State House Watch: January 26, 2025

“Solidarity is not a matter of altruism. Solidarity comes from the inability to tolerate the affront to our own integrity of passive or active collaboration in the oppression of others, and from the deep recognition of our most expansive self-interest. From the recognition that, like it or not, our liberation is bound up with that of every other being on the planet, and that politically, spiritually, in our heart of hearts we know anything else is unaffordable.” - Aurora Levins Morales

Greetings State House Watchers,

A week that began with celebrations of peace, justice, and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. turned quickly to a litany of ghastly executive actions with immediate and harmful impacts on communities, the environment, and the rule of law. Read more here, here, and here. Among the first to feel the pain were refugees in New Hampshire awaiting the arrival of family members, who learned that the flights were canceled and that resettlement was suspended. Adding to the bad news, Congress passed – with favorable votes from all four members of the NH Congressional delegation – the Laken Riley Act, which feeds a toxic narrative of immigrants as criminals and will further fuel mass detentions and expulsions. Read more here.

Thankfully, there were immediate signs of resistance. We’re grateful that the ACLU-NH was ready with a lawsuit in response to the new Administration’s attempt to end birthright citizenship, and the NH Medical Society objected to the new policy allowing immigration enforcement actions in ‘sensitive locations’ such as health care centers and schools. We joined 40+ faith leaders at the Manchester immigration office on Tuesday, in solidarity with immigrants who were checking in with ICE (read more here.) And we celebrated that our friend Ravi Ragbir was granted a last-minute pardon from President Biden, saving him from deportation. Watch him discuss this joyful development on Democracy Now.

At the State House, there were hearings on six anti-immigrant bills (read more here and here), an anti-union proposal, a bill that would restrict abortion access, and a bill that would erode tenant protections. 

It’s going to be an exhausting couple of years, but we’re going to do our best to stay focused on the work that is ours to do, including building communities that help to keep people safe, and lifting up stories of the many good folks who are working for the well-being of all.

ACTION ALERTS
Please take action to support/oppose these key bills that are coming up soon. 

A note about contacting committees: The Senate committee pages provide a link to “contact entire committee,” which will open your email app and populate it with the email addresses of all committee members. The House committee pages do not have this feature, and they no longer share an email that would deliver your message to all committee members. Because of this, it can be tedious to email House committees. We’re creating a spreadsheet with all committee emails to make it easier for you to copy and paste the addresses, but it isn’t ready for this week. For now, we suggest that you click on the committee link and see if there are any members whom you know personally, or who are from your town/city and to write to them. 

Monday January 27
Oppose HB 71-FN, prohibiting the use of the facilities of a public elementary school, a public secondary school, or an institution of higher education to provide shelter for aliens [sic] who have not been admitted into the United States. This unnecessary and hostile bill would burden NH schools and target immigrants in our communities. It is scheduled for an executive session in the House Education Policy & Administration Committee, LOB Room 205-207, on Monday January 27 at 1:30 PM. Note that the online sign-in period has passed, but please contact committee members to urge them to recommend defeat for this bill. Read the testimony from the NH Immigrant Rights network here.

Oppose HB 476, relative to restrictions on elective abortion. This bill would make abortions illegal after 15 weeks gestational age except in the case of a medical emergency or a fetal abnormality incompatible with life. It has a public hearing in House Judiciary, LOB Room 206-208, on Monday, January 27 at 11:30 AM. Please contact the committee, sign in to oppose and share testimony. Find useful talking points and shareable graphics in this toolkit.

Tuesday, January 28
Oppose HB 238-N, prohibiting collective bargaining agreements from requiring employees join or contribute to a labor union. This year’s “Right-to-Work” (for less) bill is scheduled for an executive session on Tuesday, January 28 at 10 AM in the House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee. The online sign-in period has passed, but please contact committee members and urge them to recommend defeat for this bill; you can also use this link to send a letter to legislators. Please join us at a rally in front of the Legislative Office Building from 9 AM to 10 AM on Tuesday prior to the committee vote; find more information at the Facebook event.

Oppose HB 69, requiring businesses to use the federal E-Verify system of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. This bill would require NH businesses to use the faulty E-Verify system, burdening employers and making it harder for NH workers - non-citizens and citizens alike – to find jobs. This bill is scheduled for an executive session in House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services committee, LOB Room 307, on Tuesday, January 28 at 10 AM. The online sign-in period has passed, but please contact committee members to urge them to recommend defeat for this bill.

