State House Watch: January 27, 2024

“Hope is essential to any political struggle for radical change when the overall social climate promotes disillusionment and despair.”

― bell hooks

January 27, 2024

Hello, State House Watchers,

Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the 79th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and an occasion to remember that bigotry, state violence, and indifference conspired to exterminate six million souls and persecute millions more, each one of them a bearer of divine Light. With eyes open to these horrors, and hearts set on ensuring the fullness of life for all people, we rededicate ourselves to the ongoing creation of a world free of violence in all its forms.

The New Hampshire primary has come and gone, with strong turnout, well-run polling places, and robust endorsements by NH voters of each party’s standard-bearer. We note with appreciation the nearly 1,500 votes for “ceasefire,” sparked by a grassroots effort in the days leading up to Primary Day.

Are you, or do you know, a social justice minded young person, aged 18-22, who wants to learn about community organizing with AFSC? Consider applying for AFSC’s 3rd annual Emerging Leaders for Liberation cohort! Applications will be accepted from January 15 to March 1, 2024. You can read here about the recently concluded 2nd cohort, which included New Hampshire community leader Bol Nakdimo.

Thank you for your words of gratitude for State House Watch. For 13 years, this newsletter has been a labor of love and an expression of our hope that a growing number of New Hampshire people are informed and inspired for active engagement in advocacy for humane and wholesome state policies. Remind your friends and colleagues to subscribe today to receive State House Watch news every week!

ACTION ALERTS

Remember that while signing in to support or oppose bills is the quickest way to express your opinion, it’s also helpful to contact the Senate and House committees directly, even with just one or two lines about who you are and why the issue matters to you.

Support Immigrant Communities
SUPPORT HB 1054-A, which would remove the phrase "non-lapsing" from the funding for the Northern Border Alliance program. This positive bill has a public hearing in House Ways and Means, Room 202-204, LOB on Wednesday, January 31 at 10:30 AM. Please contact the committee, and sign in to support and share testimony.

OPPOSE SB 563, which would prohibit state and local government entities from adopting sanctuary policies to prohibit or impede the enforcement of federal immigration law. This harmful bill has a hearing in Senate Judiciary, Room 100, SH on Thursday, February 1 at 1 PM. Please contact the committee, and sign in to oppose and share testimony.

Here's our spreadsheet of immigration-related bills for the 2024 state legislative session.

Abolish Slavery in NH
SUPPORT CACR 13, relating to slavery and involuntary servitude; providing that slavery and involuntary servitude shall be prohibited in the state of New Hampshire. This bill was given a unanimous recommendation of OTP by the House State-Federal Relations Committee and will be voted on in the full House on Thursday, February 1. Since this is a proposed Constitutional amendment, a 3/5 vote in favor is needed in order to advance to the NH Senate, where it will also need a 3/5 vote in favor. Following that, the measure would go on the ballot on election day, and a 2/3 vote of support will be needed. For now, contact your Representatives and urge them to support this important bill.

SUPPORT HR 22, urging Congress to remove the exception from the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution: "except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.” This bill has a public hearing in House State-Federal Relations & Veterans Affairs, Room 206-208, LOB on Friday, February 2 at 1 PM. Please contact the committee, and sign in to support and share testimony.

Resist Mass Incarceration
OPPOSE SB 476, making a bonded appropriation of funds ($40 million) for architectural, engineering, programming, and design and construction documents for the New Hampshire state prison for men. This bill has a hearing in the Senate Capital Budget Committee, Room 100, SH on Thursday, February 1 at 10:15 AM. Please contact the committee, and sign in to oppose and share testimony.

Increase Access to Affordable Housing
SUPPORT HB 1362, authorizing municipalities to enact and enforce rent stabilizing ordinances. This positive bill has a public hearing in House Municipal & County Government, Room 301-303, LOB on Tuesday, January 30 at 2:30 PM. Please contact the committee, and sign in to support and share testimony. Check out this article about a recent report which finds that half of all renter households in the US – 22.4 million renters – are “cost burdened” with unaffordable rents.

