirements for hybrid and virtual agency public comment hearings for rulemaking.
1:30 PM HB 315, prohibiting provocation based on the defendant’s religion, race, creed, sexual orientation, national origin, political beliefs or affiliation, sex, or gender identity.
Thursday, April 20
FINANCE, Room 103, SH
1 PM AGENCY BUDGET PRESENTATIONS
JUDICIARY, Room 100, SH
1:00 PM HB 360-FN, an act legalizing cannabis for persons 21 years of age or older.
1:15 PM HB 431, permitting qualifying patients and designated caregivers to cultivate cannabis for therapeutic use.
1:30 PM HB 610-FN, expanding the definition of providers who can certify patients of the therapeutic cannabis program.
1:45 PM HB 473-FN, relative to penalties for controlled drug violations.
2:00 PM HB 611-FN, relative to eligibility criteria for the therapeutic cannabis program.
2:15 PM HB 639-FN-A, relative to the legalization and regulation of cannabis and making appropriations therefor.
WAYS AND MEANS, Room 100, SH
9 AM AGENCY REVENUE PRESENTATIONS
Friday, April 21
FINANCE, Room 103, SH
1:30 PM AGENCY BUDGET PRESENTATIONS
Upcoming Events
NH People's Budget Community Conversations - Mondays, April 17 to May 22 - 6 PM to 7:30 PM. Via Zoom and at Arlington Street Community Center, 36 Arlington St. Nashua. Hosted by the NH Coalition for a People’s Budget. The People's Budget coalition is planning a series of six Community Conversations. Join us online and in person to learn more about the NH state budget and come together as a community to share our stories of how key components of the budget impact us. Learn more about the NH People’s Budget and how our voices can build a new vision for and impact how state resources can be allocated to better serve our communities!
The Refugee Leadership Development Program provides monthly workshops to refugee and immigrant organizers across the United States. Led by refugees for refugees, this training series is an opportunity to learn more about advocacy tactics being used to advance pro-refugee / pro-immigrant policy on the state and national level, story-telling and narrative shifting, and connecting with resources and local networks to build more welcoming and inclusive communities. Participants who attend a minimum of 3 workshops will receive a Certificate of Participation by We Are All America. Similarly, those who attend every training will be gifted a Certificate of Completion, where the alum of our program will be invited to co-facilitate or propose future workshops.
Sign up for the DEI workplace innovation challenge hosted by NH Businesses for Social Responsibility.
Sunday, April 16
Reproductive Equality March 2023 - 12 PM to 3 PM. Plymouth State University Alumni Lawn (outside the HUB), Plymouth. Hosted by NH Youth Movement. Join us to protest the fall of Roe v. Wade and the rise of anti-abortion legislation being passed around the country. There will be organizations and student artists tabling, speakers, and a march around campus. The organizers would like to invite community members to join them in supporting reproductive freedom! If it rains, the march will be held inside the Hartman Union Building.
Love’s Gonna Carry Us: A Singalong Concert – 4 PM. 11 Oxbow Pond Road, Canterbury. Hosted by Concord Friends Meeting. Join us for a benefit concert for the Asylum Seeker Support Fund featuring Annie Patterson and Peter Blood, creators of “Rise Up Singing” and “Rise Again” songbooks. Annie & Peter’s songbooks have created a quiet revolution of group singing across North America. This concert offers a rare opportunity to meet the creators of these popular songbooks and experience their gifts of nurturing community and resilience through song.
Beyond Roe: Black Abortion & Maternal Health Experiences - 4 PM to 6 PM. Strafford Room within the Memorial Union Building at UNH, 83 Main St. Durham. Hosted by BLM Seacoast, Reproductive Freedom Fund of New Hampshire and Lovering Health Center. Join for a Panel Discussion + Q&A with Black Community Leaders and Professionals on Black Experiences regarding Reproductive and Maternal Health! The Keynote Speaker is Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, the Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. She is the Founder and Director of the Center of Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice (CBMHRJ), and of the Maternal Outcomes of Translational Health Equity Research (MOTHER) Lab. Panelists Include Dr. Trinidad Tellez (MD), Dr. Melissa Martínez-Adorno (MD), Ronelle Tshiela and Camilla Thompson, moderated by Tanisha Johnson.