Oppose HB 735, relative to elections in collective bargaining. This bill would require public sector unions to hold an election to recertify their right to represent a workplace anytime the composition of the covered workforce has 50% or more people in it that did not have the opportunity to vote in the original vote to form the union. It is scheduled for a public hearing in House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee, LOB Room 307, on Tuesday, January 28 at 3:30 PM. Please contact committee members, and sign in to oppose and share testimony.

Support HB 628, prohibiting landlords from discriminating against prospective tenants holding certain vouchers under the housing choice voucher program. This tenant protection bill is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Housing Committee, LOB Room 305, on Tuesday, January 28 at 2 PM. Please contact the committee, and sign in to support and share testimony.

Wednesday, January 29
Oppose HB 592, relative to magistrates and the standards applicable to and the administration of bail. This bill has the potential to undo much of the thoughtful work that has gone into bail reform. It is scheduled for a public hearing in House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, LOB Room 202-204, on Wednesday, January 29 at 2 PM. Please contact committee members, and sign in to oppose and share testimony.

Thursday, January 30
Oppose HB 348, relative to eligibility for local assistance. This bill would burden low-income households by increasing the wait time for receiving essential assistance. It is scheduled for an executive session in House Municipal & County Government, LOB 301-303 on Thursday, January 30 at 2 PM. Note that the online sign-in period has passed, but lease contact committee members to urge them to recommend defeat for this bill.

Friday, January 31
Oppose HB 59, relative to the assault of a firefighter, emergency medical care provider, or law enforcement officer. No one deserves to be assaulted, including emergency personnel but this bill has the potential to criminalize people experiencing a mental health episode. It is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, LOB Room 202-204, on Friday, January 31 at 10 AM. Please contact committee members, and sign in to oppose and share testimony.

Oppose HB 109, relative to false reports to law enforcement. This bill could discourage people from reporting police misconduct. It is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, LOB Room 202-204, on Friday, January 31 at 11 AM. Please contact committee members, and sign in to oppose and share testimony.

Worth a read
Op-Ed: Life Without Parole, A Unique Sentence Worthy of Second Look, by Andru Volinsky for InDepthNH, January 23, 2025

Next Week at the State House
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.
“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.
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
DV – Division vote

Coming Up in the House
House members will meet in full session on Thursday, February 6; they also plan to meet on February 13 and 20. Until then, all the action is in House committees. 

Coming Up in House Committees 
You can watch the House hearings here. You can sign in for House bills here. And you can contact House committee members here.

MONDAY, JANUARY 27

EDUCATION POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION, Room 205-207, LOB
11:00 AM HB 208-FN, relative to certification requirements for school nurses.
1:30 PM Executive session on HB 71-FN, prohibiting the use of the facilities of a public elementary school, a public secondary school, or an institution of higher education to provide shelter for aliens who have not been admitted into the United States; and HB 384-FN, prohibiting bullying in schools.

JUDICIARY, Room 206-208, LOB
9:30 AM HB 476-FN, relative to restrictions on elective abortion.
11:00 AM Public hearing on proposed non-germane amendment #2025-0031 to HB 476-FN, relative to restrictions on elective abortion. The amendment requires the department of health and human services to publish an annual public report consisting of an aggregate statistical summary of all induced terminations of pregnancies performed in New Hampshire, and provides reporting requirements for certain health care providers or facilities. This bill also provides a penalty for health care providers or facilities that knowingly or recklessly fail to comply with the reporting requirements, and provides provisions to safeguard the data against public disclosure of any personal or identifying information.
11:30 AM Executive session on HB 476-FN, relative to restrictions on elective abortion.

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY, Room 302-304, LOB
9:00 AM HB 189, defining “clean energy” and the department of energy’s 10-year state energy strategy to include new technology small-scale nuclear energy, renewable energy, and fuel diversity; and, removing references to the energy efficiency and sustainable energy board.
10:00 AM HB 224-FN, relative to rebates to ratepayers from the renewable energy fund.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28

CHILDREN AND FAMILY LAW, Room 206-208, LOB
11:15 AM HB 433-FN, making 17 the age of consent for marriage if either party is active duty military and removing language regarding age waivers for marriage registration records, since age waivers are no longer issued in New Hampshire.