Increase the Minimum Wage
SUPPORT SB 308, which provides for increases in the minimum hourly wage. This long overdue bill has a hearing in Senate Commerce, Room 100, SH on Tuesday, January 30 at 9:45 AM. Please contact the committee, and sign in to support and share testimony.

End Discrimination in NH
SUPPORT HB 1169, which creates a private cause of action for discrimination based on hairstyles relative to a person's ethnicity. This positive bill has a public hearing in House Judiciary, Room 206-208, LOB on Wednesday, January 31 at 9:45 AM. Please contact the committee, and sign in to support and share testimony.

SUPPORT HB 1603, prohibiting cities, towns, and unincorporated places from discriminating based on race or sex. This positive bill has a public hearing in House Judiciary, Room 206-208, LOB on Wednesday, January 31 at 2:30 PM. Please contact the committee, and sign in to support and share testimony.

Prevent Gun Violence
Join GunSense NH & NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition on Friday, February 2, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM for the Gun Violence Prevention Lobby Day during public hearings in the NH House Legislative Office Building, 33 N. State Street, Concord. On a related note, we appreciate this good news from the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston: A win in Mexico’s landmark case against US gunmakers (Boston Globe, January 27, 2024).

Protect Public Education
SUPPORT HB 1311 – The ‘Freedom to Read’ bill would require school boards to adopt policies governing library media collections and the reconsideration of library materials. This positive bill has a public hearing in House Education, Room 205-207, LOB on Monday, January 29 at 10:15 AM. Please contact the committee, and sign in to support and share testimony.

There are hundreds of bills this session that would impact public education. We urge you to bookmark the Action Alert page at NEA-NH and follow their guidance each week. We also recommend this resource hosted by the NH School Funding Fairness Project. For good analysis of the education funding bills, you can follow Andru Volinsky’s blog.

Protect LGBTQ+ Rights

OPPOSE SB 375, requiring school sports teams to be expressly designated as male, female, or coed, and prohibits biologically male students from participating in female designated sports or entering female locker rooms. This harmful bill has a hearing in Senate Education, Room 101, LOB on Tuesday, January 30 at 9 AM. Please contact the committee, and sign in to oppose and share testimony.

OPPOSE HB 396, a bill that would re-legalize discrimination against transgender people in New Hampshire. From 603 Equality: “Although passed by the House on January 4, this terrible bill will come up soon for a revote. We have a chance to defeat it this time around. It is critically important that everyone contact their state Representatives – Democrat, Independent, and Republican alike – and urge them to take the necessary steps to defeat the bill. First, vote YES on the Motion to Reconsider. In order for another vote to take place on the legislation itself, a majority must agree to re-vote. Second, vote NO on the Motion of OTP-A (Ought to Pass as amended) to oppose the bill. A majority must oppose the OTP motion so that the bill can be defeated. Third, vote YES on the Motion of ITL (Inexpedient to Legislate). This will defeat the bill entirely.” Sign up to phone bank with advocates and contact your Representatives to urge them to ensure that this harmful bill is defeated.

Permanent Ceasefire Now!

Yesterday, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a preliminary order that calls on Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent actions that violate the Genocide Convention, including killings and deliberately inflicting on the Palestinian people conditions of life calculated to bring their physical destruction. AFSC responded to the news: “This is a historic decision that should serve as a call to action for all those who have stayed silent in the face of these atrocities…[But] the measures demanded by the court cannot be realized without an immediate ceasefire…The U.S. bears a particular responsibility as the primary funder of Israel’s genocidal actions and a persistent block to international efforts. At the international level, the U.S. must collaborate with other members of the U.N. Security Council to call for and enforce the implementation of an immediate ceasefire. Domestically, the Biden Administration and the U.S. Congress must call for an immediate ceasefire and impose an arms embargo on Israel. If they do not, they are themselves guilty of complicity in genocide and must be held accountable.” Read AFSC’s full statement here.

In November, the Center for Constitutional Rights filed a lawsuit accusing President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Austin of not only failing to prevent, but also complicity in, the Israeli government’s genocide. The first hearing in the lawsuit was held yesterday.

To connect with local actions for a just peace in Israel and Palestine, sign up for news alerts from NH Peace Action and join weekly vigils at the offices of our Members of Congress in Dover and Concord, and other events.

