New Hampshire
Concord update: What do you want to see in Governor Ayotte’s budget?
Happy (early) Valentine’s Day. Don’t forget to do something nice for that “special someone” before it’s too late… and all the “good cards” and still alive roses are all gone.
State budget
On Thursday, Feb. 13 Governor Ayotte will be presenting the outlines of her budget for the next two years to the NH House of Representatives. If you are interested in watching her address go to the NH House’s YouTube Page and you can stream it live. The next day on Feb. 14, the governor will be sitting down with me and my colleagues on the House Finance Committee to discuss her proposal in more detail.
We on the House Finance Committee will be making our budget recommendation to the full House by no later than April 3. The full House will then vote on the budget and pass it over to the Senate for their consideration by no later than April 10.
A budget is about priorities and our state’s budget should reflect the priorities of Granite Staters. Ahead of Governor Ayotte’s budget address, I – along with my House and Senate Democrats – want to hear from you — what are the top priorities you want to see receive funding? Please take a few moments to share your thoughts by Clicking Here or going to https://www.facebook.com/NHHouseDemCaucus.
Housing
The low supply of housing units in New Hampshire is driving up prices and our property taxes. We need to build about 60,000 new units before 2030 and 89,000 units before 2040 to meet projected demand. I am looking forward to hearing what Governor Ayotte will be proposing to “jump-start” that effort.
Whatever the governor does propose, will take several years to have a dramatic impact. In the meantime, we need to do what we can to keep the homes that already exist affordable and available for Granite Staters.
On Feb. 6, the House voted on two bills that are likely to make that more difficult.
HB 60 allows tenants to be evicted without cause when their lease has expired. Given our historically low vacancy rate (0.6 percent for a two-bedroom rental unit), Democrats felt that this “no cause” eviction should only take effect when the vacancy rate is 5% or more (which is the generally recognized indicator of a “healthy” rental market). That amendment was defeated with 217 no (Hampton State Reps. Nicholas Bridle and Linda McGrath) to 140 yes (Hampton State Reps. Erica de Vries, Mike Edgar, and Chris Muns). A subsequent amendment to delay no-cause evictions only when the rental vacancy rate is 2.5% or higher was also defeated 212 no (Bridle and McGrath) to 145 yes (de Vries, Edgar and Muns)
HB 444 would have ensured tenants in a restricted multi-family residential property receive 30 days’ notice before the sale of their building, so that if they have to move, they can begin planning to do so or if they want to make a competing offer, they have a chance to do so. Defeated 213 no (Bridle and McGrath) to 144 yes (de Vries, Edgar and Muns).
Abortion
Since 2021, New Hampshire has had a ban on abortions after 24 weeks with exceptions for the life of the mother and fatal fetal anomalies.
During the 2024 election season, House and Senate Republican leaders pledged they would not pass further restrictions on abortions. And, in her inaugural speech, Governor Ayotte pledged that “if you send me legislation that further restricts access to abortion beyond our current law, I will veto it.”
That did not, however, stop a group of nine House Republicans (backed by Cornerstone Action, a religious liberty advocacy group) from sponsoring HB 476, which would have made abortions after 15 weeks illegal, even if the pregnancy was caused by incest or rape.
On February 6, that bill was withdrawn from consideration by a vote of 340 yes (Bridle, de Vries, Edgar, McGrath and Muns) to 15 no.
While that is an encouraging sign, it is no guarantee that other limitations on every woman’s right to safe and protected reproductive healthcare will not be considered by this legislature. We will need to hold Governor Ayotte to her promise.
Climate change
In mostly partly line votes, the House’s Republican majority rejected several efforts to address the local impacts of climate change during our February 6 Session. Among them were:
HB 189 changes the state’s definition of clean energy, to include “low greenhouse gas emitting sources.” In other words, rather than cutting our greenhouse gas emissions, we are OK with continuing to emit them. Adopted 206 yes (Bridle and McGrath) to 148 no (de Vries, Edgar and Muns).
HB 526-FN would have established a Division of Climate Change and Damage within the Department of Environmental Services to take a proactive, data-driven approach to climate adaptation. Defeated 207 no (Bridle and McGrath) to 146 yes (de Vries, Edgar and Muns)
HB 106 would have created a commission to study the financial risks of climate-related impacts like extreme precipitation, coastal flooding and extreme heat and recommend equitable ways to pay for resilience efforts. During the debate, the Republican vice-chair of the House Science, Technology and Energy Committee said the bill ran contrary to the Trump Administration’s “Drill, baby, drill,” approach to climate change and added that the premise of climate change as a real issue is “still up for debate. Defeated 207 no (Bridle and McGrath) to 149 yes (de Vries, Edgar and Muns)
This was only the first session of the House in which we voted on bills that were voted out of committee. Approximately 800 bills were introduced by House members this year. We will be meeting every week to get through all of those by mid-April, when we need to hand over those that we pass to the NH Senate.
