“God never intended for one group of people to live in superfluous inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty.” - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Strength to Love
“The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty.” - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr,
Where do we go from here: Chaos or Community?
Greetings, State House Watchers!
It has been a busy first full week of committee hearings. Things are moving at a quick pace and the Senate has a voting day scheduled for Thursday, January 19 at 10 AM which you can watch here. The House is not too far behind, with voting days tentatively scheduled for Thursday, January 26 and February 2.
Action Alerts
Please sign in, contact the committee, or show up to support this week’s key bills:
Support HB 95, which allows local municipalities to adopt bylaws to regulate the period of notice required for a rent increase on residential priorities and the amount of the rent increase. If passed, municipalities could require a property owner to give tenants at least 30 days’ notice prior to instituting a rent increase. Municipalities could also set a maximum amount for rental increases. Municipal and County Government, 301-303 LOB, on Wednesday, January 18 at 10 AM. Join NH Voices of Faith in the lobby of the LOB at 9 AM.
Support HB 422-FN, to create a public county registry of the monthly rent charged by landlords for each owned unit. This bill would require the register of deeds in each county to create a public registry for all rents charged for properties within the county. House Municipal and County Government, 301-303 LOB, on Wednesday, January 18 at 10:45 AM. Join NH Voices of Faith in the lobby of the LOB at 9 AM.
Support HB 57, which increases the minimum wage, increases the base rate for tipped employees, and requires a youth minimum wage for employees under 18 years old. House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services, 305-507 LOB on Thursday, January 19 at 10 AM.
Support HB 58, which prohibits the payment of subminimum wages to an employee. House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services, 305-507 LOB, on Thursday, January 19 at 11 AM.
Support HB 201, relative to reducing the penalty, from a misdemeanor to a violation, for driving without a license, unless the individual is convicted for second time in a 12-month period. House Criminal Justice & Public Safety, 202-204 LOB, on Thursday, January 19 at 11:30 AM.
Support HB 421, requiring feminine hygiene products to be provided to prisoners who menstruate in state and county correctional facilities. House Criminal Justice and Public Safety, 202-204 LOB, on Friday January 20 at 11:30 AM.
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!
Throughout the weekend, we will be honoring the life and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There will be celebrations all over the state so be sure to check our events section for a list of commemorations. AFSC staff will be in Manchester for the MLK Coalition celebration at Memorial High School. We are so proud of Grace Kindeke who is this year’s recipient of the 2023 MLK Award.
Dr. King believed in the power of people’s movements to build communities of justice and peace. He was sustained in his work by a deep and abiding faith, and he called people of all faiths and conscience to engage in the long labor for systemic change, including by holding our leaders accountable. He’d surely agree with this letter from NH faith leaders at the start of the legislative session.
Immigration news
President Biden went to the US/Mexico border last weekend following his announcement of the Administration’s plan for increased immigration enforcement actions. It was his first visit after more than two years as president, and he spent no time meeting with migrants. Read more here and here. Our colleague Pedro Rios, Director of AFSC’s US-Mexico Border Program, expressed dismay at Biden’s further restrictions on the rights of migrants to seek asylum in the United States: “The Administration is expanding the use of Title 42, which is an archaic public health order that empowers Border Patrol agents to expel migrants without recognizing their right to seek asylum under U.S. and international law, and expedites their removal.”
In better immigration news, the Department of Homeland Security announced deferred action from deportation and labor protection for undocumented workers who have been victim of or witness to workplace violations including wage theft and unsafe working conditions. From the National Day Laborer Organizing Network: "Across the country immigrant workers have bravely denounced abuse from their employers; but while labor agencies prosecute their cases, DHS has stalled in granting them the protections they deserve. The Biden Administration's policy announcement is a step towards protecting the rights of all workers. For the policy to be a success, however, the Administration must be fully committed to act on these promises with urgency." - Sean Goldhammer, Director of Employment Legal Services, Workers Defense Project
Beyond the Dome
There was more news this week pertaining to the acute shortage of affordable housing in NH, including the rising rates of eviction, the stress of housing insecurity, and the lack of adequate options for homeless people living in encampments.
