Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
New Hampshire
Hundreds gather in Concord to talk about a diversifying New Hampshire | Manchester Ink Link
CONCORD, NH — Dwight Davis went straight to the point when he spoke at The Barn at Bull Meadow on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 30.
“The New Hampshire Center for Justice and Equity is making it possible to have a seat at the table of decision-making,” said Davis, chair of the NHCJE’s board, to the more than 150 activists, business leaders, educators, labor organizers, and politicians in attendance. “Because if you don’t have a seat at the table, you might be on the menu.”
Davis’ remarks opened the Second Annual Meeting for the NHCJE. Launched in September 2022, NHCJE seeks to elevate and empower people of color in New Hampshire by fostering connections, changing systems, and meeting community needs to make a better Granite State where all belong. In his opening remarks, NHCJE founding President and CEO Anthony Poore made sure to thank all those who contributed toward advancing the center and its goals.
“We have a lot to be thankful for,” he said. “Let’s be clear: This work is hard. We recognize that making progress on these issues will take work.”
He went on to say the work will continue to become more challenging but of crucial importance as New Hampshire’s population continues to diversify. As of the 2020 Census, 13% of the state’s population identified as people of color, the first time this proportion hit double digits in NH in Census history.
Though changing, the Granite State’s long history and narrative of a largely racially homogeneous population means that there will be challenges moving forward in the eyes of many participants.
“A lot of the culture in New Hampshire is the lack of diversity,” said Jason Green, Deputy Director of the New Hampshire Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), adding that Granite Staters must learn to live with a more diverse population.
In counting off NHCJE’s successes, Poore highlighted NHCJE’s Implicit Bias and Tactical Mindset Training for law enforcement. The program — which has already trained 200 public safety officers in multiple jurisdictions across the state — looks to mitigate the harm caused by racially biased policing. Poore said NHCJE hopes to expand the program and work with more agencies soon.
He added to the list of wins the increasing number of visitors to the NHCJE website, saying that in 2023, there were 15,000 unique visitors from 49 states and about 42,000 page views.
Bringing NHCJE’s Policy Platform to Life
The opening speakers did not allow themselves to go on for too long. They swiftly moved the event toward collaboration and advocacy.
“Who likes to be talked at for three hours?” said Jamal Downey, the event’s MC and NHCJE board member. “Let’s take a minute to look at how [activism] is supposed to work in an ideal setting.”
In that spirit, attendees were split into six groups focused on each of NHCJE’s Sectors of Effort — Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, Government, Education, Health, Economic Development, and Civic Engagement. The groups were encouraged to discuss NHCJE’s Policy Platform, exploring the strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots of each pillar.
The Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice table had a particularly lively conversation focused on the availability of demographic incarceration data, re-entry after leaving prison, and combatting stigma.
“What’s missing [from the policy platform] is recognition of an omnipresent stigma,” said Anna Adachi-Mejia, a coach, founder of Adachi Labs, LLC, and activist for prisoner reintegration. “Stigma applies to everything.”
Jason Green of the New Hampshire ACLU added that stigma directed at returning prisoners from the general public is not the only type of stigma that needs to be addressed. “Stigma is not just external,” he said. “It’s about feeling worthy and about dignity.”
The group agreed with the NHCJE Policy Platform in its call for greater detail from authorities in reporting the demographics of their incarcerated populations in the hope it may reveal the information needed to help create programs for issues like reintegration into society.
“Thinking about data is nuanced,” said Adachi-Mejia. “But it helps to understand which pathways are associated with different experiences.”
In the ensuing discussion between all groups, it became clear that all present needed to look at the big picture because all the issues NHCJE hopes to confront are connected.
“We can’t afford to not take a systems approach to our problems here,” said Woullard Lett, Education Chair of the Manchester Chapter of the NAACP.
Taking Stock
Afterward, the groups reconvened for panel discussions about policy activism and government.
The first panel focused on efforts to make permanent the Medicaid Expansion under the Affordable Care Act and combating the 2021 Divisive Concepts Law.
“We defended some things that were very good,” said Josephine ‘Jo’ Porter, panel moderator and Chief Strategy Officer at NHCJE. “And we went after some things that were very bad.”
Brian Hawkins, Director of Government Relations for the National Education Association’s NH chapter, spoke about the fight against HB544 — the Divisive Concepts Law. The law, now in effect in the Granite State was passed despite overwhelming public testimony in opposition during the 2021 legislative session.
“As much as we think of ourselves as a homogeneous state, we are diversifying,” Hawkins said. He added the law’s vagueness effectively stopped many classroom conversations about issues of identity.
“That is the point,” Hawkins said. “The point is to write something so vague that it would chill discussion in the classroom.”
Hawkins added that, at first, they thought there was no chance the bill could pass, but events quickly dispelled that notion.
“So, what can we do?” asked Lisa Vásquez, a Behavioral Health Strategist at the City of Nashua’s Division of Public Health, in response to Hawkins’s presentation. “What else could have been done to prevent that from becoming a law?”
“By taking even the things that are really out there seriously,” Hawkins responded. “You have to take it all seriously now.”
Jake Berry, the Vice President of Policy at New Futures, Inc., a public health advocacy non-profit, followed with a talk about the successful push for continuing Medicaid Expansion.
Initially passed as part of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, Medicaid Expansion means that those with incomes 138% or more below the Federal Poverty Line can access the program for low-income Americans.
Berry said that, though it faced considerable opposition in the state, the secret to their success was building a coalition of advocates for children, the elderly, veterans, the impoverished, businesses, and others.
“This is a multi-year process,” Berry said. “We have to keep our heads up and keep going forward.”
