THURSDAY May 14th

The action is now within the full House and Senate floor sessions. Both chambers will take up all remaining bills ahead of the May 14 deadline.

While you can’t just sign in and register your opinion for these sessions, you can email our representatives.

In the NH House

There’s one bill we SUPPORT:

SB498: relative to children's mental health services for persons 18 years of age and younger.

Click this link to email our representatives to ask them to SUPPORT SB498 on Thursday when it comes before the NH House. Use the sample text or make it your own.

There are numerous bills we OPPOSE, including SB430, SB431, SB434, SB552, and CACR12

SB430: (New Title) relative to mandatory disclosure by school district employees to parents and legal guardians.

• This is another cruel “forced outing” bill, requiring teachers to respond fully and honestly to parents’ requests for information about their children.  As our friends at 603 Forward have written: “This bill would jeopardize the safety of LGBTQIA+ students who do not live in an affirming home, and remove the likelihood that students would be able to build foundational trust with safe adults in their lives in all areas by turning educators into a tool of surveillance.”

SB431: relative to violations of the prohibition on teaching discrimination.

• This is another attempt at a banned concepts bill that would hinder public schools from providing an honest and comprehensive education. The last time a bill like this passed, it was overturned in court. From AFL-CIO: “The State has better things to do with its revenue than spend it on losing lawsuits.”

SB434: relative to regulation of public school materials.

• This book ban bill would impose a cumbersome process on local school districts to review parents’ complaints about books and other materials, and it would allow a single parent’s complaint to result in a book being removed from schools’ shelves. School districts already have policies to address parental complaints about books; this bill would add unnecessary administrative burdens and costs.

SB552: permitting classification of individuals based on biological sex under certain limited circumstances.

• This is yet another cruel "bathroom bill” that allows discrimination against Trans people regarding bathrooms, sports, prisons, and mental health facilities.

CACR 12: relating to voting on broad-based taxes. Providing that a supermajority vote of the general court shall be required to enact any broad-based taxes.

• This proposed constitutional amendment would make it virtually impossible for NH to EVER adopt any tax on income (including interest & dividends). It’s a political stunt, intended to scare voters into thinking that any lawmaker who votes against it is a “tax and spend liberal”. From our friends at Our Economy Our Future: “This proposal isn’t serious policymaking, it’s a distraction from a bigger issue: years of tax cuts by conservative lawmakers have reduced the state’s ability to raise enough revenue to fund essential services, shifting more of the cost onto property taxes and rents.

Take just a few minutes to write to our reps to let them know where you stand. You can use this email as a basis to write your own.

To: Keith.Ammon@gc.nh.gov, Gerald.Griffin@gc.nh.gov, Lisacmpost@gmail.com

Subject: Constituent Opposes SB430, SB431, SB434, SB552, and CACR12

Dear Representative

I live in your district in Mont Vernon. I’m asking you to oppose several bills in this Thursday’s NH House session. SB430 is dangerous. It puts educators in an untenable position and could jeopardize the safety of some LGBTQIA+ students. We should not be turning educators into spies. SB431 is another attempt at a banned concepts bill that would hinder public schools and would likely be overturned in court. Let’s not use our scarce resources on losing lawsuits. SB434 would impose a cumbersome and unnecessary process on local school districts to review complaints about books and other materials. School districts already have policies to address parental complaints. SB552 is yet another cruel "bathroom bill” that allows discrimination against Trans people regarding bathrooms, sports, prisons, and mental health facilities. CACR12 would make it virtually impossible for NH to adopt any tax on income (including interest & dividends). It isn’t a serious attempt at addressing NH’s needs. It’s a distraction from the fact that years of tax cuts have reduced NH’s ability to raise enough revenue to fund essential services, shifting more of the cost onto local property taxes.

NH voters want elected officials who are working every day to make life better for every day NH families. These bills do not meet that goal.

Sincerely,

Mont Vernon, NH

In the NH Senate

Five bills we OPPOSE will come before the Senate on Thursday: HB1376, HB1792, HB1300, HB1709, and HB1793

HB1376: relative to a parent's ability to raise their child in a manner consistent with the child's biological sex.

• From 603 Equality: “This bill would remove protections from young people who are being prevented from accessing gender-affirming care or from being raised in a gender-affirming way by one or more parent or guardian, despite what we know to be true about the positive and life-saving benefits of being raised in an affirming environment.”

HB1792: prohibiting school districts and personnel from the instruction of critical race theory and LGBTQ+ ideologies in schools as well as establishing a private right of action for violations.

• Another “banned concepts” bill in violation of the Constitution. Simply stated, this bill would limit an honest education for our public school students and scapegoat the LGBTQ+ community. Similar efforts have been tried before, and the courts have overturned them - enough already!

HB1300: (New Title) establishing a biennial school district local tax cap question and related limitations on central office administrative expenses in school districts.

• HB1300 would force every community to hold a vote on adopting a local school tax cap in the November 2026 general election. (The previous version of the bill required the vote every two years.) Voters already have the option to adopt tax caps at the local level through warrant articles; there’s no need to sidestep the local decision-making process. Tax caps prevent school districts from responding to spikes in costs over which they have no control (e.g. employee health plans), inevitably leading to layoffs and other cuts, at students’ expense.

HB1709: (New Title) prohibiting certain unlawfully present felons from occupying or renting real property.

• From the NH Immigrant Rights Network: “HB 1709 would improperly impose immigration enforcement responsibilities on landlords and New Hampshire sheriffs and possibly other law enforcement officials. State courts would have to make determinations about a person’s immigration status and whether they were lawfully present…” Read the ACLU fact sheet here.

HB1793: prohibiting public colleges and universities from regulating the possession or carrying of firearms and non-lethal weapons on campus.

• From our friends at Gun Sense NH and the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition: HB1793 began as a bill that would prohibit any public institution of higher education from enacting any rules or policies restricting the possession, carry, storage, or lawful use of firearms or non-lethal weapons on campus. The public outpouring of opposition to this proposal was heard loud and clear by lawmakers. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved an amendment that replaces nearly the entire bill, only leaving the section prohibiting policies related to certain non-lethal weapons and creating a legislative study committee to study the rest of the bill (guns on campus). The full Senate will vote on HB 1793 this week; if passed, it will go back to the House for a vote on whether to concur with the changes or try to reach a compromise through Committee of Conference. For more information and to sign the petition against HB 1793, click here.

Take just a few minutes to write to Senator Ricciardi to let her know where you stand. You can use this email or write your own.

To: Denise.Ricciardi@gc.nh.gov

Subject: Constituent Opposes HB1376, HB1792, HB1300, HB1709, and HB1793

Dear Senator Ricciardi

I am one of your constituents writing to urge you to oppose a number of bills that are expected to come before the Senate this week.

HB1376 would remove protections from young people who are being prevented from accessing gender-affirming care or from being raised in a gender-affirming way. HB1792 is unconstitutional and will result in needless lawsuits. HB1300 is unnecessary and would force towns to hold a vote on adopting a local school tax cap in the November 2026 general election. Towns already have the option to adopt tax caps through warrant articles; the legislature should not insert itself into the local decision-making process. HB 1709 would improperly impose immigration enforcement responsibilities on landlords and local sheriffs. Finally, HB1793 would prohibit public colleges and universities from regulating the possession or carrying of firearms and non-lethal weapons on campus. This bill could impact campus safety and is extremely unpopular with voters.

NH voters want elected officials who are working every day to make life better for working NH families.

Thank you very much for your consideration on these bills.

Sincerely,

Mont Vernon, NH