"You can cage the singer but not the song." - Harry Belafonte
Happy almost May Day, State House Watchers!
To properly celebrate May Day, join us in Concord for the Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Historical Marker Dedication at 12 noon, at Court & Montgomery Streets; and for the International Workers Day & May Day Rally at 4 PM at City Plaza, under the arch on Main Street, in front of the State House.
If you took a break last week to enjoy April vacation, welcome back! Read on to prepare for the coming week.
The big news is that the Senate Finance Committee has scheduled their public hearing on the state budget for Tuesday, May 2 at 1 PM and 6 PM in Representatives Hall. We encourage you to attend the hearing or contact the committee to share your own priorities, including investments in public education, affordable housing, childcare, environmental protection, access to healthcare, and more. And please join the Campaign for a People’s Budget for visibility at the State House on Tuesday from 12 noon to 1:30 PM. You can share this Facebook event to invite your networks.
Remember to 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. The series began on Monday, April 17 and will run through May 22. We 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!
ACTION ALERTS
OPPOSE SB 272, the so-called parental bill of rights that would require school staff to ‘out’ trans kids to their parents (if asked) and automatically notify parents of students’ participation in LGBTQ+ support groups and clubs. Parents could sue school staff for noncompliance. The House Education Committee did not have a majority for either OTP or ITL, so they sent the bill to the full House “without recommendation.” This means the full House will vote first on whether the bill ought to pass. If that fails, they will vote on whether the bill is inexpedient to legislate. (Or maybe something else will happen.) The full House vote hasn’t been scheduled yet, but now is the time to let your own Representatives know that you want them to defeat it.
We recommend this commentary by Hershey Hirschkop from Seacoast Outright: “Safe, welcoming schools are…crucial to the wellbeing of LGBTQ youth. LGBTQ students who feel supported by school staff get better grades, are more likely to come to school and graduate, and feel greater belonging in their school community. GSAs [Gender Sexuality Alliance groups] make students feel supported, decrease school-wide anti-LGBTQ harassment, and can even help students prepare to talk to their families about their gender or sexual orientation. This doesn’t just benefit LGBTQ youth – a positive school culture toward LGBTQ youth decreases bullying among all students. SB 272 would undermine these benefits of safe schools. It would make transgender and gender nonconforming students fearful of talking about their gender anywhere a teacher might hear. This deprives these students of support from teachers and peers and the benefits that flow from that support.”
OPPOSE SB 132, the anti-sanctuary cities bill. The House Municipal and County Government will vote on this bill during an executive session on May 10. Please contact the committee this week and urge them to recommend that this bill be defeated. You can also help by gathering signatures on two important letters of opposition, from municipal officials and law enforcement which we will send to the full House in time for the floor vote in a few weeks. To add names, contact us at afscnh @ afsc.org.
SUPPORT SB 209, relative to providing menstrual hygiene products at no cost to individuals who biologically menstruate in state and county correctional facilities. This bill is similar to HB 421, which has already passed the House. Unlike the House bill, this bill would also include juvenile detention facilities and defines sufficiency, at minimum, as 20 standard issue menstrual hygiene products per individual’s menstrual cycle. The bill will be voted on in the full House on May 4. Please contact your Representatives to ask them to vote in favor of it.
SUPPORT SB 70, relative to the establishment of an election information portal. This bill would create an online election information voter portal that connects to the existing system used by election officials where voters can complete a new voter application, request an absentee ballot, and update their address and other voter information. The current version of the bill includes the allocation of Help America Vote Act funds to towns for the purchase of election equipment, including new ballot counting devices. The bill passed the Senate with unanimous support and received a 13-5 vote of OTP/A from the House Election Law Committee. It has not yet been scheduled for a vote in the full House, but you can contact your own Representatives now to express your support using these action tools from 603 Forward and Open Democracy.
SUPPORT SB 263, which would permanently reauthorize the New Hampshire Granite Advantage Health Care Program, also known as expanded Medicaid. This bill passed the full Senate by a voice vote in March. The House Health and Human Services Committee will vote on the bill on May 3. Please contact the committee and urge them to pass this important bill. We recommend this important commentary which describes the interplay between expanded Medicaid, access to mental health services, and rates of incarceration.
Beyond the Dome
The NH Department of Health and Human Services released a report last week following an analysis of multiple locations for the site of the new center to replace the Sununu juvenile detention center. The report recommends that the smaller, therapeutic center be located at Hampstead Hospital and Residential Treatment Facility. Read more here.
A Manchester school district policy designed to promote safety for transgender and gender non-binary students was the subject of arguments before the NH Supreme Court last week. The parent who brought the suit against the district is appealing the lower court’s decision to dismiss the complaint. Read more here.
