State House Watch: April 23, 2022

By Maggie Fogarty and Grace Kindeke

Apr 23, 2022

Photo: Cheryl Senter/AFSC

“It is the obligation of every person born in a safer room to open the door when someone in danger knocks.” – Dina Nayeri, Iranian-American author

April 23, 2022

Hello State House Watchers,

On Tuesday, New Hampshire activists for immigrant justice held a visibility action at the Portsmouth Harborside Sheraton to let Senator Hassan and Congressman Pappas know that New Hampshire stands in solidarity with immigrant families, urging these Members of Congress to withdraw their sponsorship of amendments that would indefinitely extend Title 42. As medical and public health experts have repeatedly attested, maintaining Title 42—the CDC policy that denies entry of asylum seekers at the southern border in the name of COVID safety—is not founded on science and actually causes more harm than it prevents. From Physicians for Human Rights: “Title 42 is and always has been an immigration agenda under the guise of a public health policy. Discriminatory border expulsions of asylum seekers do nothing to safeguard public health. It is also beyond reckless that some Members of Congress are holding up global COVID-19 aid by trying to add a Title 42 provision to the package. Funding for global COVID-19 vaccine distribution protects Americans—Title 42 does not.” – Amy Zeidan, MD, Emory University School of Medicine

For more context about the humanitarian crisis at the southern border—a crisis caused by policy choices—we recommend this recent blog post by our AFSC colleague Imani Cruz.

We note that Ukrainian asylum seekers are exempted from the Title 42 policy, cared for in shelters in the border zone and then transported to safety—not detention—in the U.S. (See today’s report on Twitter from Lindsay Toczylowski from Immigrant Defenders Law Center.) We lift this up as an example of how all people who seek refuge should be treated. It is clear that we know how to welcome asylum seekers with dignity and care; we must extend the same protections and hospitality to Black and brown migrants arriving from Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central America and everywhere that people have been forced to flee the violence of war and poverty.

Please take one or all of these actions to raise your own voice in defense of human rights at our own border: Contact Congressman Pappas and Senator Hassan to insist that they withdraw their support for the Title 42 amendments to the COVID funding bill; sign and share Granite State Interfaith Action's phone-to-action; sign and share this AFSC Action; sign and share this ACLU-NH Action.

Housing Costs Continue to Rise

As rents and housing prices continue to climb in New Hampshire, the Washington Post reports on the actual increases since 2019—rents are rising everywhere. See how much prices are up in your area. The data from each New Hampshire county demonstrates a widespread issue:

Hillsborough County: Up 17.2% since 2019
Rockingham County: Up 14.4% since 2019
Belknap County: Up 14.1% since 2019
Cheshire County: Up 12.3% since 2019
Merrimack County: Up 11% since 2019
Grafton County: Up 10.5 since 2019
Strafford County: Up 7.6% since 2019
Carroll County: Up 4.3% since 2019
Sullivan County: Up 4% since 2019
Coos County: Up 3.2% since 2019

It is in this context that we urge our state and federal lawmakers to prioritize the development and renovation of housing that is actually affordable to low-income individuals and families who suffer chronic economic insecurity and the risk of homelessness in these dynamics. We’re watching the Executive Council where discussions are taking place about Sununu’s plan for building new housing with $100 million in federal funds. Read more here.

Frankly Speaking, NH Schools, Teachers and Students Deserve Better

We're disappointed that Commissioner Frank Edelblut spoke publicly this week to continue his portrayal of ‘activist’ public school teachers who betray the trust and values of parents. Edelblut’s comments and mischaracterizations, as well as an accompanying 74-page report, attempt to demonstrate that teachers are manipulating students with regard to gender, sexuality, sexual orientation, political identity and race. Read more at NHPR and the NH Bulletin: “Devon Chaffee, executive director of the ACLU of New Hampshire, denounced the op-ed and argued it attempted to have students’ existences ‘rejected and erased.’ ‘It is shameful that anyone in New Hampshire would attack and silence youth identities in the classroom under the guise of values, while simultaneously ignoring the value of recognizing the unique perspectives of—and showing basic decency to—historically marginalized students.”

If you’re free on May 12, join us at the next public meeting of the NH Board of Education, at the Oyster River Middle School in Durham, starting at 9 AM. All are welcome to speak during the public comment period; let’s raise our voices in support of public schools, teachers, curriculum, and the well-being of all students.

