Notable Floor Votes
The House is in session on Wednesday and has reserved Thursday for continued session if necessary.
The Senate is in session on Thursday.
House Votes:
HB 1 and HB 2, making appropriations for the expenses of certain departments of the state for fiscal years ending June 30, 2018 and June 30, 2019.
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Want to write a letter, here’s a Sample LETTER
Dear Editor,
On March 16th, 2017 the New Hampshire Senate passed a bill to set up “education freedom savings accounts” that would give public dollars to private school tuition. This week, the same bill will be heard by the NH House Education Committee.
SB 193, one of the most radical school voucher bills we have ever seen in the New Hampshire legislature, would allow taxpayers dollars to go to religious schools and to parents who homeschool their children. It also funnels the funds through various non-profits, which inevitably raises more questions about where taxpayer dollars are going.
For such a horrendous bill, why aren’t more people talking about it? SB 193 has been drowned out in the press by numerous (also terrible) bills that roll back voting rights and focus on the upcoming budget.
Public schools are the center of our communities where students develop their civic identities and grow into active participants in our society and economy. Investing in public education means that we are telling each and every student in our state that they are valuable. A bill like SB 193 will send the opposite message.
We can not allow our State’s Republican leadership to play party politics in order to undermine our public schools.
Please email Erin Cotton, ecotton@nhdp.org, for more sample letters or for suggestions and revisions on your own LTE!
Legislative Recap
Week in Review – Mar. 27th – Mar. 31st
Last week, the Senate passed SB 3, a bill aimed at targeting NH voters who are most vulnerable to attacks on voting rights. This bill will make it more difficult for students, the elderly, and people of color to vote. Even worse, SB3 would force domestic abuse victims to seek the approval of their abuser to be able to vote, by requiring a note from the landlord if they don’t have a document with their name on it or, if they voted without identification, then a letter would be mailed to their “home” address requiring a victim to return to an unsafe environment. The Senate also passed Senate Bill 7, legislation to restrict access to food assistance services in New Hampshire. This bill restricts access to food stamps for those most in need in our state without saving New Hampshire a dime. Finally, the Senate passed HB 103. This bill requires signed parental permission for any course material that could be deemed objectionable – directly targeting health courses and limiting comprehensive sex ed for New Hampshire students.