Last Week at the State House
Neither the House nor the Senate met in full session last week.
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.
Coming up in the House
The full House will meet in session on Thursday, May 4 at 9 AM in Representatives Hall. The calendar indicates that Thursday, May 11 is a possible session day, and Thursday, May 18 is a definite session day.
On the Consent Calendar
CHILDREN AND FAMILY LAW
SB 43, relative to a needs assessment for juvenile minors who are residents of New Hampshire. This bill will ensure that the existing programs would be used for resident minors of New Hampshire and not young people arrested in New Hampshire who reside elsewhere. Committee recommends OTP by a vote of 14-0.
SB 172-FN, allowing court-appointed guardians to receive Temporary Assistance to Needy Families benefits. This bill adds court-appointed guardians to the list of “specified relatives” under RSA 167:6-v and RSA 167:78 XXIII. Specified relatives are a class of individuals other than parents who are providing custodial care for children in their homes. In the past, only biological relatives and adoptive parents were eligible to receive federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds to assist with caring for children in their custody. This bill allows such families to become eligible to receive federal TANF funds without adding any costs to the state budget. Committee recommends OTP by a vote of 14-0.
SB 179, relative to eliminating the use of seclusion as a form of punishment or discipline on children in schools and treatment facilities. This bill eliminates seclusion, the involuntary solitary confinement of a child, making it strictly prohibited in all schools and treatment facilities, and helps to clarify language related to the definition of seclusion. The intent is to support and direct schools to use more therapeutic methods related to the Multi-Tiered System of Supports for Behavioral Health and Wellness and give guidance for more uniformity in incident reporting across NH while designating a plan for students to access a co-regulator if seclusion needs to be used. Committee recommends OTP by a vote of 14-0.
SB 206, prohibiting corporal punishment in child day care agencies. This bill would establish that children, while under the supervision of child care agencies, must not be subject to corporal punishment, and that individuals and facilities that do exercise corporal punishment shall be subject to criminal penalties and maybe enjoined from the future care of children. Committee recommends OTP by a vote of 14-0.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY
SB 29, relative to repealing the statute relating to police matrons. This bill seeks to remove police matrons from statute on the grounds that the term and role of police matron is antiquated and is no longer relevant. Currently in New Hampshire there is no one filling the role of police matron nor is there a police matron position. Committee recommends OTP by a vote of 19-0.
SB 38-FN, amending the procedure for issuing a summons instead of an arrest. This bill would allow police officers in New Hampshire to initiate a criminal complaint via hand summons versus arrest, which is currently the only option available in some specific cases. This bill was brought at the request of the Judicial Branch. The committee agrees that when an arrest is not necessary for the safety of the public, or to ensure an appearance by a defendant, it should be avoided. Arrests expose police officers, the public, and the arrestees to possible violence, incurring more expenses to taxpayers, and causes many ancillary negative impacts on a defendant who is still presumed innocent. An arrest can lead to loss of employment, public embarrassment from media attention which has the potential to influence a jury in a future trial. Committee recommends OTP by a vote of 20-0.
SB 244-FN, relative to false public alarms. This bill makes false reports of a shooting or bomb threat a felony. Committee recommends OTP by a vote of 20-0.
SB 251, establishing a committee to study the long-term impact of the New Hampshire adult parole system. This bill would establish a committee to study the long-term impact of the New Hampshire adult parole system. Probation and parole are designed to lower prison populations and help people succeed in the community; however, new data suggests that they may have the opposite effect. In New Hampshire, 60% of state prison admissions are due to supervision violations, which is much higher than the 45% national average. The committee unanimously felt this discrepancy warrants further study, including taking a deeper look at our state prison admissions rate, how technical violations are handled, the impact of supervision violations on local jails, whether supervisory fees collected from parolees are placing an undue burden on them, and examining best practices used in other states to minimize supervision violations. Committee recommends OTP by a vote of 20-0.
EDUCATION
SB 39-FN, relative to criminal history checks for school transportation monitors. This bill removes transportation monitors from the purview of the Department of Education for the purposes of criminal records checks. Transportation monitors do not drive school buses, they provide services directly to students which places the oversight of their employment with the contracting school administrative unit, school district, chartered public school, or public academy. Committee recommends OTP by a vote of 19-1.
SB 109, relative to school safety and coordination with law enforcement. This bill permits law enforcement to disclose records to school officials for use in disciplinary hearings. The disclosure pertains to actual records, not just information, and is only set in motion when there is a report of a “serious threat to school safety.” All records will be maintained in accordance with the US Family Education Rights and Privacy Act and applicable state law. Committee recommends OTP by a vote of 20-0.