A Week of Highs and Lows

First the bad news…

On Thursday, the full House voted OTP/A on SB 418, a bill that creates provisional ballots for voters who register at the polls without proof of identification. From NHPR: “SB 418 would add new requirements for those who fail to bring identification to the polls when registering to vote for the first time in New Hampshire. Those voters would be permitted to cast a special ‘Affidavit Ballot,’ which would be specially marked. They would then have seven days to return proof of identity to the Secretary of State’s office using a pre-paid envelope provided at the polls. If a voter fails to return that paperwork in time, their ballot will be pulled, their votes deducted from election tallies and their names referred to the Attorney General for investigation.”

The bill has been assigned to House Finance for an assessment of its fiscal impact; it’s not too early to let Governor Sununu know that you want him to veto this unconstitutional bill when it arrives to his desk.

The full House also approved two sets of gerrymandered maps—SB 240, the state Senate district maps, and SB 241, the Executive Council maps. Read more here. The New Hampshire Fair Maps Coalition issued the following statement: “Granite Staters deserve fair and equal representation; the Senate and Executive Council districts passed by Republican legislators fail to provide either. These districts will result in elections with predetermined outcomes. When one party is guaranteed to win an election, the most extreme partisan politicians and policies will dominate our state at the expense of the will of Granite Staters…Governor Sununu already pledged to veto a congressional district proposal because it did not reflect New Hampshire’s commitment to fair elections; he must also commit to vetoing these alarmingly unfair Senate and Executive Council districts.” Take a moment to urge Governor Sununu to veto them.

Sadly, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted OTP/A on HB 1476 , an anti-bail reform proposal promoted by false narratives from police. The full Senate will vote on the measure on April 28. Please contact your Senator and urge them to defeat this harmful bill. Bail reform is working; this bill will expand incarceration, racial disparities and the criminalization of poverty.

Following a public hearing on Wednesday, the Senate Ways and Means Committee voted unanimously to recommend defeat for HB 1598, which would legalize the possession and use of cannabis for persons 21 years of age and older, and authorize the liquor commission to regulate and administer the cultivation, manufacture, testing, and retail sale of cannabis statewide. Read more here. The full Senate will vote on April 28. We recommend a recent report from the ACLU about the high cost and racial disparities of the current laws against cannabis: The Impact of the War on Drugs and Bail in New Hamsphire.

An anti-immigrant bill, HB 1266, which would prevent local communities from prohibiting police collusion with federal immigration enforcement, was heard in Senate Judiciary on Tuesday. Maggie offered testimony on behalf of the NH Immigrant Rights Network. You can watch the hearing here, starting at 1:07:21. The Keene Sentinal reported on the hearing. The committee has not yet voted, so there is still time to contact them to urge them to recommend defeat for this harmful proposal.

And here’s some good news….

We are relieved to see that the Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee has recommended defeat for SB 1393, a bill which would enable municipalities to enact school budget caps. The proposal is yet another threat to the well-being of our public schools, whose funding could be devastated in a manner similar to what happened recently in Croyden.

We are also happy to see that the full Senate unanimously approved HB 103, establishing a dental benefit under the state Medicaid program.

And the full Senate passed, by a strong bipartisan vote of 19-5, HB 1609, which would add fatal fetal anomalies as an exception to the current abortion ban. InDepthNH quoted Senator Jay Kahn (D-Keene): “The public hearing on HB 1609 was one of the most powerful hearings I have ever been a part of. The stories shared by Granite State women, families, and medical professionals emphasized the very real fact that every pregnancy is unique and that mothers and families need compassion and flexibility to make these extremely personal medical decisions.” From Planned Parenthood’s Kayla Montgomery: “Today we…lament that…women were forced to bare their scars for lawmakers who refused to listen to medical providers and patients last year when they tacked an abortion ban and ultrasound mandate onto the state budget. As their stories have illustrated, real people have been needlessly harmed by this law.”

Action Alerts for Next Week

Oppose HB 1476, the anti-bail reform measure which passed the House two weeks ago. The bill has been recommended OTP/A by Senate Judiciary. Please take a moment to contact your senator, and tell them to oppose the committee recommendation for this harmful proposal which will exacerbate racial disparities in the criminal legal system and force poor people to remain incarcerated while awaiting a trial.

