CONCORD, NH — The House failed to repeal the state’s divisive concepts law, but approved a bill that would establish a process to address parents’ concerns about materials in school libraries.
The House also passed a bill requiring the university and community college systems to protect the free speech and freedom to associate for all organizations on campuses and to provide funding for those organizations.
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Divisive Concepts
House Bill 1162 would repeal the state’s law that prohibits teaching that any group is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, or that would indicate any group is inferior, or superior to any other.
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The law was included in the biennial budget passed by the legislature in 2021 and is currently being litigated in the federal court system.
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Rep. Alicia Lekas, R-Hudson, said the law is working because she no longer hears from friends that their child was made to feel they are racists or sexists.
But she said a new campaign has begun that is just as divisive to make blacks feel like they need their white protectors to allow them to move forward.
After the law was passed the Department of Education placed a form on its website for parents to report possible violations of the law and the Moms for Liberty offered a bounty on the first teacher charged under the new law.
The bill’s prime sponsor, Rep. Peter Petrigno, D-Milford, called the law insulting to teachers and one of the reasons teachers are leaving the profession due to the politicalization of education.
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He said teachers need to be able to teach about the Nazis of Germany and the parallels to the Nazis today, and the Klu Klux Klan and today’s white supremacists.
“Teachers are not being allowed to connect the dots,” Petrigno said. “New Hampshire is better than this. We are better than this.”The bill was indefinitely postponed on a 192-183 vote, which means the subject cannot be brought up again this session.
Freedom To Read
The House defeated an attempt to indefinitely postpone House Bill 1311, which has the state Board of Education require every school district to have a policy to determine if material parents object to in school libraries should be removed.
The bill would prohibit removal of books only because of race, sexual orientation, religion or political viewpoint, and leaves the decision up to the local school board.
The bill’s prime sponsor, Rep. David Paige, D-Conway, said the bill attempts to balance the rights of parents, local control and due process rights.
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He said the bill seeks to remove censorship in the marketplace of ideas, while opening up the world to students through literature.
“This is a bipartisan, common sense bill,” Paige said, “with a balanced approach to uphold all of these shared goals.”But opponents said the bill would cement obscene material into school libraries.
Rep. Arlene Quaratiello, R-Atkinson, argued the bill would make it impossible to remove material parents object to that is educationally unsuitable or pervasively vulgar from school libraries.
She used a book on suicide methods for a safe and peaceful death as an example of a “very misguided public school librarian’s” selection, that should be off limits for kids.
The House voted down the attempt to kill the bill for the rest of the session, on a 190-185 vote before approving the bill 194-180. The bill now goes to the Senate.
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Free Speech
The House approved House Bill 1305, which is similar to a bill that was tabled last session.
Supporters of the bill said while the university and community college systems receive generally high marks for the policies they established on free speech and organizations, there are certain groups that have been targeted, particularly conservative and religious, that are not treated the same as other groups.
The bill’s prime sponsor, Rep. Daniel Popovici-Muller, R-Windham, said free speech and free association are constitutional rights no matter how harmful people believe it is.
Many of the major rights people have today were generated by very unpopular speech years ago, he said. “All we are asking is the same treatment for safe spaces and the minimal student activities fees (other organizations receive,) he said.
You are not legally required to date anybody who asks you out, he said.
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Rep. Valerie McDonnell, R-Salem, said the organizations that host events lose their right to hold other events because of hecklers and that is unfair and unAmerican.
She said current policy will leave the higher education systems subject to very expensive lawsuits. “Free speech zones should not be in the back corner of a parking lot,” she said.
But Rep. David Luneau, D-Hopkinton, said the bill is not needed and unnecessarily overreaches far beyond freedom of speech and instead requires taxpayer money to recognize student organizations that discriminate based on race, gender identification, religion and political ideology.
Under the bill, the university would be required to fund hate groups and would fuel a violent environment on college campuses, Luneau said.
The bill passed on a 206-169 vote and now goes to the Senate.
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Garry Rayno may be reached at garry.rayno@yahoo.com.
This story was originally published by InDepth NH.
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CONCORD – While Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte has said she opposes increasing highway toll rates across the state, the Senate voted Thursday to increase rates for out-of-state license plate holders.
It now goes to the House for consideration.
This would be a $1 increase for those who have out of state plates going through the tolls at Hooksett, Hampton and Bedford for out-of-state plates, a 75 cent hike for those taking Hampton’s Exit 2 and on the Spaulding turnpike at Rochester, and a 50 cent hike for those taking the exit off I-93 to Hooksett.
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An analysis in the bill shows that this would increase toll revenue by $53.3 million in fiscal year 2027 and go up each year to generate $81.4 million a year in 2036.
Senate Bill 627 passed on a voice vote with two Republicans, Senators Regina Birdsell of Hampstead and William Gannon of Sandown opposing.
Senator Mark E. McConkey, R-Freedom, moved to take the bill off the table and offered an amendment. He said the last time there was a systemwide increase to the turnpike toll was 19 years ago.
“I am sure we could all agree the cost of operations…has continued to escalate when revenue is not rising with it,” and he noted that with an enterprise fund, the state can only spend what it takes in.
The state has just completed a 10-year highway plan and there was a $400 million shortfall in projects that could not be paid for under the current income.
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McConkey said the measure would not increase tolls for New Hampshire drivers with a state license plate.
“Why don’t we ask our neighbors,” to pay a toll increase. “We are getting the best of all worlds,” by passing the bill, he said, including “protecting our residents” and having resources for improvements to the turnpike system.
Sen. Gannon, R-Sandown, asked McConkey if there are any studies on impacts near the border on businesses.
If implemented, McConkey said the state will be the 27th lowest in per mile cost still. McConkey said the bill would also increase from seven to 14 days the amount of time for those with NH license plates to pay for a toll adding there are other states that also have different rates for out-of-state users.
The Hampton toll cost would go from $2 to $3, while Hooksett and Bedford would rise from $1 to $2 for out-of-state plates.
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New Hampshire currently has the lowest rate per mile among states with tolls roads. The governor said she does not support a toll increase.
“We are not going to put a burden on drivers for a toll increase,” Ayotte said. “Families are struggling.”
WILTON, N.H. (WHDH) – A woman died in a Wilton, New Hampshire, house fire Wednesday morning, according to the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office.
At 9:08 a.m., Wilton firefighters responded to Burns Hill Road after a caller said their home was filling up with smoke. When they arrived, a single-family home was on fire and they found out two people were still inside on the second floor.
A man and a woman were both taken out of the house by firefighters and taken to Elliott Hospital. The woman was pronounced dead and the man is in serious condition.
Officials have not released the name of the victim at this time.
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At this time, investigators are looking into the cause of the fire and are trying to determine if a power outage in the area played a factor. The fire is not currently considered suspicious.
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