Monday, April 17
Local Civic Health: Virtual Drop In – 4 PM to 5 PM. Hosted by NH Listens. Thank you for joining us last month for the launch of our Local Civic Health initiative! For anyone who wants to explore doing this work locally, we will hold a virtual drop-in hour.
NH People's Budget Community Conversations - 6 PM to 7:30 PM. Zoom and Arlington Street Community Center, 36 Arlington St. Nashua. Hosted by the NH Coalition for a People’s Budget. The People's Budget coalition is planning a series of six Community Conversations. Join us online and in person to learn more about the NH state budget and come together as a community to share our stories of how key components of the budget impact us. Learn more about the NH People’s Budget and how our voices can build a new vision for and impact how state resources can be allocated to better serve our communities!
Tuesday, April 18
Testify against forced outing (SB 272)! – 8:30 AM. Legislative Office Building (33 N. State St. Concord. Hosted by 603Equality, Granite State Progress. Join us to hold signs in front of the State House at 8:30 AM, then sign in to testify against SB 272, the so-called "parental bill of rights" that passed the Senate. LGBTQ+ children matter and need safe and trusted adults. Forcing anyone to come out to anyone before they're ready is wrong. Full stop.
Defining a Faithful Farm Bill to Protect our Climate - 1 PM. Hosted by AFSC. Join AFSC and partners for the latest in our series of webinars on the Farm Bill. This month we will focus on advocating for a faithful Farm Bill that protects our climate. We will also learn how faith communities can urge Congress to champion a climate-conscious, faithful, and just transition in our food and agriculture system.
Worker’s Memorial Dinner – 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Plumbers & Steamfitters Hall – 161 Londonderry Tpk. Hooksett. There are millions of workplace injuries nationwide every year and thousands of deaths. Workplace fatalities and injuries often have devastating effects on both workers and their families and usually happen without warning. Ongoing attention, training and awareness efforts can save lives and prevent tragedy and heartbreak. We hope to raise awareness about the thousands of individuals who are injured or killed at work every day.
Peaceful Protest for Human Rights - 6 PM. Henry Law Park, Dover. Join us in peaceful protest and solidarity to challenge oppressive, discriminatory, and exploitative legislation. Our voices will be heard! Signs are welcome and encouraged!
Wednesday, April 19
Workers Vigil – 12 PM to 1 PM. State House, 107 N. Main St. Concord. Hosted by NH Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health. We are calling for policies that show a safe workplace is fundamental!
Convergence of Indigenous Knowledge & Western Science in Archeology - 7 PM. Hosted by Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki People. Join Paul Pouliot, Sag8mo & Denise Pouliot, Sag8moskwa of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook-Abenaki People, Exploring the integration of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into archaeological field practices and analysis. Courtesy of the NH Archeological Society. Register here.
Monday, April 24
NH People's Budget Community Conversations - 6 PM to 7:30 PM. Zoom and Arlington Street Community Center, 36 Arlington St. Nashua. Hosted by the NH Coalition for a People’s Budget. The People's Budget coalition is planning a series of six Community Conversations. Join us online and in person to learn more about the NH state budget and come together as a community to share our stories of how key components of the budget impact us. Learn more about the NH People’s Budget and how our voices can build a new vision for and impact how state resources can be allocated to better serve our communities!
Saturday, April 29
Unitarian Universalist Action of New Hampshire Annual Gathering: Equity and Justice in a Changing Climate – 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM. 274 Pleasant St Concord. Hosted by Universalist Church of Concord. Join fellow Unitarian Universalist from around the state as we gather for our annual meeting, morning keynote and panel open to all. The day will include morning worship, a plenary discussion, congregation showcase, keynote speaker, fellowship, food, and more.