Immigration News

Senate leaders reached an agreement with the White House last week on border policy that would open the way for a broader agreement to fund the government, but a vote in the House is uncertain, following pressure from former President Trump to prevent any deal that would erode GOP talking points about Biden administration failures at the southern border. The bipartisan proposal makes horrible concessions, including a promise to close the border if encounters with migrants exceed 5,000 on any given day. Read more here and here. Once again, asylum seekers and other migrants are dehumanized in cynical political brinksmanship.

Now is a good time to contact our Members of Congress to urge them to invest in humane policies, not militarization of borders, detention, and deportation.

Sen. Maggie Hassan: (202)224-3324 / (603)622-2204
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen: (202)224-2841 / (603)647-7500
Rep. Chris Pappas (NH-01): (202)225-5456 / (603)285-4300
Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (NH-02): (202)225-5206 / (603)226-1002

These ongoing debates on immigration too often ignore that there are real people whose lives are directly impacted by these policies. Read about one young man’s journey here.

Despite the growing toxic rhetoric around the northern border, two-thirds of NH people are more concerned about issues closer to home. Read more here and here.

Join AFSC for “Protecting Immigrant Rights in an Election Year,” a series of monthly webinars to learn about the US migration system, and how we can protect migrant rights in these times. We will share AFSC's perspective on migration issues, developed from longstanding partnerships with immigrant communities. We'll also provide positive messaging you can use in talking about these issues and offer more opportunities for you to take action. Together, we'll explore how the systems work and ideas for visionary change. Join us for our second webinar Understanding our Immigration Process on Tuesday, February 27 at 7 PM.

To stay up to date and plugged into ways we can act to protect and uplift migrant communities, please join the monthly NH Immigrant Rights Network. Our next meeting is Tuesday, February 20, 9 AM to 10:30 AM on zoom. Email us at afscnh@afsc.org for the zoom link.

Recommended Reading

We’re happy to see this interview from the NH Center for Justice and Equity about the challenges and importance of a healthy re-entry after a period of incarceration, as explained by Anthony Payton, a member of the AFSC-NH Support Committee: Life after Prison: Navigating the Challenges of Reentering Society. “I was blessed. I had a great support system every step of the way after being released from prison. But consider the countless men and women who leave prison with nothing or no support system. They’re expected to thrive in a world that has been moving without them. There are countless things to consider that will help men and women succeed in society post-incarceration.”

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)
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.
VV – Voice vote. Votes are not counted.
RC – Roll call vote. Each legislator’s vote is recorded and attributed to them.
DV – Division vote. Votes are counted but not attributed to individual legislators.

Next Week in the House

The full House will meet next on Thursday, February 1 at 10 AM.  You can watch the session here. Here are the bills we’re tracking which are scheduled for votes. We’ve also included the pending motion, which is the committee’s recommendation.

On the Consent Calendar

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY
HB 1011, relative to prohibiting male genital mutilation. ITL
HB 1022, relative to decriminalizing certain acts between consenting adults. ITL
HB 1026, relative to resisting arrest. ITL
HB 1035, relative to limitations on extradition. ITL
HB 1064,  relative to penalties for violation of protective orders. ITL
HB 1404,  relative to criminal procedure and the right to a jury trial. ITL
HB 1438, criminalizing interference with a whistleblower. ITL
HB 1455, relative to photography, audio recordings, and video recordings in public buildings and on public lands. ITL
HB 1619, relative to the status of convicted persons. ITL

EDUCATION
HB 1160, relative to school assessments of statewide academic areas. OTP
HB 1163,  relative to review of public school minimum standards by the legislative oversight commission. OTP

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
HB 1278, relative to qualifying medical conditions for purposes of therapeutic cannabis. OTP

JUDICIARY
HB 1003, relative to name changes for inmates, parolees, and convicted violent felons. OTP-A 
HB 1541,  relative to conditions for an abortion performed after viability or 15 weeks gestation. ITL
HB 1707, relative to liability for the cost of PFAS blood testing. ITL
HB 1710, relative to civil actions regarding the prohibited use of synthetic media. ITL