NH Business Review reported on the spike in landlord-tenant cases and evictions at the end of 2022, which corresponds with the lack of funding for new applications for the federally-funded NH Emergency Rental Assistance Program: “’Without that federally funded program that can promise landlords payments, landlords are just moving forward with evictions,’ said Marta Hurgin, legal director of 603 Legal Aid. Hurgin said the rise in evictions — combined with the state's growing homelessness crisis, inflated market prices and low vacancy rate — illustrates the severity of the housing crisis here. ‘I don’t think it’s a secret that housing in New Hampshire is at an inflection point,’ she said. ‘I think that there will need to be serious government movement, whether that’s local, state or federal, to provide more safe, affordable housing in New Hampshire – because there’s just not enough of it available.’”
Former Concord school board member Kate West shared her own housing struggles, caused by high rents and low vacancy rates, in the Concord Monitor this week: “’Experiencing what it’s like to lose your housing for an extended period of time firsthand really puts into perspective how difficult it is to thrive and create an independent life when you aren’t able to have affordable housing and a shelter that you can go back to,’ West said. ‘A place where you can organize and care for yourself and your child and take care of your mental health and make sure you’re eating the way that you should be and make sure you’re sleeping like you should be. You can’t do those things if you don’t have dependable shelter.’”
This editorial in the Valley News emphasizes the important role of the state government in creating solutions: “State government should be a full partner with local communities in a comprehensive and coordinated effort to alleviate homelessness in the short term, and to create the necessary conditions for its eradication in the long term. We urge Sununu to recognize this imperative, and channel New Hampshire’s considerable resources into creating a future where having an affordable roof over one’s head is not a matter of a roll of life’s dice.”
AFSC signed onto a letter from the ACLU, NH Legal Assistance and others urging the City of Manchester to halt a planned eviction of a homeless encampment until more secure options could be made available to those who would be impacted by the destruction of their temporary homes. Read more here. When City officials refused to delay the evictions, scheduled for early morning on January 17, advocates took the matter to superior court where the judge convinced City officials to delay the action and await his order on Tuesday. The evictions have been stopped for now. Our support for this legal action comes from our belief that temporary warming centers – while an important and life-saving resource – are not a housing option and are not justification for evicting the most vulnerable members of our community. We know that officials and homeless service providers are working hard to address these urgent human needs, but the civil rights of directly-impacted people need to be acknowledged and respected.
"Banned Concepts" lawsuit moves ahead
A federal judge ruled yesterday afternoon that the ACLU’s lawsuit against the state’s “banned concepts” law would be allowed to proceed, saying that “Given the severe consequences that teachers face if they are found to have taught or advocated a banned concept, plaintiffs have pleaded a plausible claim that the amendments are unconstitutionally vague.” This good news came on the same day that the House Education Committee heard hours of testimony regarding HB 61, which would repeal and replace the same law. You can read more here and here and here.
Recommended reading
This week’s recommendation is the latest budget briefing from the NH Fiscal Policy Institute (NHFPI): Funding the Upcoming State Budget and Key Services.
We also remind you that the updated list of legislative proposals for the 2023 state legislative session – 829 and counting – can be found here: Legislative Service Requests (LSRs) Bill language and bill numbers are still being added by the hardworking staff at the Office of Legislative Services.
Overheard at the State House...
"To reduce systemic racism, sexism and ableism solely to the individual and interpersonal level is a tactic meant to distort the very real disparities and adverse life and health outcomes experienced by historically marginalized communities.... Systemic racism and sexism are divisive because of the harm they cause, not because they are uncomfortable to discuss or learn about. Our willingness to examine and discuss our history and institutional responsibilities enables us to fully live into our values as a Granite State and realize the promises of the Beloved Community that Dr. King dreamed of. One that is united because we are willing to courageously confront these injustices and inequities no matter how uncomfortable or difficult it is.” - Grace Kindeke, AFSC, in testimony supporting HB 61
“This is gaslighting of the people of color and teachers in the state of New Hampshire. And it seeks to provide a remedy for a problem, purportedly teachers teaching their political opinions, that does not exist.” - James McKim, Manchester NAACP, regarding the “Banned Concepts” Act
"We're going to keep coming back and asking for this. I don't care how many times you vote it down. We'll be back next year, and we'll be asking for the same thing." Denise Pouliot, of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook-Abenaki People, at the hearing for HB 180, to rename Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples Day
Next week at the State House
You can watch the House hearings here, and the Senate hearings here. You can sign in for House bills here, and for Senate bills here. And you can contact House or Senate committees. So many options!