SB 216, (New Title) making changes to the requirements for civics education in schools. As amended, this bill establishes requirements for the teaching of civics in schools and defines a civics education. The bill requires: 1. dedicated class time in each elementary grade which can be integrated with other subjects; 2. a half-year course, or the equivalent of a half-year civics course in the middle school (grades 6, 7, or 8); 3. a half-year course of instruction in civics in high school required for high school graduation; and 4. a one-year course of instruction in history, government, and constitutions of the United States and New Hampshire in high school required for high school graduation. Committee recommends OTP-A by a vote of 18-2.
ELECTION LAW
SB 157-FN, relative to election audits. This bill extends and expands the existing provisions relating to the audit of election voting devices and includes hand count towns in the audit process. The audits are open to the public. The House amendment amends the Senate bill as follows: makes the audit mandatory; expands the audit to include all election voting devices and not just AccuVote devices; includes the presidential primary in the races to be audited; increases the number of audits from four to eight; and requires that 100 ballots be compared to the digital images, rather than four percent. The committee feels that this bill increases the security and transparency in the election process. Committee recommends OTP-A by a vote of 18-0.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION
SB 45, relative to national guard educational benefits. Currently, statute permits members of the New Hampshire National Guard, who have completed their initial service obligation of at least 6 years, to transfer their tuition waiver benefit to their spouse. This can be used in the Community College System of New Hampshire. This bill would expand this benefit to include the University System of New Hampshire. Committee recommends OTP by a vote of 16-0.
SB 108-FN, relative to participation of the NH public defender program in the state employee health insurance plan. This bill authorizes the New Hampshire public defender program to participate in the state employee health insurance program. The New Hampshire public defender office contracts to provide statutory legal representation to indigent citizens. Employee turnover is high because caseloads are high, salaries are moderate, the private health insurance is costly and coverage is limited. Committee recommends OTP by a vote of 19-0.
SB 203, relative to the composition and jurisdiction of the manufactured housing board. This bill revises the manufactured housing board, a quasi-judicial entity to resolve conflicts between park owners and residents. This board has been quiescent for the last few years, and the House position, as passed in HB 2, is that it should be repealed. Testimony did not convince the committee that the board was necessary, but that the history of its decisions should be maintained in case a successor agency is identified or created. Therefore, the committee amendment deletes the bill but adds a requirement that the OPLC maintain the board website, with its data, for at least five years. Committee recommends OTP-A by a vote of 19-0.
SB 208, relative to online access to state information on economic relief disbursements. This bill brings transparency regarding federal funds in that both the Department of Administrative Services and the governor’s office for emergency relief and recovery must report separately on these disbursements on public websites. There are specific formats and timelines outlined in this bill for the agency and the executive office. Committee recommends OTP by a vote of 16-0.
HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND ELDERLY AFFAIRS
SB 35, relative to RSV vaccine administration. The committee finds the bill expands public access to the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine to address a growing concern for the safety of adults against the RSV. For several years, pharmacists have been safely providing adults with over 12 vaccines and the bill adds this vaccine to that list. Committee recommends OTP by a vote of 17-2.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY
SB 40, relative to participation in net energy metering by small hydroelectric generators. This bill corrects a historical anomaly in the way two hydroelectric systems are interconnected to the region’s electricity grid. Long ago, certain small hydroelectric dams were wired serially to a single interconnection point. Today, such facilities would each have their own separate interconnection point. A serial interconnection can make such systems ineligible to participate in net metering programs when the combined output of multiple generation dams exceeds the net metering limit of one megawatt. This bill allows two such legacy systems, one owned by a paper company and another that serves the electricity load of a different paper company, to be eligible to participate in net metering. The committee amendment tightened the definition of such systems to prevent any possible extension of these provisions to other customer generators. Committee recommends OTP-A by a vote of 20-0.
SB 68-FN, relative to municipal host for purposes of limited electrical energy producers. This bill expands the definition of “municipal host” under the Limited Electrical Energy Producers Act (LEEPA) by removing the requirement that a municipal host be in the same municipality as all the group members. The House passed HB 139 earlier this year, which incorporates the statutory change made by this bill, making this bill unnecessary. A municipal host is a renewable power customer-generator with a capacity of up to 5 megawatts. The municipal host may supply power to group members (municipal, county, or state facilities and public schools) within the same municipality and within the same utility franchise area. Removing the requirement that group members be in the same municipality as the municipal host opens the possibility of towns, miles apart from all over the state, joining together to maximize their net metering subsidy. Committee recommends ITL by a vote of 19-1.