Oppose HB 1393, which allows municipalities to impose caps on school budgets. The bill, which had passed the full House on a voice vote, was recommended ITL by the Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee. Please take a moment to contact your senator, and tell them to support the committee recommendation to defeat this bill.

Support HB 1417-FN-L, relative to payment by the state of a portion of retirement system contributions of political subdivision employers. The committee recommends OTP. Please urge your own senator to support this bill which would start to restore the state’s share of retirement costs for teachers, firefighters and local police, which will relieve some of the down-shifted burden currently carried by local taxpayers.

Last Week in the House

The full House met in session on Thursday. Here are the outcomes of several bills we’re tracking. But 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

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. Voted OTP/A.
SB 376-FN, (New Title) relative to creating a board to review police incidents involving citizens affected by mental health issues. Voted OTP/A 206-107 and referred to Finance.

ELECTION LAW
SB 328, relative to the date of the state primary election. Voted ITL.
SB 348, relative to political expenditures and contributions. Voted OTP.
SB 366-FN, requiring an audit of ballots cast in the 2022 primary and general election. Voted OTP/A and referred to Finance.
SB 405-FN, relative to fines and penalties for election law violations. Voted OTP/A.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION
SB 223, relative to requirements for recovery houses. Voted OTP.

HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND ELDERLY AFFAIRS
SB 275, relative to the opioid abatement trust fund. Voted OTP and referred to Finance.
SB 279, establishing a study committee on harm reduction and overdose prevention programs. Voted OTP.
SB 391, relative to the operation of a state forensic psychiatric hospital. Voted OTP.

TRANSPORTATION
SB 417-FN, establishing an electric school bus pilot program. Voted OTP/A and referred to Finance.

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. Voted OTP/A and referred to Finance.

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. Tabled.

EDUCATION
SB 381-FN-A, establishing an office of the advocate for special education. Voted OTP and referred to Finance.
SB 420-FN-A-LOCAL, establishing an extraordinary need grant for schools. Voted OTP/A (261-71) and referred to Finance.

ELECTION LAW
SB 365, relative to absentee ballot outer envelopes. Voted ITL (184-146).
SB 418-FN, relative to verification of voter affidavits. Voted OTP/A (180-154) and referred to Finance.
SB 425-FN, relative to the establishment of an election information portal. Voted ITL.
SB 427-FN, modifying the absentee voter registration process, absentee ballot application, and absentee ballot voting process. Voted ITL (183-151).

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. Tabled (168-158).
SB 407-FN, relative to expanding Medicaid to include certain postpartum health care services and making an appropriation therefor. Voted OTP (212-117) and referred to Finance.
SB 430-FN-A, relative to health and human services. Voted OTP/A (233-90) and referred to Finance.
SB 444-FN, relative to childhood adverse experiences treatment and prevention. Recommended OTP by a vote of 15-6.
SB 459-FN, relative to a health care facility workplace violence prevention program. Voted OTP and referred to Finance.

SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON REDISTRICTING
SB 240, apportioning state senate districts. Voted OTP (172-149) after an effort to table the bill failed (143-170).
SB 241, apportioning executive council districts. Voted OTP (174-146) after an effort to amend the bill failed (145-175).

Last Week in the Senate

On the Consent Calendar

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

ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
HB 1491-FN-L, relative to natural gas transmission pipeline safety. Voted OTP.
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. Voted OTP/A.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
HB 1003, prohibiting health care providers from refusing to provide care or services based on patient vaccination status. Voted OTP.
HB 1035, relative to exemptions from school vaccine mandates. Voted OTP.
HB 1487, relative to the procedure for withdrawal from the vaccine registry. Voted OTP/A.
HB 1488, expanding the prohibition against discrimination based on an individual’s election not to participate in the state vaccine registry. Voted OTP.
HB 1604-FN, including state medical facilities in the statute providing medical freedom in immunizations. Voted OTP/A and referred to Finance.
HB 1608-FN, relative to withdrawal from the state immunization registry. Voted OTP.
HB 1622-FN, relative to mental health parity. Voted OTP.

JUDICIARY
HB 1609-FN, relative to certain provisions of the fetal life protection act requiring an ultrasound examination. Voted OTP (19-5).
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. Voted OTP/A.

On the Regular Calendar

EDUCATION
HB 1434-FN, relative to the availability of school curriculum materials. Voted to IS.
HB 1513-FN, relative to the definition of a child with a disability for purposes of special education. Voted OTP/A and referred to Finance.
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. Voted OTP/A and referred to Finance.

ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
HB 1420-FN, prohibiting the issuance of new landfill permits until the state’s solid waste plan is updated. Voted OTP/A.
HB 1454-FN, relative to permits for the siting of new landfills. Special ordered to May 5 session.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
HB 103-FN, establishing a dental benefit under the state Medicaid program. Voted OTP/A (24-0) and referred to Finance.
HB 1241, prohibiting a school district from mandating a COVID-19 vaccination for school attendance. Voted to IS.
HB 1379, relative to the department of health and human services’ rulemaking authority regarding immunization requirements. Voted to IS.
HB 1495-FN, prohibiting the state from requiring businesses to require vaccine or documentation related to vaccination or immunity status. Voted OTP/A 14-10.

JUDICIARY
HB 629-FN, relative to the home cultivation of cannabis plants and the possession of certain cannabis-infused products. Special ordered to next session.
HB 1335-FN, relative to the parole board and the procedure for medical parole of prisoners. Voted OTP/A.
HB 1360-FN, relative to penalties for controlled drug violations. Voted to IS (17-7).

WAYS AND MEANS
HB 1221-FN, relative to the rate of the business profits tax and relative to payment by the state to municipalities of an amount equal to a portion of retirement system contributions of political subdivision employers. The bill was ruled divisible, leading to a vote of OTP/A (14-10) on sections 1, 3 and 7, and a separate OTP/A vote (24-0) on the rest of the bill. (Sections 1, 3 and 7 would reduce the BPT on or after December 31, 2023. The rest of the bill would provide a one-time payment to municipalities of 7.5% of their state retirement system bill for Group I teachers and Group II members.) See InDepthNH story for more details here.

Coming Up in the Senate

The Senate will meet in session on Thursday, April 28, starting at 10 AM. You can watch the livestream here.

On the Consent Calendar

ELECTION LAW AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS
HB 1021, prohibiting regulation of religious land use based on the religious nature of the assembly or speech taking place on the land or in the structure. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 5-0. This bill as amended will prohibit zoning regulations from applying to land or structures based on the religious nature of the assembly or speech. Such land or structures may be subject to objective dimensional and other zoning regulations as long as the requirements are applicable regardless of the nature of the use of the property.
HB 1163, relative to over-voted ballots. Recommended OTP by a vote of 5-0. This bill will require ballots which contain more than the allowable number of votes for an office on the ballot be returned to the voter to be hand counted by election officials after the polls close.
HB 1272, limiting the authority of town health officers. Recommended ITL by a vote of 5-0.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION
HB 275, relative to the declaration of a state of emergency. Recommended OTP by a vote of 5-0. This permits the Governor to maintain emergency powers for up to 84 days. This bill also grants the legislature the power to meet and terminate individual emergency orders.

JUDICIARY
HB 1388-FN, relative to the unsolicited disclosure of an intimate image. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 5-0. This bill establishes a criminal penalty for the unsolicited disclosure of an intimate image.
HB 1493, relative to the drug forfeiture fund. Recommended OTP by a vote of 5-0.

WAYS AND MEANS
HB 1598-FN, legalizing the possession and use of cannabis. Recommended ITL by a vote of 5-0. This bill would legalize the possession and use of cannabis for persons 21 years and older. It would create a state-run model with the Liquor Commission responsible for regulating and administering the cultivation, manufacture, testing and retail sale of cannabis.

On the Regular Calendar

EDUCATION
HB 1193, relative to chartered public school fees and enrollment policies. Recommended ITL by a vote of 4-0.

ELECTION LAW AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS
HB 1203-FN, relative to domicile residency, voter registration, and investigation of voter verification letters. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 3-2.
HB 1393, relative to the adoption of school district budget caps. Recommended ITL by a vote of 4-1.

ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
HB 1547-FN, setting maximum contaminant levels for perfluorochemicals in the soil. Recommended OTP by a vote of 4-0.
HB 1599-FN, relative to customer generators who sell renewable energy certificates. Recommended ITL by a vote of 4-0.
HB 1629-FN, relative to default service for net metering. Recommended ITL by a vote of 4-0.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION
HB 1417-FN-L, relative to payment by the state of a portion of retirement system contributions of political subdivision employers. Recommended OTP by a vote of 4-1.
HB 1535-FN, relative to a one-time allowance for certain state retirees. Recommended OTP by a vote of 4-1.

