On a party-line vote, Republicans in the New Hampshire Senate recently approved a bill that would require abortion providers to share certain data about the procedures they perform with state public health officials.

Forty-six other states already have similar laws in place, making New Hampshire an outlier in the dissemination of abortion statistics.

“I’ve heard debates on the floor many times that we just don’t have the information, we don’t have the data,” Republican Sen. Regina Birdsell said on the Senate floor last week. “Well, guess what: This will do it.”

But for Democrats, the proposal, which was added late in the legislative process and therefore not subject to a public hearing, is the GOP’s latest attempt to chip away at abortion rights and curtail personal freedoms.

“Ever since the Dobbs decision, we have been living in a dystopian horror show with control of pregnant bodies the main plot line,” Democrat Sen. Debra Altschiller said during debate on the measure.

New Hampshire Republicans have tried unsuccessfully numerous times in recent years to require abortion providers to release certain statistics. The latest effort calls for providers to share the date and location of each abortion, the method used, including if a medication was prescribed, as well as share the state of residence of the pregnant patient, and the gestational age of the fetus.

The state Department of Health and Human Services would then publish data annually on abortions in New Hampshire, though the bill doesn’t clarify if the information would be released in an aggregated form, or if the county or even the zip code of the provider would be disclosed.

Democrats argued that level of data shared publicly could put providers at risk for harassment or other targeting; they also questioned how gestational age should be determined by the provider, since the bill lacks any detail.

“This amendment would potentially require a government-forced, potentially medically unnecessary, intrusive trans-vaginal ultrasound,” Sen. Becky Whitley said during a debate last Friday that grew tense at times. “That should send chills down the spine of every woman in the state.”

Senate Majority Leader Sharon Carson, a Republican, rose to her feet, saying she was baffled by the claim.

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing here. I really and truly cannot,” said Carson. “There’s no requirement for any kind of testing here. No ultrasound, no nothing.”

Carson accused Democrats of spreading misinformation about the bill, and in a statement this week reiterated that an ultrasound is not the only way providers could determine age in compliance with the bill.

In practice, providers say ultrasounds are performed before abortions when it makes sense for the patient. But there are other ways to determine gestational age, including using the date of the last menstrual cycle. States including Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont permit abortion providers to estimate the age of the fetus using that information.

A tool for sound policy, or for scoring political points

Abortion providers in New Hampshire say they aren’t opposed to producing and sharing protected, anonymized data, as long as it is used to advance public health policy.

“However, where we need clarity whenever we consider the request to supply abortion data is really we need to know specifically or with some clarity, what the anticipated public health benefit is and how the data may be used,” said Sandi Denoncour, executive director of Lovering Health Center in Greenland.

Abortion rights supporters point to what they see as a history of states using reporting requirements to bog down abortion providers with paperwork. Other states have also required providers to collect invasive or what they see as irrelevant information about the patient, including their history of contraceptive use.

“They’re not really being used for public health purposes,” said Rachel Jones, a researcher with the Guttmacher Institute, one of the country’s leading research institutions on abortion. “They’re being used to further stigmatize abortion and increase the burden on the facilities that provide this care.”

While New Hampshire, along with California, Maryland and New Jersey are the only states that don’t have reporting mandates, Guttmacher’s website does maintain abortion statistics for procedures performed in New Hampshire.

In 2023, Guttmacher estimates there were 2,400 abortions performed in the state.

That data is based on voluntary reporting by local clinics, including Lovering Health Center and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.

Those clinics willingly share aggregate abortion numbers, they said, because they trust Guttmacher to use the data for research purposes.

After clearing the state Senate on a party line vote, the bill mandating reporting statistics now heads to the New Hampshire House, where it will get a full public hearing and could be amended.

Gov. Chris Sununu has previously said he supports the state collecting data.

These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.

Editor’s note: State Sen. Debra Altschiller, D-Stratham, is the wife of Howard Altschiller, Seacoast Media Group’s executive editor.

MANCHESTER, NH — A Hillsborough County grand jury indicted the following people recently.

Avian Ferrell, 22, of Lake Avenue in Manchester on a felony reckless conduct, conduct after an accident, and two second-degree assault charges, all felonies. He was accused of driving recklessly the wrong way against traffic while attempting to evade New Hampshire State Police and causing a crash in Manchester on Dec. 19, 2023. Ferrell was also accused of assaulting an intimate partner causing multiple bruises all over her body and causing her to suffer a concussion on May 11, 2023, in Manchester.

Joshua R. Haggerty, 36, of Manchester Street in Manchester on a felony felon in possession of a dangerous weapon. He was accused of possessing a knife on Dec. 30, 2023, in Manchester. Haggerty is a felon due to a burglary conviction in July 2006.

Roshaun Hartford, 28, of River Road in Manchester on aggravated felonious sexual assault, indecent exposure and lewdness, and obscene matter offenses charges, all felonies. He was accused of raping a girl between May 1, 2018, and May 31, 2019, sharing pornography with her, and exposing himself to her in Manchester. Read more about this case here: Manchester Man Charged With Sexually Assaulting Two Children

Kelsey Haskell, 26, of West River Drive in Manchester on domestic violence-reckless conduct-deadly weapon and possession of fentanyl charges, both felonies, He was accused of possessing the drug and putting a family member in dangerous by exposing them to the fentanyl on July 20, 2023, in Manchester.