EDUCATION FUNDING, Room 205-207, LOB
10:00 AM HB 651-FN, modifying the base cost and differential aid costs of an adequate education. 
11:00 AM HB 583-FN-L, relative to state participation in the Medicaid direct certification program for free and reduced price school meals.
1:00 PM HB 646-FN-L, requiring school districts to establish an online application for participation in the free and reduced price meal program.
1:45 PM HB 703-FN-A-L, relative to prohibiting school districts from denying meals to students with unpaid meal balances, and making an appropriation therefor.
2:15 PM HB 656, relative to the authority of local school districts to accept federal grants.
3:00 PM HB 716-FN, making an appropriation for the dual and concurrent enrollment program.

ELECTION LAW, Room 306-308, LOB
10:00 AM HB 107, relative to political advertising printed in newspapers, periodicals, or billboards.
1:00 PM HB 630-FN, preventing the dissemination of deepfake materials of political candidates before an election.
1:30 PM HB 474, requiring a second witness at the counting of write-in votes.
1:50 PM HB 389-FN, requiring candidates to attest they have not spent more than $1,000 in an election.
2:20 PM CACR 3, relating to recall elections. Providing that the general court may authorize recall elections.
2:40 PM CACR 4, relating to voting eligibility. Providing that only legal resident citizens who are at least 18 years of age or older who reside in the place they claim as a domicile shall be eligible voters.

ENVIRONMENT AND AGRICULTURE, Room 301-303, LOB
1:15 PM HB 179-FN, relative to hazardous waste accident fees.
2:00 PM HB 171, establishing a moratorium on the issuance of permits for new landfills.

HOUSING, Room 305, LOB
10:00 AM HB 572-FN, establishing the “partners in housing” program, a low-interest loan and grant program under the housing champions fund to assist municipalities, counties, and developers in building workforce housing.
10:30 AM HB 604-FN, relative to a loan forgiveness program for low-income homeowners to build new accessory dwelling units or renovate existing structures into accessory dwelling units.
1:00 PM HB 382, removing authority for municipalities to regulate mandatory on-site parking requirements.
1:30 PM HB 558-FN, creating a public county registry of the monthly rent charged by landlords for each owned unit and prohibiting landlords from using algorithms or software to determine rental rates.
2:00 PM HB 628-FN, prohibiting landlords from discriminating against prospective tenants holding certain vouchers under the housing choice voucher program.
2:30 PM HB 623-FN, relative to prohibiting corporations from purchasing single-family homes for a certain amount of time.

LABOR, INDUSTRIAL AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, Room 307, LOB
3:30 PM HB 735-FN, relative to elections in collective bargaining.

PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS, Room 201, LOB
11:00 AM HB 300, relative to directing the department of transportation to issue a request for proposals regarding the Conway Branch rail line and establishing a study committee to investigate the future of railroads in the state.
11:30 AM HB 100-FN, prohibiting the use of state funds for new passenger rail projects.

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY, Room 302-304, LOB
9:00 AM Executive session on HB 189, defining “clean energy” and the department of energy’s 10-year state energy strategy to include new technology small-scale nuclear energy, renewable energy, and fuel diversity; and, removing references to the energy efficiency and sustainable energy board.
10:00 AM HB 504, relative to the state energy policy.
1:00 PM HB 535-FN, relative to defining the role of the public utilities commission.
2:00 PM HB 450, relative to commercial property assessed clean energy and resiliency (C-PACER).

WAYS AND MEANS, Room 202-204, LOB
10:45 AM HB 155-FN, reducing the rate of the business enterprise tax.
1:00 PM HB 417-FN, relative to repealing the communications services tax.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29

COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, Room 302-304, LOB
10:00 AM HB 552-FN, relative to coverage of children under the state retiree insurance plan.
10:30 AM HB 648-FN, relative to insurance coverage for glucose monitoring.

EDUCATION POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION, Room 205-207, LOB
9:30 AM HB 121-FN, establishing local school district special education parent advisory councils.
10:30 AM HB 398, requiring holocaust and genocide studies in public schools to include the impacts on people with disabilities.
10:45 AM HB 76-FN, relative to tracking special education complaints.
11:15 AM HB 388, requiring local school boards to issue public reports on special education in their district.
2:15 PM HB 532, relative to alternative dispute resolution and individualized education plan team meeting facilitation.
3:00 PM HB 329, relative to school district policies governing air quality and temperature issues in schools.

HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND ELDERLY AFFAIRS, Room 210-211, LOB
10:30 AM HB 73, relative to harm reduction, substance misuse, and the governor’s commission on alcohol and drug abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery.
1:00 PM HB 94-FN, relative to coverage of circumcision under the state Medicaid plan.