FINANCE
HB 214, relative to a public school facility condition assessment and school building aid grants. Recommended for IS by a vote of 4-3.
HB 536-FN, relative to death benefits for public works employees killed in the line of duty, and relative to workers’ compensation offsets for certain retirement system benefits. Recommended for IS by a vote of 6-1.
HB 1421-FN, relative to lead in school drinking water. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 7-0.
HB 1614-FN, requiring the recording and storing of digital video in all state-funded juvenile detention facilities. Recommended OTP by a vote of 7-0.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
HB 1099, prohibiting the department of health and human services from requiring vaccine passports for services. Recommended OTP by a vote of 3-2.
HB 1131, relative to facial covering policies for schools. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 3-2.
HB 1606, making the state vaccine registry an opt-in program. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 4-1.

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 1296-FN, relative to the forfeiture of items used in connection with a drug offense. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 4-1.
HB 1431-FN-L, establishing the parental bill of rights. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 3-2. This is a very broad bill primarily affecting public schools, with new requirements and punitive consequences for school officials. It establishes a vague and broad set of parental rights with potential misdemeanor charges for educators who violate these rights. Similar legislation has been promoted in state legislatures around the country.
HB 1476-FN, relative to persons arrested while out on bail. Recommended OTP/A by a vote of 3-2. AFSC-NH and other advocates oppose this bill. More information above.
HB 1677-FN, relative to the administration and settlement of claims of abuse at the youth development center and making an appropriation therefor. Recommended OTP by a vote of 5-0.

TRANSPORTATION
HB 1636, relative to prohibitions on carrying a loaded firearm on an OHRV or snowmobile. Recommended OTP by a vote of 4-0.

Coming Up in House Committees

You can sign in to indicate your position on a bill or sign up to testify here for House hearings. You can also submit written testimony or check on what testimony has been submitted to any House committee by using the link Online Testimony Submissions.

Monday, April 25

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION, Room 302-304, LOB
11:15 AM SB 450, relative to the prescription drug affordability board.

Tuesday, April 26

EDUCATION, Room 205-207, LOB
9:00 AM Executive Session on multiple bills including SB 410, relative to public comment periods at school district meetings and meetings of the state board of education.

FINANCE, Room 210-211, LOB
10:00 AM Executive Session on multiple bills including SB 371-FN-A, making an appropriation to the lead paint hazard remediation fund; SB 445-FN, relative to the broadband matching grant initiative; SB 412-FN-A, making an appropriation to the department of health and human services for nursing home reimbursement rates; SB 422-FN, establishing an adult dental benefit under the state Medicaid program.

TRANSPORTATION, Room 201-203, LOB
10:00 AM Executive Session on multiple bills including SB 308, relative to driver’s licenses for certain visa holders; SB 447-FN, establishing the electric vehicle and infrastructure fund; SB 449, relative to the retention of social security numbers by the division of motor vehicles.

Wednesday, April 27

COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, Room 302-304, LOB
11:00 AM Executive Session on multiple bills including SB 319-FN, relative to vaccination status and wellness incentives.

FINANCE, Room 210-211, LOB
3:00 PM Executive Session on multiple bills including SB 366-FN, requiring an audit of ballots cast in the 2022 primary and general election; SB 418-FN, relative to verification of voter affidavits; SB 438-FN-L, establishing state procurement policies intended to promote the use of American materials; SB 376-FN, relative to creating a board to review police incidents involving citizens affected by mental health issues; SB 394-FN, relative to the definition of a child with a disability under special education laws; SB 417-FN, establishing an electric school bus pilot program; SB 420-FN-A-L, establishing an extraordinary need grant for schools and relative to additional adequate education grant amounts for pupils receiving special education services; SB 275, relative to the opioid abatement trust fund; SB 407-FN, relative to expanding Medicaid to include certain postpartum health care services and making an appropriation therefor; SB 430-FN-A, relative to health and human services; SB 444-FN, relative to childhood adverse experiences treatment and prevention; SB 458-FN, relative to the Sununu youth services center and operation of a replacement secure facility.

MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT, Room 305-307, LOB
10:00 AM Executive Session on multiple bills including 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.

Coming Up in Senate Committees

You can sign in to indicate your position on a bill or sign up to testify here for Senate public hearings.