Key:
LOB – Legislative Office Building (33 N. State St. Concord)
SH – State House (107 N. Main St. Concord)
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.
Coming up in House committees
Tuesday, January 17
CHILDREN AND FAMILY LAW, Room 206-208 LOB
1 PM HB 151, establishing a committee to study the issue of unmarried cohabitants, domestic partnerships, and common law marriage.
EDUCATION, Granite State College, 25 Hall Street, Concord, NH
9:30 AM NH Department of Education Presentation
ELECTION LAW, Room 306-308 LOB
10:00 AM HB 115, changes the date of the state primary election to the second Tuesday in June.
10:45 AM HB 333-FN, relative to changing the date of the state primary election and adding a run-off election if necessary.
1 PM HB 345-FN, establishes procedures for ranked-choice voting and allows state parties and municipalities to opt into such procedures.
2 PM HB 350, establishes procedures for ranked-choice voting for federal and state offices.
3 PM Executive Session on HB 402-FN, prohibits the publication of false statements by any candidate, political committee, or political party regarding another candidate's positions on issues.
3:30 PM Executive session on HB 101-FN, requires any undeclared voter who wishes to vote in a state party primary to declare a party affiliation at least 4 months prior to such primary; HB 116-FN, increases certain filing fees and the number of signed primary petitions required for primary ballot candidates, and removes the filing fee for state representative candidates.
TRANSPORTATION, Room 201-203 LOB
1:30 PM HB 111, establishes a committee to study electrical vehicle charging for residential renters.
Wednesday, January 18
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY, Room 202-204 LOB
10:00 AM HB 89, relative to posthumous exonerations and annulments.
12:15 PM HB 287, removing testing equipment from the definition of drug paraphernalia in the controlled drug act.
EDUCATION, Room 205-207 LOB
10:10 AM HB 420-FN-A, amends the purpose and course eligibility for the dual and concurrent enrollment program withing the regional career and technical education program and makes an appropriation therefor.
2 PM HB 429-FN-L, requires school districts and chartered public schools to offer both breakfast and lunch programs to students.
2:45 PM HB 424-FN, requires school boards that provide free or reduced cost meals to refrain from certain actions that could stigmatize a child who requests such a meal.
JUDICIARY, Room 206-208 LOB
11:00 AM HB 164, relative to prohibiting towns from criminalizing the right to peaceful and orderly assembly.
1:30 PM CACR 5, relating to fundamental rights providing that the constitution protects the right to marry.
2 PM HB 240, adds race to the equal access to marriage.
3 PM HB 63, prohibits zoning ordinances and local land use regulations from burdening religious land and structures in their use as residential housing.
3:30 PM HB 256, prohibits a municipality from unlawfully discriminating against any individual or group based on their speech or purpose.
MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT, Room 301-303 LOB
10 AM HB 95, enabling municipalities to adopt rental practice regulations. ACTION NEEDED: Please sign in, contact the committee, or show up to support this bill. Join NH Voices of Faith in the lobby of the LOB at 9 AM.
10:45 AM HB 422-FN, to create a public county registry of the monthly rent charged by landlords for each owned unit. ACTION NEEDED: Please sign in, contact the committee, or show up to support this bill. Join NH Voices of Faith in the lobby of the LOB at 9 AM.
11:15 AM HB 99-FN-L, requiring tax bills to provide information about the current low and moderate income homeowners property tax relief program for lower income homeowners.
2 PM HB 295-FN, relative to requiring all selectboard and school board meetings to be recorded and broadcast live online.
Thursday, January 19
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY, Room 202-204 LOB
11:30 AM HB 201, relative to reducing the penalties of driving without a driver’s license to a violation, unless the individual is convicted for second time in a 12-month period. ACTION NEEDED: Please sign in, contact the committee, or show up to support this bill.
EDUCATION, Room 205-207 LOB
9:30 AM HB 464-FN, expands the definition of who is an eligible student qualifying under the education freedom accounts program.