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
HB 1047, relative to establishing a committee to study the effectiveness of state outreach to residents without computer access. OTP-A
HB 1289, establishing a commission to study the replacement of the peaker plant in Bow with a clean energy baseload generator and storage. ITL

STATE-FEDERAL RELATIONS
CACR 20, relating to declaring independence from the United States of America. Providing that if the national debt reaches $40 trillion, New Hampshire shall declare independence and proceed as a sovereign nation. ITL
HB 1130, establishing a commission to study the economic, legal, and sociological aspects of New Hampshire exerting its sovereign state rights. ITL
HCR 10, urging Congress to increase federal funding for special education services to reduce property taxes in New Hampshire. OTP

On the Regular Calendar

CHILDREN AND FAMILY LAW
HB 1199, relative to services of the office of the child advocate for youth experiencing homelessness and making an appropriation therefor. OTP

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY
HB 1237, relative to the use of unmarked or stealth police vehicles for traffic enforcement. ITL
HB 1372, relative to prohibiting torture. ITL

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
HB 1068, relative to establishing a blood lead level testing requirement for children entering day care and public schools. WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION
HB 1520, establishing a family assistance car ownership pilot program in the department of health and human services. WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION

JUDICIARY
CACR 23, relating to the right to abortion. Providing that all persons shall have the right to abortion prior to 24 weeks. WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION 
HB 1005, relative to judicial training. OTP-A
HB 1248, relative to restrictions on access to abortion. ITL

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
HB 1230, relative to establishing a committee to examine weatherization initiatives for homes in New Hampshire. ITL
HB 1398, relative to utility recovery of costs associated with net energy metering. REFER FOR INTERIM STUDY
HB 1499, establishing a committee to study the civilian clean energy, community resilience, and conservation corps. OTP-A

 STATE-FEDERAL RELATIONS
CACR 13, relating to slavery and involuntary servitude. Providing that slavery and involuntary servitude shall be prohibited in the state of New Hampshire. OTP
HB 1338,  relative to New Hampshire's enforcement of the Military Selective Service Act. ITL

Next Week in House Committees

You can watch the House hearings here. You can sign in for House bills here. And you can contact House committees here. 

Monday, January 29

EDUCATION, Room 205-207, LOB
9:30 AM HB 1517-FN, relative to the statewide education property tax and excess revenue from games of chance.
1:30 PM HB 1437, relative to the membership of the state board of education.
2:00 PM HB 1205, relative to women’s school sports.

FINANCE, Room 210-211, LOB
11:00 AM HB 1560-FN-A, relative to unassigned moneys in the education trust fund.

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY, Room 302-304, LOB
9:45 AM HB 1465-FN, relative to studies of nuclear energy technologies.  
2:00 PM HB 1600-FN, relative to participation in net energy metering. 
3:00 PM HB 1644-FN, requiring the department of energy to initiate an investigation of the benefits and key considerations regarding support for clean or non-carbon emitting power generation.
.
Tuesday, January 30

CHILDREN AND FAMILY LAW, Room 206-208, LOB
11:00 AM HB 1308, relative to parent access to children’s library records.
1:15 PM CACR 25, relating to the rights of children and parents. Providing that parents and children have the right to control their health, education, and welfare.
1:30 PM CACR 17, relating to the rights of parents. Providing that parents shall have a fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their minor children.

COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, Room 305, LOB 
10:00 AM HB 1159, relative to toilet facilities provided by restaurants and other food establishments.

ELECTION LAW, Room 306-308, LOB
10:30 AM HB 1577-FN, relative to digital images of ballots
11:00 AM HB 1705-FN, relative to classifying ballots as public information.
11:30 AM HB 1313-FN-L, relative to access to the voter checklist by candidates.
1:00 PM HB 1704-FN, relative to the reconciliation of ballots act.
1:30 PM HB 1699-FN, allowing caucus identification on ballots.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION, Room 210-211, LOB
1:00 PM HB 1070, relative to procedures during a state of emergency.

MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT, Room 301-303, LOB
2:30 PM HB 1362, relative to authorizing municipalities to stabilize rent increases in rental housing.

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY, Room 302-304, LOB 
10:00 AM HB 1623-FN, relative to the state energy policy.