JUDICIARY, Room 206-208, LOB
9:30 AM HB 199, extending the statute of limitation on civil actions relative to damage caused by per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
1:00 PM in Representatives Hall, SH - HB 254-FN, relative to options for end of life care.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30

COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, Room 302-304, LOB
1:15 PM HB 186-FN-A, relative to the legalization and regulation of cannabis and making appropriations therefor. 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY, Room 202-204, LOB
10:00 AM HB 56-FN, requiring a background check and mandatory waiting period during certain firearm transfers.
11:00 AM HB 207-FN, relative to repealing the prohibition on the possession or sale of blackjacks, slung shots, and metallic knuckles except by or to minors.
12:00 PM HB 352-FN, prohibiting possession of a firearm at a polling place.
2:00 PM HB 506-FN, relative to background checks during motions to return firearms and ammunition.
3:00 PM HB 551-FN, repealing the license to sell pistols and revolvers.
4:00 PM HB 609-FN, relative to the general court’s authority over the sale, purchase, ownership, use, possession, transportation, licensing, permitting, taxation, and other matter pertaining to firearms, stun guns, Tasers, pepper spray devices, knives and other self-defense tools.

EDUCATION FUNDING, Room 205-207, LOB
9:30 AM HB 563-FN, relative to adequate education grant amounts for pupils receiving special education services.
10:15 AM HB 603-FN-A, relative to increasing the adequacy grant for pupils receiving special education services.
11:00 AM HB 717-FN, relative to catastrophic aid for special education.
11:30 AM HB 742-FN-A, requiring catastrophic special education state aid funding to be drawn from the education trust fund.
1:15 PM HB 675-FN-A-L, increasing the total revenue raised under the statewide education property tax, requiring municipalities to remit excess statewide education property tax payments to the department of revenue administration, limiting the authority of school districts to make certain appropriations, and increasing base adequacy costs per pupil.
2:00 PM HB 527-FN, replacing the statewide education property tax with a local revenue contribution.
2:45 PM HB 734-FN, relative to the state education property tax and the low- and moderate-income homeowners property tax relief program.
3:30 PM HB 137, relative to allocating excess statewide education property tax funds for local school and municipal purposes.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION, Room 306-308, LOB
10:00 AM HB 622-FN, relative to the definition of “part-time” for purposes of employment of a retired member of the New Hampshire retirement system.
10:30 AM HB 534-FN, relative to the calculation of average final compensation under the retirement system.
11:15 AM HB 536-FN, relative to a cost of living adjustment in the state retirement system.
1:15 PM HB 637-FN, relative to the reduction in the calculation of state retirement annuities at age 65 for certain group I retirement system members.
2:00 PM HB 581-FN, establishing a state retirement plan group for new state employee members of the retirement system.

MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT, Room 301-303, LOB
10:30 AM HB 230-L, relative to the adoption of public health ordinances by municipalities.
1:00 PM HB 432, relative to recovery houses.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY, Room 202-204, LOB
11:00 AM HB 109-FN, relative to false reports to law enforcement.
12:00 PM HB 146-FN, relative to the use of body-worn cameras.
2:00 PM HB 162-FN, relative to informed consent for law enforcement searches of houses or other property.
3:30 PM HB 640-FN, relative to the transparency of federal agency operations within New Hampshire.

STATE-FEDERAL RELATIONS AND VETERANS AFFAIRS, Room 206-208, LOB
9:45 AM HCR 3, applying for a convention of the states under Article V of the Constitution of the United States.
1:00 PM HJR 1, affirming the natural right of persons and affirming that the state and federal government are established for the purpose of upholding, protecting, and securing these rights. 
1:30 PM Executive session on HB 55, repealing the Selective Service Compliance Act; HB 104-FN, relative to requiring an official declaration of war for the activation of the New Hampshire national guard in a foreign state.

Coming Up in the Senate
Senators will meet in full session on Thursday, January 30 starting at 1 PM. 

On the Consent calendar:

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
SB 47, requiring certain health insurance policies of a birth mother to provide coverage for a newly born child from the moment of birth. Committee recommends OTP-A by a vote of 5-0.

Coming Up in Senate Committees 
You can watch the Senate hearings here. You can sign in for Senate bills here. And you can contact Senate committee members here.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28

COMMERCE, Room 100, SH
9:30 AM SB 81-FN, increasing the annual real estate transfer tax revenue contribution and making an appropriation to the affordable housing fund.

EDUCATION, Room 101, LOB
9:30 AM SB 69-L, relative to acceptance of or rejection of charitable contributions, gifts, or donations by local school boards.
10:30 AM SB 101-FN, authorizing parents to enroll their children in any public school in the state.