SB 161, relative to low-moderate income community solar projects. This bill modifies existing law that allows certain public housing authority projects to qualify for low-moderate income community solar projects. The committee amendment clarified that the Department of Energy could issue rules or orders to determine eligibility for such projects as described in referenced state statutes that in turn reference federal statutes. Committee recommends OTP-A by a vote of 18-2.
SB 166-FN, relative to electric grid modernization. This bill establishes a grid modernization advisory group to help review the many aspects of grid modernization that the state will need to address through regulation or legislation. The bill clarifies definitions in statute and establishes a methodology for conducting pilots to examine the use of transactive energy, storage, demand response practices, distributed energy resources, electric vehicle charging programs and the use of advanced metering, as tools of modern grid management. The committee amendment limits utility pilots to no more than five and clarifies language about the conduct of those pilots. Committee recommends OTP-A by a vote of 20-0.
On the Regular Calendar
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY
SB 209, relative to providing menstrual hygiene products at no cost to individuals who biologically menstruate in state and county correctional facilities. This bill is similar to HB 421, which has already passed in the House. It would support basic human dignity for women by requiring all county and state correctional facilities to provide menstruation hygiene products to all female inmates that menstruate, at no cost to the inmate. Unlike the House bill, this bill would also include juvenile detention facilities and defines sufficiency, at minimum, as 20 standard issue menstrual hygiene products per individual’s menstrual cycle. WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION
EDUCATION
SB 77, relative to changes in school placement for students. This bill changes the state’s relatively new manifest education hardship program, which allows a parent or guardian to request a change of school assignment when a student is experiencing an educational hardship in their local public school. These requests are rare and result in the student being assigned to a different school to allow them to learn in a fresh environment. Change of school assignments have historically occurred through agreements between nearby, neighboring schools, done administratively, with little to no cost for either district. However, this bill would require local school boards to approve non-public private schools for this purpose, and include agreements on tuition and other costs to be paid by local taxpayers. WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION
ELECTION LAW
SCR 1, affirming the general court’s support for New Hampshire’s first in the nation primary. This concurrent resolution supports New Hampshire maintaining its position as first in the nation when holding its Presidential primary. Committee recommends OTP by a vote of 18-0.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY
SB 52-FN, relative to the regulation and operation of electric vehicle charging stations. This bill creates a study committee to determine how to fund the necessary electrical infrastructure to support electric vehicle (EV) chargers. With growing EV adoption throughout the region, EV chargers are sorely needed throughout the state for out-of-state tourists and residents alike, especially north of Concord, and the need is only going to increase. The study committee would review existing funding sources and investigate additional sources. The bill includes a directive to study ways that charging stations and their associated infrastructure can be paid for by someone other than EV users. WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION
SB 69-FN, relative to allowing certain nonprofits to participate as a customer-generator group hosts under net energy metering. This bill seeks to allow NH non-profit businesses to participate in net energy metering to lower their energy costs and protect them from succumbing under the very tight margins under which so many of them operate. Non-profit agencies and organization provide many essential services to communities from NH’s southern border to the north country. Allowing them to host small scale, local, sustainable energy gives them a chance to lower their costs and contribute to lowered demand. WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION
SB 167-FN-LOCAL, relative to green hydrogen energy and infrastructure. This bill is intended to incentivize the construction and implementation of facilities for green hydrogen produced from zero-carbon energy, a strategic and crucial component of the energy mix for our state in coming years, especially important in energy intensive industries and in heavy transportation. Green hydrogen can also function as an effective way to store renewable wind and solar for instant and reliable grid-ready electricity. The bill would establish tax credits to enhance the state’s competitive edge in attracting green hydrogen projects and federal money available for those projects. Committee recommends ITL by a vote of 11-9.
Coming Up in House Committees
Tuesday, May 2
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY, Room 202-204, LOB
10:30 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.
Wednesday, May 3
EDUCATION, Room 205-207, LOB
10:15 AM Continued Executive Session on SB 218-FN-A, establishing an early educator professional development grant;
HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND ELDERLY AFFAIRS, Room 201-203, LOB
9:30 AM Executive Session on SB 239-FN, relative to the use of harm reduction services to treat alcohol and other substance misuse; SB 263-FN, extending the New Hampshire granite advantage health care program and reestablishing the commission to evaluate the effectiveness and future of the New Hampshire granite advantage health care program.
JUDICIARY, Room 206-208, LOB
9 AM Executive Session on SB 92-FN, relative to the authority of registers of probate; SB 128-FN, relative to payment for legal services for persons involuntarily admitted for mental health services; SB 129-FN, relative to the payment of costs for indigent persons involved in mediation services; SB 250, relative to remote participation in government meetings; SB 255-FN, relative to the expectation of privacy.