11 AM HB 367-FN-L, increases the household income level based on the federal poverty guidelines for the eligibility of students to participate in the education freedom account program.
1 PM HB 380-FN, makes changes to the requirements for school district or chartered public school policies governing the administration of non-academic surveys or questionnaires.
JUDICIARY, Room 206-208 LOB
11:00 AM HB 254, relative to remote participation in public meetings under the right to know law.
LABOR, INDUSTRIAL AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, Room 305-307 LOB
10 AM HB 57, increases the minimum wage, increases the base rate for tipped employees, and requires a youth minimum wage for employees under 18 years old. ACTION NEEDED: Please sign in, contact the committee, or show up to support this bill.
11 AM HB 58, prohibits the payment of subminimum wages to an employee. ACTION NEEDED: Please sign in, contact the committee, or show up to support this bill.
1 PM HB 48-FN, relative to employee protections from COVID-19 in the workplace.
1:30 PM HB 74-FN, relative to an employee’s unused earned time.
2:30 PM HB 82-FN, relative to employment protection for participants in the therapeutic cannabis program.
3 PM HB 118-FN, prohibiting employers from engaging in certain anti-union activities.
MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT, Room 301-303 LOB
1:30 PM HB 44, relative to permissible residential units in a residential zone.
Friday, January 20
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY, Room 202-204, LOB
11:30 AM HB 421, requiring feminine hygiene products to be provided to prisoners who menstruate in state and county correctional facilities. ACTION NEEDED: Please sign in, contact the committee, or show up to support this bill.
STATE-FEDERAL RELATIONS AND VETERANS AFFAIRS, Room 206-208 LOB
10 AM HB 229-FN, relative to requiring an official declaration of war for the activation of the New Hampshire national guard.
1 PM HCR 3, relative to affirming states’ power over the federal constitution.
1:45 PM HCR 4, urging Congress to propose a constitutional amendment to establish congressional term limits.
2 PM HCR 5, urging the taking of appropriate legal action against multinational fossil fuel companies for harms incurred from disinformation campaigns about the effects of fossil fuel combustion.
3 PM HR 7, calling for the federal government to preserve and protect Medicare and Social Security without cuts to benefits.
Coming up in the Senate
The Senate will meet in full session for a voting day on Thursday, January 19 starting at 10 AM. Watch it here.
On the Consent Calendar
SB 29, repeals the statute relating to police matrons which has been in existence since 1915. Historical fact: Police matrons were one of the first jobs women could hold in law enforcement. Recommended OTP, Vote 5-0
On the Regular Calendar
ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
SB 11, directing educational or research institutions, museums, historical societies and other collections to review, inventory, and catalogue any remains or materials from African American burial sites in consultation with descendants and the descendant community. Recommended OTP-A, Vote 4-0.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION
SB 28, relative to adding a portrait in the likeness of Rogers Johnson at the state house. Recommended OTP, Vote 5-0.
Coming up in Senate committees
Tuesday, January 17
COMMERCE, Room 100, SH
9 AM SB 46, relative to electronic payments to employee debit cards.
9:45 AM SB 64, establishing a study committee on resident-owned manufactured housing park disputes and oversight of resident-owned manufactured housing parks.
ELECTION LAW AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS, Room 103 LOB
10 AM SB 47, establishing a commission to study barriers to increased density of residential development in New Hampshire.
ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES, Room 103, SH
9:15 AM SB 40, relative to participation in net energy metering by small hydroelectric generators.
JUDICIARY, Room 100, SH
1 PM Executive session on pending legislation
1:45 PM 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. Executive session may follow.
Wednesday, January 18
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Room 101 LOB
9 AM SB 32-FN, relative to the opioid abatement trust fund.
9:15 AM SB 35, relative to RSV vaccine administration.
9:30 AM SB 36-FN, relative to systems of care for healthy aging.
Upcoming events
Saturday, January 14
Rally: Peace in Ukraine - Yes! NATO Expansion - No! – 12PM. Veteran’s Park, Manchester. Hosted by 350 New Hampshire, NH Peace Action, Answer Coalition Southern NH, Party for Socialism & Liberation. Join us to make your voice heard and to honor the true anti-war legacy of Dr. King. In the last year of his life, before an assassin’s bullet took him, Dr. King was organizing all around the country against what he described as the “Three Evils” of our society: militarism, racism and poverty. Honoring Dr. King in a meaningful way means to build an ever- stronger movement for peace and against social and economic injustice.