FINANCE, Room 103, SH
1:15 PM SB 64-FN, relative to an appropriation to the department of justice for the purpose of funding the New Hampshire child advocacy centers.
1:25 PM SB 113-FN-A, making appropriations to the department of health and human services for homeless services and homeless prevention.
1:40 PM SB 114-FN-A, making appropriations to the department of health and human services to support community and transitional housing through community mental health centers.
1:55 PM SB 117-FN-A, making an appropriation to the department of education to fund the online tutoring program.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION, Room 103, SH
9:00 AM SB 92-FN, relative to the collection of birth worksheet information.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Room 101, LOB
9:00 AM SB 123-FN, requiring coverage of ear acupuncture as a treatment for substance misuse under the state Medicaid plan.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30

CHILDREN AND FAMILY LAW, Room 103, SH
10:00 AM SB 76, relative to the office of the child advocate. 
10:15 AM SB 77-FN, providing children in delinquency and children in need of services (CHINS) cases the identical types of psychological evaluations as children in child protection matters.

Upcoming Events 

Every Third Tuesday
Protect, Resist and Build with AFSC– 8 PM to 9:30 PM. Hosted by AFSC. Monthly webinar series that brings together AFSC constituents to learn about how to protect, resist, and build just peace, just migration, and just economies.

Every Wednesday
Solemn Vigils for Ceasefire Now - 2 PM in Dover at the district offices of Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Congressman Chris Pappas. The January 29 vigil will be at Pappas' office, 660 Central Avenue, Dover. The February 5 vigil will be at Shaheen's office, 340 Central Avenue, Dover. We gather at the entrance to Henry Law Park.

Every Thursday 
Meeting for Worship with Attention to Peace in Palestine & Israel - 5:30 PM. Hosted by AFSC.

Solemn Vigils for Ceasefire Now – 12 noon at City Hall Plaza, in front of the State House, Concord

Every Friday 
AFSC Action Hour for a Ceasefire – 12 noon. Join AFSC staff every Friday at 12 PM ET / 9 AM PT to hear updates from Gaza. Then, take action with us as we contact our elected officials and call for an immediate cease-fire and humanitarian access to Gaza. Our elected officials need to keep hearing from us. 

Monday, January 27
Training: Legislative Advocacy and Accountability – 7 PM to 8 PM. Hosted by Kent Street Coalition. Join us as we welcome two of NH's finest advocates: Zandra Rice Hawkins of Granite State Progress and Liz Canada of PPNHAF. Zandra and Liz will share their knowledge and expertise on how best to advocate at the State House and hold our legislators accountable.

Update and Feedback Session - 7 PM to 8 PM. Hosted by NH Peace Action. Join NH Peace Action Organizers to look back at our work in 2024 and discuss where to head in 2025. We will update you on the projects we are involved in (NH Coalition for a Just Peace in the Middle East, Palestine Education Network, NH Peacekeeper Project) and talk about our main organizational work, including internal changes, challenges and successes.

Tuesday, January 28
Immigrant Solidarity Vigil – 9 AM – At the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut Street, Manchester. For more information, contact GSOP, gsopstaff@granitestateorganizing.org

Post Inauguration Briefing - 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. Hosed by GLAD. Talk about our plans to slow, stop, and reduce the harm of any policies targeting our community. Together, we will find ways to ensure we don’t move backward, strengthen protections for our communities, and keep making progress toward a just society.

Healthcare Justice Team Meeting - 6 PM to 7 PM. Hosted by RAD. Meetings are open to all who want to build working class power around healthcare justice with RAD and want to be in community building strong relationships.

Wednesday, January 29 
Advocacy 101 Full Day Training – 9 AM to 4 PM. 100 N. Main Street, 4th floor, Concord. Hosted by New Futures. Join us for a full-day session in our office in Concord! Our in-person Advocacy 101 trainings provide an in-depth look into the NH state legislature and how a bill becomes a law followed by a tour of the State House! The day also includes a session on the power of a personal story and working sessions where you craft your advocacy message. Lunch is provided!

Solidarity 2025: Public School Strong Training Series - 7 PM to 8:30 PM. Hosted by HEAL Together. Solidarity 2025 is a training series equipping activist educators, school board members, students, parents, and allies to unite against attacks on public education outlined in Project 2025. This training series is part of the Public School Strong campaign, and is designed to empower participants to advocate for students, schools, and communities at local school boards and beyond.