Jovan Hibbert, 36, of Russell Street in Taunton, Massachusetts, on two felony illegal sale of a controlled drug charges. He was accused of selling crash cocaine to a confidential informant in Manchester on March 30 and April 10, 2023.

Robert Jache, 43, of Central Street in Manchester on seven felony counts of certain uses of computer services prohibited. He was accused of sharing pictures and soliciting sexual contact with two girls online in November 2022 in Manchester.

Manuel Jones, 27, of Cartier Street in Manchester on a felony second-degree assault charge and two simple assault-domestic violence charges. He was accused of strangling and assaulting an intimate partner on Nov. 17, 2023, in Manchester.

Christian Lopez, 45, of Karatzas Avenue in Manchester on three felony illegal sale of a controlled drug charges. He was accused of selling crack cocaine to a confidential informant in Manchester on Aug. 1, Aug. 9, and Aug. 29, 2023.

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BRENTWOOD, NH — A Rockingham County grand jury indicted the following people recently.

Lennin Daniel Abreau, 42, of Tech Circle in Methuen, Massachusetts, on a felony theft by unauthorized taking charge. He was accused of stealing merchandise from Old Navy in Salem after being convicted twice before on theft charges.

Matthew Adamo, 46, of Saint Botolph Street in Haverhill, MA, on a felony non-support charge. He was accused of failing to pay more than $10,000 in child support between Nov. 1, 2018, and July 14, 2023, in Salem.

Tina-Marie Baginski, 46, of Overlook Drive in Berwick, Maine, on a felony driving-operating under the influence of drugs-liquor-fourth offense. She was accused of driving while intoxicated on Mountain View Road in Deerfield on Dec. 10, 2023. Baginski was previously convicted of OUI in September 2021 in York Superior Court, July 2022 in York Superior Court, and October 2022 in Penobscot Superior Court.

Justice Alexander Mathias Holmes, 27, of Woodbine Street in Quincy, MA, on theft by deception, attempted theft by deception, and two forgery charges, all felonies. He was accused of creating the impression he was cashing a legitimate check by DeStefano & Associates Inc. on a Partners Bank account in Rye on Aug. 2, 2023, and attempting to cash a $4,197.21 DeStefano & Associates Inc. check on a Partners Bank account in Kingston on Aug. 2, 2023.

Zachary James Hughes, 39, of Old Post Road in Arundel, Maine, on a felony operating while certified as a habitual offender charge. He was accused of driving on Epping Road in Exeter on Jan. 16 after being certified as a habitual offender by the NH DMV.

Brandie Lee Jones, 34, of North Street in Claremont on a felony driving while certified as a habitual offender charge. She was accused of driving on Nashua Road in Londonderry on Sept. 22, 2023, after being certified as a habitual offender by the NH DMV.

Colton Allen Julian, 33, of Ashworth Avenue in Hampton on a felony theft by unauthorized taking charge. He was accused of removing a coin collection valued at more than $1,500 from Seacoast Coin & Jewelry in Hampton on April 18, 2023.

Jason Tyler Kenyon, 42, of Manchester Street in Manchester on a felony armed career criminals charge. He was accused of possessing a Smith & Wesson .357 magnum revolver on Nov. 17, 2023, in North Hampton after previously being convicted on possession in Hillsborough County Superior Court North in August 2022, possession Hillsborough County Superior Court South in June 2022, first-degree assault in Hillsborough County Superior Court North in October 2014, assault by a prisoner in Hillsborough County Superior Court North in July 2005, and robbery in Hillsborough County Superior Court North in June 2003.

Brylan Dean Knowles, 18, of South Main Street in Seabrook on second-degree assault-strangulation-domestic violence, kidnapping-domestic violence, reckless conduct-deadly weapon-domestic violence, criminal restraint, reckless conduct-deadly weapon charges, all felonies, as well as three domestic violence, disobeying an officer, and resisting arrest or detention. He was accused of strangling, assaulting, and kidnapping an intimate partner and then fleeing from police at a high rate of speed in Seabrook on April 11, 2023.

Yamile Labrada, 42, of Tenney Street in Methuen, MA, on a felony theft by unauthorized taking charge. She was accused of stealing merchandise from Walmart in Salem on May 25, 2023, after being convicted twice before on theft charges.

Don Howard Little, 40, of Rumford Street in Concord on a felony theft by unauthorized taking charge. He was accused of merchandise from Walmart in Newington on Aug. 23, 2023, after being convicted twice before on theft charges.

Zechariah Lee Lucas, 29, of Woodbury Avenue in Portsmouth on seven assaults by prisoners charges, all felonies. He threw a cup of urine at a corrections officer on Sept. 29, 2023, in Brentwood; punched a corrections officer in the jaw on Sept. 30, 2023, in Brentwood; kicked one corrections officer and threw a cup of urine and fecal matter at two on Oct. 24, 2023, in Brentwood, punched and spit in the face of a corrections officer on Dec. 14, 2023, in Brentwood, according to the indictment.

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