Keeping the Dream Alive MLK Celebration - 6 PM. 121 Manchester Street, Nashua. Hosted by First Baptist Church of Nashua. The Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Attleboro, MA, is the keynote speaker at the First Baptist Church of Nashua’s 41st interfaith celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The event features performances by First Baptist Church Choir, Nashua Interfaith Choir, New Fellowship Gospel Choir, NH Gay Men’s Chorus, and soloist Julia Leonard.
Sunday, January 15
“The Triple Evils and ‘Creative Maladjustment’: A Service for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day ” – 10AM. In person at 30 Tamworth Road, Tamworth & via Zoom. Hosted by Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Eastern Slopes. With presenters Jacinda Montague, Andrea Walsh, and Andy Davis, and music by Shana Aisenberg.
Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King - 10 AM. Hosted by New Hope Baptist Church. Join us as we worship together on Dr. King's Birthday. We have a unique service planned. We will remember Dr. King's legacy and work. He was a visionary who believed in an America where all people could enjoy the benefits of equality. The program will include preaching and spoken word drawing upon Scripture and Dr. King's speeches, gospel music, and poetry shared by our church members and special guests.
Monday, January 16 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Community Celebration - 11 AM. 150 Ash Street Manchester. Hosted by the Currier Museum of Art. Join us for a free community celebration of Dr. King with renowned New Hampshire artist Richard Haynes, as he leads a public discussion and mural project focusing on the enduring themes of hope and resilience from the civil rights movement. Learn more about Dr. King’s legacy, make collaborative art, see work from local schools, and take a special highlight tour connected to this mural project!
Communication Across Difference: Toward Beloved Community – 1 PM at Memorial High School, 1 Crusader Way, Manchester. Hosted by the MLK Coalition. This event features guest speakers, MLK Celebration Choir, high school jazz bands, awards, and a community reading from Dr. King's work.
Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. – 5 PM to 6 PM. Park Theater, 19 Main Street, Jaffrey. Hosted by the Jaffrey-Rindge MLK Committee. Join us in person or remotely via the livestream. Our theme this year will address environmental justice. Aaron Mair, the national Sierra Club's past president, and the Club's first African American president will address environmental justice issues. A reception with a student exhibit will follow his talk. Admission is free. A livestream option is offered at parkyoutube.com. For more information email jaffreyrindgemlk@gmail.com.
Beyond Boundaries: A Concert to Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day – 5 PM. 14 Heartwood Circle, Newmarket. Hosted by Aryaloka Buddhist Center. The Aryaloka String Quartet, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, will perform works by four composers of color: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Florence Price, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson and Jessie Montgomery. In the four works we will perform, you will hear an incredible diversity of styles and genres, often in the same piece, each composer borrowing from the traditions not only of classical music, but of jazz, spirituals, folk music and more. Light refreshments will be available.
Peace & Justice Conversations: Reflections From a Justice Organizer on MLK Day – 7 PM. Hosted by NH Peace Action. Join us to for a conversation with Grace Kindeke, community organizer and artist-activist, who will share how she sees the three evils Dr. King spoke of: Racism, Poverty, and War, interacting and relating in her work in New Hampshire and answer questions about how we can work together to build a more just and peaceful future.
Set the House on Fire Concert - 5 PM. 125 Bow Street, Portsmouth. Hosted by Seacoast Repertory Theatre. Pre-show music begins at 5 PM and the concert starts at 5:30 PM. It will include performances by Nate Scot and the Gospel Voices, Ms. Vee, Rev Jeff and the Right Now Choir, Justine Weem and Denise Gordon. The masters of ceremonies will be the Rev. Robert Thompson and Sandi Clark Kaddy. Tickets are $15 for adults ($12 for seniors, students and veterans).
Tuesday, January 17
PPNHAF Virtual Legislative Briefing – 6 PM to 7 PM. Hosted by Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund. Join us on Zoom to discuss what to expect at the State House this legislative session.