Thursday, January 30
Education in New Hampshire Town Hall - 8 AM to 10 AM. The Hotel Concord, 11 South Main St. Concord. Hosted by Reaching Higher NH. Join us for a candid, far reaching conversation exploring what vouchers are, how they work in NH and beyond, and what the research says about their efficacy. We are honored to have as our guest for this conversation, nationally recognized expert and writer on topics related to school choice, teachers and teaching, policy analysis, and education politics, Josh Cowen, author of The Privateers.

Friday, January 31
NASW NH 2025 JEDI Conference - 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Grappone Conference Center, 70 Constitution Ave Concord. Hosted by NASW NH. Join us for this one-day conference to create a brave space for social service providers to reflect upon our work, uplift our clients and communities, and further develop our cultural competence with humility.

Tuesday, February 4
Trans Social - 7 PM. 1000 Elm St. Manchester. Hosted by Hop Knot Restaurant. The Trans Social is a laid back monthly meetup for Trans, Non-Binary, other LGBTQ+ folks, and allies to meet and build community! We host this event every first Tuesday of the month from 7pm to 9pm. This event is 18+ with no cover.

Wednesday, February 5
Immigration Briefings 2025 - 1 PM to 2 PM. Hosted by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. Join us for 1-hour briefings every other week during the first six months of 2025 to provide legal service providers and advocates updates about changes to immigration policy and practice. These Immigration Briefings will provide overviews of new announcements and policies to keep everyone working in the field updated and informed. Please note that these sessions will not be legal trainings or case rounds, but a space to learn more about critical developments.

Thursday, February 6
Peter Beinart: Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza - 7 PM to 8 PM. Hosted by NH Peace Action; co-sponsored by AFSC-NH. Join us for a conversation with author Peter Beinart who brings us an alternate narrative which draws on other nations’ efforts at moral reconstruction and a different reading of Jewish tradition. A story in which Israeli Jews have the right to equality, not supremacy, and in which Jewish and Palestinian safety are not mutually exclusive but intertwined. One that recognizes the danger of venerating states at the expense of human life.

Squad Up & Protect Your Rights Orientation Call - 7 PM to 9 PM. Hosted by United We Dream. We are calling on YOU, our Squad, to mobilize volunteers across the country to host Know Your Rights Trainings during the first 100 days of the Trump Administration, to support communities in being prepared for any efforts against Trump’s mass deportation & detention plans.

Saturday, February 8 
Maternal Health Conference - 9 AM to 2 PM. Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester. Hosted by BLM NH. Maternal health is a vital and evolving area of focus, as communities across the country work to improve the care and support available to women and birthing people. This conference will be a unique opportunity to bring everyone together to exchange ideas, share research, and learn from diverse experiences in maternal health.

Justice Fair – 12 PM to 3 PM. 211 N. Main St. Concord. Hosted by Concordia Lutheran Church. Come and learn about all the great organizations that are doing justice work in Concord and throughout New Hampshire!

Tuesday, February 18 
Community In Conversation Monthly Series - 7 PM. Hosted by BLM NH. Join us for a dynamic and empowering series of virtual conversations! Our organization is hosting monthly Zoom events every 3rd Tuesday from January through May, featuring a rotating panel of expert speakers addressing critical issues affecting the Black & POC communities.

Thursday, February 20 
Community Conversations with CSH 2025 - 1 PM. Hosted by Community Sponsorship Hub. Join us to learn from resettlement professionals, and private sponsors, hear firsthand accounts of community impact, and become part of a growing movement that's creating welcoming communities through private sponsorship.

Tuesday, February 25
Deep Canvass Institute 101: How to Have a Deep Canvass Conversation - 6 PM. Hosted by People’s Action. The Deep Canvass Institute is offering this 101 training where you will be trained in the core skills needed to have deep canvass conversations. Deep canvassing is about working to create mutual understanding grounded in stories and lived experience, instead of in debate or talking points.

Sunday, March 9-16
2025 Witness Response - Hosted by Witness at the Border. Join us for our second Workshop for Justice and a short ‘Journey’ to be held March 9-16, 2025. The Journey will begin in San Antonio on March 9th, we will travel to Eagle Pass (2 nights), El Paso (2 nights) and to Ajo. The Workshop will be held in Ajo, AZ, on March 14-16. We are still forming the agenda specifics and leaving ourselves flexible to respond to anticipated changes in immigration policy.

With best wishes,
Maggie Fogarty, Grace Kindeke and Kathleen Wooten 

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. Kathleen Wooten is AFSC’s State House Watch researcher and database manager.

"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!