David Meuse, a state representative from the Seacoast, posts frequent legislative updates. You can read this week’s update here.

If you’re pressed for time, here’s a summary of some of the key points:

Thursday was the final day for the House to act on bills passed in the Senate, and for the Senate to act on bills passed in the House, including HB 1 and HB 2 which together comprise the state budget.

A GOP Educational Model Emerges: Support Private Schools, Defund Public Education, Punish Teachers

• No Rich Parents Left Behind! SB 295 passed the House on a 190-178 vote and is expected — if it becomes law — to increase the state’s obligation to fund school vouchers by tens of millions of dollars over the next biennium despite declining state revenues. More

• Snitching. SB 96 passed the House 198-172. It requires teachers and school employees to “honestly” answer questions from parents within 5 days. Republicans also successfully attached an amendment prohibiting mask mandates in schools. More.

• Racism. SB 100 passed the House 192-155. As rewritten by Republican legislators, it prohibits “the teaching of discrimination” or inferring in any way that modern-day Americans bear any responsibility for more than two centuries of despicable, racist behavior.

• Bullies. SB 210 passed 193-159. It was amended to punish educators and districts—without addressing parental responsibility for bullying. The bill also allows “open enrollment” in public schools, creating a budget and administrative nightmare for some districts.

• Cell Phone Ban. SB 206 passed the House 314-42. The bill requires school districts to adopt policies banning on cellphones for students for the entire school day, with limited exceptions. More.

• Attempt to Mandate “Gun Safety Training” for K-12 Public School Kids Fails. SB 54—was tabled 256-106. While the tabling motion effectively kills the amendment for the year, the first part of the bill—which most Democrats supported—still lives. More.

• As Garry Rayno summed it up in his weekly column in InDepthNH , “The Free State/Libertarians have long sought to have public schools house only special education students and kids with disciplinary programs. The rest of the students and their parents will be on their own to find and pay for their education, meaning the rich will do just fine and everyone else will scramble to find an inferior education they can afford.”

Manufactured Issue Update

• “Parent’s Rights” Identical versions of parent’s rights bills passed in both chambers. In the House, SB 72 passed 214-167, largely along party lines. On the plus side, a controversial provision requiring parental notification if a minor child obtains birth control. More.

• Failed 1980’s Drug Policies! SB 14 passed 214-167, combining a failed drug policy that nearly 50 years of experience shows is harmful, costly, and ineffective —with a penalty reduction for possessing…magic mushrooms. More.

Absentee Ballots

• SB 218 passed 192-149. Despite the fact that there has never been a case of voter fraud on an absentee ballot in New Hampshire, people registering for an absentee ballot will now have to present proof they are a United States citizen to receive one.

• Also passing 187-149 was SB 287., which requires an applicant for an absentee ballot to provide photo identification with their application or to apply in-person.

• Also passing 184-153 was SB 221 , which requires an annual purging of voter registration using a 5-year look-back period instead of the current 10 year period. More.

Housing Schmousing!

• Officially Dead for this Year: SB 163, a bill that would have blocked municipalities from being able to issue moratoriums on building permits, was tabled by voice vote.

• Still Alive: Among the housing measures still breathing at this point is one that would prohibit communities from adopting or enforcing any ordinance that restricts the number of occupants of any dwelling unit to less than 2 occupants per bedroom.

• Now In The Governor’s Hands: On the way to the governor for signature or veto HB 577, which requires municipalities to allow either one detached or attached accessory dwelling unit (ADU) by right on single-family lots, and to HB 631, which allows residential building in commercial zones, mandating mixed-use development in nearly every zoning district in New Hampshire.

• Refusing to Die: Also worth noting is that Republicans successfully attached provisions from HB 60–a bill allowing landlords to evict renters with no-cause in middle of a housing crisis that failed earlier in the Senate—to SB 263, a bill that criminalizes AI chatbots that suggest children engage sexual activity, self-harm, or violent actions. The bill passed 202-168.

A Few Bright Spots

• Attempt to Move State Primary Date Fails. SB 222 , a bill that would have changed the current September state primary date to June, was tabled by voice vote after an attempt to pass it failed 153-185. Dems had opposed the bill over concerns that the January 1 effective date wouldn’t have given the Secretary of State and local election officials enough time to implement the change.

• Attempt to Add Anti-Vax Provisions to Bill Boosting Coos County Economy Fails. SB 180, a bill granting Coos County a “distressed place” based economic designation—which qualifies it for more federal assistance—eventually passed 323-6. But not before anti-vax Republicans tried and failed to insert an amendment effectively banning childhood vaccine requirements.

• Taking Some of the Risk Out of Risk Pool Management Programs. SB 297 passed by voice vote after being amended to address concerns over solvency issues, operational concerns, and oversight of pooled risk management programs created by cities, towns, counties, and school districts to reduce risks and associated insurance costs.

The Budget Battle Moves Closer to a Sad Ending

As Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Perkins-Kwoka put it , “This is a budget that's not only going to NOT lower costs on things like housing, child care, monthly utility bills and health care, which are some of our top priorities that we heard from, but they may even raise costs, because we're not honoring all of our obligations at the state level.” More.

Ayotte Signs 19 Bills, Vetoes 1

Gov. Kelly Ayotte finally vetoed HB 319—a bill that would have ended the requirement for school districts provide transportation for students in half-day kindergarten programs.

Among the bills she signed was HB 230, a measure brought forward by the anti-public health, COVID-grievance crowd that will restrict the ability of municipalities to enact public health ordinances. More.

Up Next This Week…

On Thursday, both the House and Senate will each devote an entire session day to deciding whether or not to concur (agree) with, non-concur, or ask for a conference committee on more bills amended by the other body. A vote to concur sends the bill to the governor for signature or veto with no additional changes, a vote to non-concur kills the bill, and a vote to non-concur with committee of conference sets up a process where Senate and House negotiators attempt to reach a compromise on the final language of the bill. See How a Bill Becomes Law for more information.