Wednesday, January 31

HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND ELDERLY AFFAIRS, Room Reps Hall, SH 
10:00 AM HB 1660-FN, relative to coverage of certain procedures for minor children under the state’s Medicaid program.

JUDICIARY, Room 206-208, LOB
9:45 AM HB 1169-FN, creating a private cause of action for discrimination based on hairstyles relative to a person’s ethnicity.
10:30 AM HB 1220-FN, relative to abolishing the collection of racial and ancestral data for use in a marital application worksheet.
1:45 PM HB 1475-FN, relative to preventing strategic lawsuits against public participation.
2:30 PM HB 1603-FN-L, relative to unlawful discriminatory practices.

LEGISLATIVE ADMINISTRATION, Room 203, LOB
11:00 AM HR 29, declaring an economic justice bill of rights.

WAYS AND MEANS, Room 202-204, LOB
9:30 AM CACR 15, relating to taxation. Providing that a 2/3 vote is required to pass legislation imposing new or increased taxes or license fees, or to authorize the issuance of state bonds and providing that the general court shall appropriate funds for payment of interest and installments of principle of all state bonds.
10:30 AM HB 1054-A, relative to the Northern Border Alliance Program fund.
11:00 AM HB 1193-FN, relative to the establishment of a child care tax credit program.
11:30 AM HB 1470, establishing a study committee on the feasibility and impact of a low-income housing tax credit.
12:00 PM HB 1613-FN, establishing a trust fund for money from soil and water environmental contamination court settlements.

Thursday, February 1

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION, Room 306-308, LOB
1:00 PM HB 1070, relative to procedures during a state of emergency.

Friday, February 2

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY, Room 202-204, LOB 
9:30 AM HB 1050-FN, relative to establishing a voluntary waiver of the right to purchase a firearm.
11:00 AM HB 1337-FN, relative to the return of weapons and ammunition upon expiration of protective orders.
11:30 AM HB 1711-FN, authorizing the state to report the names of prohibited persons to the NICS firearms background check system for those adjudicated for involuntary mental health commitments, or not deemed competent to stand trial. The bill also establishes a process to restore firearms rights ("relief") post-commitment.

Next Week in the Senate

The full Senate will not meet in session next week.

Next Week in Senate Committees

You can watch the Senate hearings here. You can sign in for Senate bills here. And you can contact Senate committees. 

Tuesday, January 30

COMMERCE, Room 100, SH
9:30 AM SB 517, relative to the employment status of university students working in educational programs.
9:45 AM SB 308-FN, relative to the state minimum hourly rate.

EDUCATION, Room 101, LOB
9:00 AM SB 375, relative to biological sex in student athletics. 
9:15 AM SB 523-FN, relative to the regulation of public school library materials. 
9:30 AM SB 339, relative to repealing the graduation requirement regarding Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications.

ELECTION LAW AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS, Room 103, LOB
9:00 AM SB 535, relative to absentee ballot forms. 
9:20 AM SB 530, relative to reports of receipts and expenditures filed by political committees of candidates and candidates. 
9:45 AM SB 534-FN, relative to campaign finance. 
10:00 AM SB 490-FN, relative to the verification of the checklist.

FINANCE, Room 103, SH
1:00 PM SB 553-FN, requiring that funds held by the public deposit investment pool be invested in New Hampshire. 
1:15 PM SB 552-FN, relative to lapse of funds from the education trust fund.

JUDICIARY, Room 100, SH
2:15 PM SB 321-FN, relative to the release of a defendant pending trial.

Wednesday, January 31

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION, Room 103, SH

9:30 AM SB 309-FN, relative to the vesting period for members of the state retirement system.
10:00 AM SB 481, relative to establishing Juneteenth, June 19, as an annual holiday.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Room 100, SH
9:00 AM SB 406-FN-A, relative to emergency housing assistance and making an appropriation therefor.

JUDICIARY, Room 100, SH

1:00 PM SB 315-FN-L, relative to law enforcement agency reporting on information concerning bias crimes.
1:30 PM SB 413-FN, relative to civil actions for PFAS contamination.
2:00 PM SB 424, relative to reductions of maximum sentences while on parole.