Office hours
I will be holding Open Office Hours on Saturday, Feb. 15, between noon and 2 p.m. at the Lane Memorial Library in Hampton. If you have any questions or would just like to say hello, please join me then. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at chris.muns@gc.nh.gov.
Chris Muns is one of Hampton’s five NH state representatives. He is currently serving his third term, having previously served between 2012 and 2014 and 2022 and 2024.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire 6-year-old tests positive for cocaine, cannabis; mother faces multiple charges
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A New Hampshire woman was charged with child endangerment and witness tampering after her daughter ingested a THC gummy and later tested positive for cannabinoids and cocaine, according to officials.
The incident prompted a police investigation after the state Division for Children, Youth and Families notified the Nashua Police Department Nov. 3.
According to a release shared by Nashua Police Department, detectives learned the 6-year-old had been hospitalized following the ingestion and that her mother, Paige Goulet, allegedly told a witness not to cooperate with investigators.
DRUG-LACED CANDY DISGUISED AS KIDS’ TREATS FUELS NEW HALLOWEEN SAFETY WARNING FOR PARENTS: POLICE
The Nashua Police Department took custody of Goulet and formally charged her. (Nashua Police Department)
“While at the hospital, the juvenile victim tested positive for the illegal drugs, cannabinoids, and cocaine,” the release said.
“Detectives learned that Goulet had told a witness not to cooperate with the police investigation, and detectives determined that Goulet had neglected her duty to care for her juvenile daughter.”
Goulet, 30, was arrested Monday by Meredith police on a felony warrant for tampering with witnesses involved in the Nashua police investigation.
GUATEMALAN NATIONAL FREED WITHOUT BAIL IN THC GUMMIES CASE THAT SENT 12 MIDDLE-SCHOOLERS TO THE HOSPITAL
Nashua police determined Goulet had neglected her duty to care for her daughter. (Wang Zhao/AFP/GettyImages)
She was taken into custody by Nashua police and formally charged.
She is facing charges of tampering with witnesses and endangering the welfare of a child, according to the release.
FLORIDA PARENTS ARRESTED AFTER 4-YEAR-OLD TWINS ALLEGEDLY SHOT THEMSELVES
Paige Goulet was taken to the Nashua Police Department and charged with witness tampering and child endangerment after her daughter’s THC gummy ingestion. (Google Maps)
Goulet was released on $300 cash bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Nashua District Court Jan. 7.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Meredith and Nashua police departments for comment.
New Hampshire
It’s been 50 years since turkeys were reintroduced to N.H. A survey will check on the population. – The Boston Globe
In recent years, the survey has helped identify about 910 flocks on average, with about 16,488 birds reported per year.
Those numbers can fluctuate based on winter conditions. The birds are more likely to congregate at backyard feeders during winters with heavy snow and limited food, driving up reported numbers. On the other hand, when birds can easily get the food they need in the wild, reports tend to decrease, according to Daniel Ellingwood, a wildlife biologist and turkey project leader at New Hampshire Fish and Game.
He said the state has been conducting the survey for about 20 years. This year, the survey started in December and will run through March.
Right now, the turkey population in New Hampshire includes about 48,000 birds, Fish and Game estimated.
But just over 50 years ago, there weren’t any turkeys in the state at all. In fact, Ellingwood said, turkeys had been absent from New Hampshire’s landscape for about 125 years — starting in the 1850s and lasting until a successful reintroduction effort began in 1975.
Populations were diminished to the point of disappearing because of human activities like hunting and deforestation.
Then, in 1975, the state launched a successful effort to bring the turkeys back.
“A single flock from southwest New York was captured and translocated to Walpole, New Hampshire in ’75,” Ellingwood said. “That population took hold and began to expand.”
That first flock included about 25 birds. In the following years, other flocks were relocated to New Hampshire, and the turkey population began spreading to other parts of the state.
At this point, the birds have made a remarkable recovery.
“The population is largely stable and healthy,” Ellingwood said.
This story appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, a free newsletter focused on New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles elsewhere. To receive it via email Monday through Friday, sign up here.
Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee.
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