Open Democracy Book Club: Democracy Vouchers – 7 PM to 8:30 PM. Hosted by Open Democracy. Welcome back to the Open Democracy Book Club. We will have our first gathering of the new year to discuss Democracy Vouchers by Tom Latkowski. Spoiler alert, our own Executive Director Olivia Zink was interviewed for this book! Author Tom Latkowski will join us for the first half hour (to be interviewed by Olivia). There will be time for Q&A from attendees and then we will split off into separate groups to discuss the book, coming back together for the last portion to summarize.
Thursday, January 19
Budget Process Webinar – 4 PM to 5 PM. Hosted by New Futures. It’s a budget year in New Hampshire! In this one-hour webinar, New Futures’ staff budget expert Kate Frey will provide insight into the budget process in New Hampshire and how to advocate for critical funding.
The Black Matter Is Life: "Connections" Poetry Reading with Guest Poet, L'Merchie Frazer – 7 PM. Hosted by the Black Heritage Trail NH. The Trail welcomes visual activist, public historian, artist, innovator, and poet L'Merchie Frazier as our guest poet for the finale of The Black Matter Is Life virtual poetry series. Frazier will join two New England scholars, Courtney Marshall and Dennis Britton, to explore the theme of “Connections” through a discussion of the following poets and poems: Danez Smith - "dogs!" / Sterling Brown - "Ma Rainey"/ Ruth Foreman - "Poetry Should Ride the Bus."
Tuesday, January 24
Child Care Webinar – 1 PM to 2 PM. Hosted by New Futures. Affordable childcare is a critical tool in keeping New Hampshire’s families physically and economically healthy. Learn about the senate bill that aims to ease the burden on Granite State families in this one-hour webinar with New Futures Kids Count Policy Director Rebecca Woitkowski.
Wednesday, January 25
Alcohol Fund Webinar – 4 PM to 5 PM. Hosted by New Futures. New Hampshire’s Alcohol Fund is an innovative, fiscally responsible, common-sense approach to support programs that address substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery in the Granite State. However, it has been historically underfunded or diverted. In this one-hour webinar, learn more about how your voice is needed to help protect this critical funding from New Futures Vice President of Advocacy Kate Frey.
Open Democracy Book Club: Democracy Vouchers – 7 PM to 8:30 PM. Hosted by Open Democracy. Welcome back to the Open Democracy Book Club. We will have our first gathering of the new year to discuss Democracy Vouchers by Tom Latkowski. Spoiler alert, our own Executive Director Olivia Zink was interviewed for this book! Author Tom Latkowski will join us for the first half hour (to be interviewed by Olivia). There will be time for Q&A from attendees and then we will split off into separate groups to discuss the book, coming back together for the last portion to summarize.
Celebrate With the Manchester BIPOC Business Community - 5 PM to 6:30 PM at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce - 54 Hanover St. Manchester. Hosted by Lidia Yen and the Small Business Development Center. Join us for a celebration with the Manchester BIPOC business community to learn more about SBDC’s Inclusivity Program and connect with local businesses. Enjoy an evening of networking, music, and tasting cultural food provided by local businesses and SBDC clients. All are welcome to join, please register for the event here.
Friday, February 3
In Person Advocacy Training - 9AM to 2PM. 100 N Main Street, 4th floor, Concord. Hosted by New Futures. Learn how to advocate in the 2023 legislative session in this five-hour in-person training at the New Futures office in Concord covering the basics of the NH legislature, how a bill becomes a law, tips on writing your advocacy message, and best practices for different ways of advocating. This session features breakfast and lunch, guest speakers, hands-on practice, and a tour of the State House.
Monday, February 6
Free Her NH Campaign Kickoff Town Hall – 6 PM to 7 PM. Hosted by the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls. Join organizers with the FreeHer NH campaign and some special guests (including Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka, Joseph Lascaze (ACLU) and Natasha Maunsell, a NH mom, to learn about how we are working to end the incarceration of women and girls in our state. Learn our priority legislation and other work to #FreeHer!
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 www.afsc.org/State-House-Watch to read past and upcoming newsletters, including our 2022 End of Session Report.
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. Check out our 2022 Highlights brochure!
‘State House Watch" received financial support for more than a decade 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!