Monday, April 25

ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES, Room 103, SH
9:00 AM HB 1258, relative to the implementation of the department of energy. This bill makes various changes to amend the powers and duties of the public utilities commission and the department of energy.
9:40 AM HB 1148, relative to prohibiting government entities subordinate to the state from restricting the types of fuel sources that may be used for energy.

Tuesday, April 26

ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES, Room 103, SH
9:10 AM HB 1049, establishing a committee to study landfill siting criteria and methods for reducing pressure on landfill capacity.

JUDICIARY, Room 100, SH
1:00 PM HB 1280, prohibiting a parent’s refusal to vaccinate a child pursuant to an order of the state or federal government to be used as a basis for terminating parental rights.
1:30 PM HB 1382, relative to the presumption of shared parenting in the determination of parental rights and responsibilities.
1:50 PM HB 1416, relative to consent for mental health treatment in parenting cases with shared decision-making responsibility.

State House Watch on the Radio

Join us for State House Watch Radio on Monday, April 25 hosted by AFSC. We will be talking with Zandra Rice Hawkins and Sarah Robinson from Granite State Progress. 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 hosted by Lidia Yen and Steven Kidder from Change for Concord.

Upcoming Events and Programs

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

Beyond Roe: Abortion Storyteller Training – 6 PM to 7 PM. Hosted by Granite State Progress and the Reproductive Freedom Fund of New Hampshire. This legislative session, we've seen the powerful impact that stories can have when we make our voices heard. Stories have the power to change hearts and minds like nothing else, and that's why we're hosting an abortion storyteller training! If you have a story to share, come join us and learn how you can use it to advocate for bodily autonomy at a time when our rights hang in the balance like never before. Reach out to Josie Pinto, with any questions: josie.rffnh@gmail.com.

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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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.

Thursday, April 28

Join us to Empower New American Youth! – 5 PM to 8 PM. Bank of NH Stage: 16 S Main Street, Concord. Hosted by Overcomers Refugee Services. Join us for this special event to support New American youth in our community. Featuring guest speakers followed by a talent show. Admission is free but donations are greatly appreciated.

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 immigrant and worker 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.

Planning and Zoning Meetings 101 – 7 PM to 8 PM. Hosted by Rights & Democracy. Are you wondering how you can be part of making change at the local level for housing equity and justice? One key part of this is understanding how municipal planning and zoning decisions impact affordable housing access, and how we can leverage our collective power to change outcomes. Join Manchester Housing Alliance Leadership Committee member Jane Haigh for a virtual session, to learn what the Planning Board and Zoning Board do, why they are important, and how we can have an impact on the decisions they make!

Tuesday, May 3

Love From The Walls: A Free Them All Mother's Day Event – 12 PM to 2 PM. 4 Park Street #304, Concord. Hosted by AFSC. Love transcends walls, bars and cages. Join us to write messages of care and resilience to and from incarcerated women in NH. We will have a potluck lunch so please bring a dish to share and join us for food and fellowship. All are welcome!

SASS Training: Self-Managed Abortion Safe & Supported – 5:30 PM. Hosted by Progress Florida and Granite State Progress. This will be an exciting opportunity for abortion and reproductive rights advocates to learn how to effectively and legally spread information about self-managed abortion with pills. With laws guaranteeing the right to abortion under attack, we need to claim the power to determine our own reproductive destinies. People are already using abortion pills on their own to end their pregnancies. The pills are safe and effective, but accurate information and support is needed.

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.

Monday, May 9

Peace & Justice Conversations: The Forgiveness Project – 7 PM. Hosted by NH Peace Action. The Forgiveness Project (The F-WORD Exhibition) is a thought-provoking collection of arresting images and personal narratives, exploring forgiveness in the face of atrocity. Drawing together voices from South Africa, America, Israel, Palestine, Northern Ireland and England, the exhibition examines forgiveness as a healing process, a path out of victimhood and, ultimately, a journey of hope.

Thursday May 12

State Board of Education – 9 AM. 1 Coe Drive, Durham, NH. Hosted by Granite State Progress. The NH State Board of Education has reinstated public comment periods for their meetings. This is the perfect opportunity to let the board, and DOE Commissioner Frank Edelblut, know how we feel about the commissioner's efforts to undermine and dismantle public education. This meeting is taking place in Durham, NH.

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!