Thursday, February 1

CAPITAL BUDGET, Room 103, SH
10:15 AM SB 476-FN, making a capital appropriation to the department of corrections toward the replacement of the New Hampshire state prison for men.

JUDICIARY, Room 100, SH
9:15 AM SB 359, raising the age of marriage to 18 years of age. 
9:30 AM SB 420, relative to requiring an additional report from the legislative study committee concerning the long-term impact of the New Hampshire adult parole system.
9:45 AM SB 425, relative to bail commissioner fees. 
10:00 AM SB 533, relative to physical quorums at public meetings.
1:15 PM SB 568, relative to licenses for aliens temporarily residing in New Hampshire.

Upcoming Events & Actions

Black Lives Matter NH Excellence Awards Nominations are now open until February 1. We are looking for Black, Indigenous and People of Color nominees from all walks of life – artists, educators, activists, entrepreneurs, inventors, musicians, students, etc. – that have made contributions to benefit New Hampshire and the Seacoast areas of Maine and Massachusetts! Do you know a Black, Indigenous and Person of Color leader in the community who deserves recognition? Nominate them using the link!

Every Wednesday
Solemn Vigils for Ceasefire now! Humanitarian access to Gaza! No tax dollars for war crimes! – Join us from 2 PM to 3 PM. Hosted by NH Peace Action, AFSC & interfaith partners.
January 31: Rep Pappas - Dover District Office, 660 Central Avenue Dover, NH

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. Hosted by AFSC. Join AFSC staff every Friday at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. 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.

Saturday, January 27
Manchester Housing Alliance 2024 Summit - 10 AM to 12:30 PM. Hosted by Manchester Housing Alliance. City Library, Winchell Room, 405 Pine St. Manchester. We are pleased to announce our first ever in person Manchester Housing Alliance summit. We will give a state of housing in Manchester and how we got here; identify new supporters of affordable housing; and figure out what specific issue we want to fight for this year. Spanish interpretation will be provided.

Monday, January 29
Peace & Justice Conversations: Making a World Beyond War - 7 PM to 8 PM. Hosted by NH Peace Action. In this webinar, World BEYOND War advisory board member Rivera Sun will offer stories and examples of how people used alternatives to war, including nonviolent campaigns, creative resistance, peacebuilding strategies, violence de-escalation teams, and mass movements. We will look at case studies from Liberia, Algeria, Colombia, United States, Canada, and beyond. Together, they reveal how a World BEYOND War is not only possible, it is already on its way.

Tuesday, January 30
Arts for Social Action: Artistic Responses to Gaza - 8 AM. Hosted by AFSC. Since October, we have witnessed a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza with unimaginable levels of human suffering, destruction, and displacement for the Palestinian people. Artistic responses from around the MENA region have emerged in response to the assault on Gaza, many of which seek to mobilize communities for social action. Presenters will discuss responses and new AFSC-commissioned research on “Arts, Cultural Organizing, and Social Change.” Presenters will include Saja Kilani, spoken word artist; Nasir Al Bashir, producer and songwriter; Zeyne, singer and songwriter; Jude Sajdi, Sama Consulting; Cathy Khattar, Arab Fund for Arts and Culture; and Khaled Elkhouz, Regional Director, Middle East (AFSC). In Arabic, with English interpretation available.

PPNHAF Virtual Monthly Meeting – 6 PM to 7 PM. Hosted by PPNE. Join us for our virtual Monthly Meeting where we'll discuss national news, #NHPolitics updates, deep canvassing, upcoming events, and ways to take action!

HB 396 Phonebank - Oppose Anti-Trans Legislation – 6 PM to 7:30 PM. The New Hampshire House will soon consider a bill that would roll back nondiscrimination protections for transgender people. HB 396 would allow discrimination against transgender people in restrooms, prisons, and other public places. Join us in calling our neighbors to encourage them to reach out to their Reps and ask them to protect trans people in NH!

2024 Grassroots Legislative Briefing – 7 PM to 8 PM. Hosted by New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights (NHCVR). Hear from NHCVR and partners (including Kent Street Coalition) about our priority bills - which ones we support and which ones we must defeat - and learn what you can do to defend voting rights here in the Granite State.