RESOURCES, RECREATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Room 305-307, LOB
10:30 AM Executive Session on SB 60, relative to water quality; SB 164-FN-L, relative to consideration of biodiversity in the land and community heritage investment program.
Wednesday, May 10
MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT, Room 301-303, LOB
10:30 AM Executive Session on SB 132-FN, prohibiting cities and towns from adopting sanctuary policies.
Coming Up in the Senate
No full Senate session this week. All committee hearings will be livestreamed on the NH Senate’s YouTube channel.
Coming Up in Senate Committees
Tuesday, May 2
FINANCE, Representatives’ Hall, SH (and livestreamed here)
1 PM HB 1-A, making appropriations for the expenses of certain departments of the state for fiscal years ending June 30, 2024 and June 30, 2025; and HB 2-FN-A-L, relative to state fees, funds, revenues, and expenditures.
6 PM HB 1-A, making appropriations for the expenses of certain departments of the state for fiscal years ending June 30, 2024 and June 30, 2025; and HB 2-FN-A-L, relative to state fees, funds, revenues, and expenditures.
JUDICIARY, Room 100, SH
1 PM HB 517, relative to background checks for surrogate parents.
1:15 PM HB 397, relative to the prohibition of the possession of hypodermic needles by minors.
1:45 PM HB 287, removing testing equipment from the definition of drug paraphernalia in the controlled drug act.
2 PM HB 114, relative to the age at which a minor may receive mental health treatment without parental consent.
Thursday, May 4
CAPITAL BUDGET, Room 100, SH
Agency presentations:
9 AM Department of Environmental Services
9:30 AM Department of Transportation
10 AM Department of Safety
10:15 AM Police Standards and Training Council
10:30 AM Community College System of New Hampshire
10:45 AM New Hampshire Veterans Home
11 AM Department of Military Affairs & Veterans Services
11:30 AM Department of Education
Public hearing:
1 PM HB 25-A, making appropriations for capital improvements.
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.
Save the date: Juneteenth Celebration 2023 - Reading the Bones: Celebrating the African Diaspora – Hosted by the Black Heritage Trail NH. this weeklong Juneteenth celebration to honor these early African settlers and their descendants for their extraordinary contributions to the growth of this region. We honor the African traders who interacted with the Indigenous tribal nations long before European settlers landed on these shores. We honor the Africans who survived the Middle Passage and the successive generations of the African diaspora who continue to contribute to the development, wealth, and well-being of New England. The celebration includes a tour, a panel discussion (featuring AFSC staff members, Grace and Fisto!), a Reggae festival, a gospel choir concert, African drumming, and more!
Monday, May 1
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn Historical Marker Dedication – 12 noon to 1 PM, Court and Montgomery Streets, Concord. Born in Concord, New Hampshire in 1890, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn was a nationally known labor leader, civil libertarian, and feminist organizer in the early 20th century. Join us May 1 for dedication of an official New Hampshire Roadside Historical Marker near the site of her birth. The program will include brief comments from several speakers, music, and unveiling of the marker. Please arrive early enough to find parking. Rain or shine.
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.
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!
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.
Thursday, May 23
NH Renews Grassroots Lobby Training - 6 PM to 7:30 PM. Hosted by NH Renews Coalition. In preparation for our 2023 Climate & Energy Lobby Days we are offering a virtual grassroots lobby training. During the training, we'll offer support with developing and delivering a powerful testimony, and guidance on speaking to legislators about the climate and energy issues that matter most to you. After the training, you’ll have what you need to join us on one or both of our Lobby Days on 5/25 and 5/30, where we will target legislative committees that focus on the climate and energy policies that impact us all. We strongly encourage anyone planning to attend Lobby Day to join this training. You are welcome to join this training even if you cannot come to Lobby Day.
Thursday, May 25 & Tuesday, May 30
NH Renews Climate & Energy Lobby Days – 9 AM to 5 PM. Hosted by NH Renews Coalition. Join the NH Renews coalition as we make our voices heard and show our collective power! We will target legislative committees that have influence on bills that impact our utility costs, the energy sources we rely on, and how we cut carbon emissions while ensuring that everyone benefits. Together, we will speak about the climate and energy issues that matter most to us, and urge our elected leaders to take bold action for a future in which we can all thrive. No prior experience is needed, just your willingness to speak up for the changes that will impact you and New Hampshire's working families. The coalition will set up the meetings with legislative committees and offer support in preparing for Lobby Day, including a training.
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!