ABLE NH Soaring to the Stars 2023 - 6 PM to 8 PM. Hosted by ABLE NH. This will be a casual, friendly, and inclusive event celebrating ABLE NH's members, friends, and successes while we welcome our new Executive Director! There will be activities for guests of all ages and abilities. The program includes a collaborative cyanotype art project, access to all Discovery Center exhibits, a planetarium show, an art installation by artist Amber Nicole (thanks to a partnership with Kimball Jenkins School of Art), themed mocktails, and of course food!
Sunday, April 30
International Workers Day Rally - 3 PM. Veterans Park in downtown Manchester. Hosted by Party for Socialism & Liberation, AFSC & Partners. We will be celebrating the legacy of May Day and amplifying the demands of workers across the state for fair wages, healthcare, and other necessities, as well as highlighting the connections between the labor movement and all other movements for justice. This family-friendly event is a chance to connect and build solidarity with other NH workers. We will have a rally, music, a food truck and more! Many struggles, one fight - workers of the world unite!
Monday, May 1
International Workers Day & May Day Rally – 4 PM to 5:30 PM. At City Plaza, under the arch on Main Street, in front of the State House, 107 N. Main St. Concord. Join us to celebrate May Day and the workers who are the foundation of our communities. We will uplift the contributions of immigrant workers, rally in support of our state workers, and rise together against the tide of xenophobia and exclusion that undermine the strength of our diverse, welcoming and beloved community. All are welcome! We will have music, speakers, and food.
Spirituality of Peacemaking: The Way of Abundance - 7 PM. Hosted by NH Peace Action. Join us for a conversation with Dr. Edith Rasell, an economist and pastor, who has closely examined the Old and New Testaments to identify biblical instructions about economic justice. She found that the bible teaches that Jesus/God is concerned about how people fare economically. The Bible teaches that everyone is worthy of the resources necessary for abundant life, material life as well as spiritual. If we look closely at the extensive biblical instructions about the economy, we see they are amazingly relevant to our society today. We can identify four characteristics of a just economy. Using these criteria we can explore broad changes in public policy that could move the U.S. substantially closer to a just economy of universal thriving.
Thursday, May 4
Inclusivity Networking Event - 5 PM to 6:30 PM. 48 Bridge St. Nashua. Hosted by SBDC. Enjoy an evening of networking, music and cultural food provided by local businesses.
Think Twice Before Calling the Police - 8 PM to 9:30 PM. Hosted by AFSC. Many people have an understanding that police violence targets certain communities and want to avoid calling the police but don’t know what to do in case of an emergency. Join us for a 4-part series that will leave you with concrete skills and strategies to avoid calling law enforcement unless it is absolutely necessary. Register for all 4 sessions in this webinar series: May 4, 11, 18, and 25, and attend as many as you can. Recordings of all sessions will be available on our website.
Job Opportunities
City Year New Hampshire is recruiting young adults to serve as tutors and mentors in Manchester schools! Student Success Coaches provide students with critical support and receive incredible benefits themselves. Application deadline is May 5. Apply here or nominate someone.
Marine and Community Conservation Remote Externship - Summer 2023 Remote Externship, part time (10 hours/week, $500 stipend). Jointly hosted by The Nature Conservancy and National Geographic Society. Seeking young people ages 18-25 from around the globe with an interest in learning about approaches to conservation, particularly as it relates to marine conservation and community engagement. Applications are due by May 1, 2023, and the fall cohort will begin on May 29, 2023.
Be well,
Maggie Fogarty and Grace Kindeke
AFSC’s New Hampshire "State House Watch" newsletter is published to bring you information about matters being discussed in Concord which relate to racial, social, and economic justice. Bookmark: https://afsc.org/state-house-watch to read current and past newsletters.
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. You can support our work by donating to the NH Program online or by sending a check payable to: AFSC-NH, 4 Park Street #304, Concord NH 03301. Thank you!