APARTHEID-FREE CITIES: Mobilize Municipalities to become Apartheid-Free in 2024 - 8 PM. Hosted by AFSC & Apartheid-Free Communities. Cities and towns across the globe are taking a clear stand for Palestinian lives and human rights. Join us to learn from activists who have led campaigns in Europe and the United States to get their cities to cut ties with Israeli apartheid. Be inspired by their successes, take notes from their challenges, and think about how you can mobilize residents of your municipality to pledge to be Apartheid-Free. This webinar will help you join the growing network of communities, organizations and cities working to end all support of Israeli-apartheid.

Wednesday, January 31
Raising Culturally Competent, Anti-Racist Kids – 7 PM to 8:30 PM. Zoom. Hosted by Portsmouth Public Library.  As parents and caregivers, we have both the opportunity and responsibility to foster the skills and compassion our children need to thrive in a diverse world. Many parents and caregivers are looking for ways to engage effectively around such topics as injustice, bias, prejudice, valuing difference, marginalization and more. While it may appear challenging, there are many wonderful ways to bring age-appropriate learning into the home and raise children who can be part of making this a more equitable, just world. In this three-part online program, we will establish a “safe/brave space” to: Identify what, where and how racism exists in our society; Consider our own “racial awareness journey” and how it informs our parenting; Explore best practices, provide resources and encourage “active, antiracist parenting.”

Friday, February 2
Gun Violence Prevention Lobby Day – 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. NH Legislative Office Building - 33 N State St, Concord. Hosted by GunSense NH & NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition. Join us for a lobby day on Friday, February 2 during public hearings in the NH House. Register support + opposition on the NH House sign in page today

Wednesday, February 21
Remaking the Economy: Building Regional Solidarity Economies - 2 PM to 3:30 PM. Hosted by NPQ. How do we build regional economies rooted in community ownership? In this webinar we take a deep look at movement growth and ongoing challenges— with participants from New Orleans, Los Angeles, Oakland (CA), Buffalo and Washington DC sharing their perspectives.

Tuesday, February 27
Understanding our Immigration Process - 7 PM. Hosted by AFSC. In this session we'll look at what pathways exist for migrants to enter the U.S. lawfully under current laws, and discuss the challenges that arise for those in different situations. We will walk through the process and have a time for conversation about our vision for a process that would ensure that all migrants are treated with dignity and respect regardless of circumstance.

February to March
Finding Your Place in the Climate Justice Movement – Hosted by 350 NH. We're calling this a training series but really what we want is to bring all of our community members together so we can make a greater impact on the climate justice issues we face. All are welcome to join us for one or all of the Zoom calls and the in-person sessions:

Feb 10 at 10 AM - Climate Justice 101 (Zoom)

Feb 13 at 6:30 PM - Legislative Advocacy and Climate Justice (Zoom)

Feb 24 at 10 AM - Climate Action Planning (Zoom)

Mar 5 at 6:30 PM - Climate and Militarism (Zoom)

Mar 23 at 10 AM - Finding Your Story in the Climate Movement (In person, Concord, TBA)
 

February to April 
Elinor Williams Hooker Tea Talks 2024: A New Deal for a Great Society - Hosted by the Black Heritage Trail NH in Portsmouth, Keene, Nashua. Registration is open for the 2024 annual Elinor William Hooker Tea Talks. This year's program will explore how two federal programs geared toward building a more just society -- Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" and Lyndon B. Johnson's "Great Society" -- played out in New Hampshire. We will ask what impact these programs had on our state and what happens now when changing demographics meet programs designed during the New Deal and Great Society. February talks will be held in Portsmouth, the March talk in Keene, and the April talk in Nashua. 

Feb  4 - New Deal or Raw Deal: Why It Matters 
Feb 11 - Home Sick: Attaining the American Dream 
Feb 18 - A Question of Access and Quality: Health Care in NH 
Feb 25 - Close to the Edge: Policing and Criminal Justice in NH 
Mar 10 - Equity and Adequacy: Public Education in NH 
Apr 21 - Envisioning the Future

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. Read our 2023 highlights here. Kathleen Wooten is AFSC’s State House Watch researcher and database manager.

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!