The vastly outnumbered N.H. House Democrats face almost certain defeat in the battle over the 2012-2013 biennium budget. But, with the floor amendments they’ve introduced, it’s clear they don’t plan to go down without a debate about how to raise and spend state funds.
Altogether, there are 19 Democrat-sponsored floor amendments to the House Finance Committee’s version of House Bills 1 and 2, which together comprise the state budget. …
On Friday, House Speaker William O’Brien (R-Mont Vernon) threw his support behind a measure that would make the Legislature – not the courts – the final authority on educational standards and funding.
The move comes midway through an extended public hearing on one of New Hampshire’s most challenging public policy debates: a constitutional amendment on education funding. The public hearing continues Wednesday …
Four years after the Legislature changed the high school drop-out age to 18, the debate has returned. On Thursday, a House committee is scheduled to give its verdict on a Republican-backed proposal to lower the compulsory school attendance age to 16.
House Bill 429, sponsored by Rep. James Parison (R-New Ipswich), would allow students 16 years of age or older to withdraw from high school with parental permission.
More than three years after the Legislature mandated public kindergarten in New Hampshire, the debate has returned with a House proposal that would repeal the law.
The House Education Committee is expected to make a recommendation today on House Bill 631, sponsored by Rep. Jonathan Maltz (R-Hudson). The bill would both repeal a provision of the 2007 adequate education law for public kindergarten and exempt school districts that eliminate public kindergarten from having to repay the state aid they’ve gotten to add it.
A year after a similar measure failed, a House committee will likely vote Tuesday on a proposal to postpone scheduled changes to education funding for New Hampshire cities and towns. The funding formula was settled on by the Legislature in 2008. It is due to change beginning July 1.
Sponsored by Rep. Kenneth Gould (R-Derry), House Bill 34 would maintain current levels of education grant funding to municipalities for fiscal years 2012 and 2013. The House Education Committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday in executive session and could make a recommendation to the full House about the bill at that time.
How much will social issues matter at the State House this year? New Hampshire’s budget is clearly at the top of the agenda, if this fall’s campaign promises bear fruit. But the bills filed so far indicate that social matters are on the table, too.
Will the gay marriage law of 2009 be repealed? Will medical marijuana get a closer look? Will parental notification for teenage abortions be restored?
These are a few policy questions that lawmakers will consider when the 2011 legislative session opens Jan. 5. In our latest installment of previewing proposed bills, we look at three hot-button bills that will likely garner headlines — including here at Front Door Politics — in the next few months.
New Hampshire knows it needs a new women’s prison to replace its current, outdated facility in Goffstown. Yet, in very lean budget times, doing what is needed is rarely easy. In June, the Legislature created a study committee to make recommendations to lawmakers and policy makers for a future women’s prison and how to best utilize the Sununu Youth Services Center in Manchester.
With the 2009 legislative session winding down, many bills fates have already been determined and most public hearings are complete. Both the House and Senate must act on all bills by Thursday, June 4, or take one more week to form Committees of Conference by June 10. That will buy the Legislature two additional weeks to work out any differences between the chambers, or let remaining bills die.
Other committees with longer timelines for in-depth study are formed throughout the session …
The ban on new nursing home beds remains, but a bill in the Senate would ease regulations on renovations. Also: New Hampshire’s child safety laws line up with other states.