Effective Lobbying
The day’s second panel featured Jim Monahan, Managing Partner for government relations firm The Dupont Group; Abigail Rogers, Legislative Liaison for the Division of Public Health at the NH Department of Health and Human Services; and NH House of Representatives Minority Leader Rep. Matthew Wilhelm, D-Manchester.
Moderator Ben Frost, the Deputy Executive Director at New Hampshire Housing, opened the panel with a question about handling diverse viewpoints in the General Court.
“I feel like I learn every day more and more how to do that,” Wilhelm said. Wilhelm continued that one of the biggest difficulties in getting progressive change through the General Court was the constitutionally mandated pay rate for legislators of $100 a year.
Wilhelm said the pay rate means the legislature tends to skew towards older and wealthier individuals. With the size of the legislature (over 400 legislators) and frequent turn-over of many legislators “because of that, change moves a little slow”.
Frost later asked when it would be best to contact a department head directly rather than a legislator. Rogers said legislative agency leaders can help develop strategies to tackle New Hampshire’s social issues.
“We’re subject matter experts,” said Rogers, adding that contacts in the General Court were necessary too, since many decisions come down to the availability of funds.
Frost then asked Monahan — a lobbyist — for his thoughts. He recommended that those gathered take advantage of election season and invite legislative candidates to visit their respective organizations to give them an idea of what the group is about. In this way, he said, they could build relationships for change.
Building on that concept, Wilhelm emphasized the role of clarity in effective advocacy.
“We need to be clear about our values,” he said. “About where we can compromise and where the line is.”
Vásquez, from the audience, noted the session passed on some important lessons about NHCJE’s chief mission, elevating marginalized voices.
“I think it’s important to highlight [marginalized] voices because of the lack of diversity at our state house,” she said. “We need to make it clear that lifting people up doesn’t mean pushing someone else down.”
That was exactly the type of takeaway Poore hoped for.
“We recognize progress on our public policy priorities will require a sustained and consistent focus as well as collaboration and cooperation across a myriad of sectors, geographies, and interests,” he said. “NHCJE stands prepared to lead when necessary and offer support when that is the best approach.
We look forward to sharing the results of our collective efforts soon.”
What employers are getting wrong, and how to fix it before it becomes a claim
New Hampshire’s employment law landscape heading into 2026 may not be dramatically different from last year, but the real risks lie in implementation missteps. From the initial setting of wages, to calculating and distributing wages, employers will likely find a specific statute and/or labor regulation governing the transaction. Failure to follow these detailed wage and hour laws can result in significant back wages and other penalties being imposed by the state or federal Department of Labor following an audit. Fortunately, however, this area of employment law is relatively easy to master, once you are familiar with the basics.
Notice compliance
One of the most common pitfalls for employers in New Hampshire is misunderstanding the wage and hour notice requirements under RSA 275 and the related New Hampshire Department of Labor Administrative Rules.
At the time of hire, employers must notify employees in writing of their rate of pay and the day and place of payment. This notice is traditionally delivered to employees by way of an offer letter or some sort of “New Hire Rate of Pay” form. (A sample form is available from the New Hampshire Department of Labor website.) What surprises most employers, however, is that Lab. 803.03(f)(6) also requires employers to request and obtain their employees’ signatures on this written notification of wages, and employers must keep a copy of the signed written notification of wages on file. Further, employers must notify employees in writing during the course of employment of any changes to wages or day of pay prior to such changes taking effect, and the employer must obtain the employee’s signature on this subsequent notification as well. (See RSA 275:49; Lab. 803.03.)
Employers are further required to notify employees in writing, or through a posted notice maintained in a place accessible to employees, of:
• employment practices and policies with regard to vacation pay, sick leave and other fringe benefits.
• deductions made from the employee’s payroll check, for each period such deductions are made.
• information regarding the deductions allowed from wage payments under state law. (RSA 275:49; Lab. 803.03.)
Policies regarding vacation and sick leave should inform employees whether or not the employer will “cash out” unused time at year end or at the end of employment, and if so, under what terms. Again, if any changes are made to vacation pay, sick leave and other fringe benefits during the course of employment (all of which are considered “wages” under New Hampshire law), employers must request and obtain their employees’ signatures on the written notification of the change, and must keep a copy of the signed form on file. (Lab. 803.03.) Importantly, notification by way of pay stub alone is not sufficient, and, these requirements apply to both increases and decreases in pay.
Two-hour minimum (reporting pay)
Another frequently overlooked obligation is New Hampshire’s two-hour minimum reporting pay requirement. Under RSA 275:43-a, non-exempt employees who report to work but are sent home early must generally be paid for at least two hours. Weather-related closures, client cancellations or operational slowdown days can trigger this rule. Employers should also note that the New Hampshire Department of Labor currently applies this law to remote-based employees. Consequently, employees who “report to work” at an employer’s request from a home office may likewise have a right to two hours of pay, depending on the circumstances.
Salaried vs. hourly employees
Misclassification of employees as exempt from overtime remains a significant source of compliance exposure. The position’s job duties — not the titles or label such as “salaried” — determine whether an employee qualifies for an overtime exemption.
Employers, particularly in nonprofits, health care and small businesses, unintentionally misapply exempt classifications to roles such as administrative staff, office managers, executive assistants, program coordinators or hybrid jobs that involve significant non-exempt tasks. Over time, as organizational needs evolve and employees take on broader responsibilities, job duties can drift outside of an exemption’s scope.
Best practice is to periodically review job descriptions and actual job duties to ensure continued compliance with exemption criteria, particularly following any significant restructuring or job redesigns.
Peg O’Brien is chair of McLane Middleton’s Employment Law Practice Group. She can be reached at margaret.o’brien@mclane.com.
Local News
“Our family wants to know what happened, who did this and why,” said the family of the victim.
A new photo has been released of the victim in a nearly 30-year-long unsolved murder case, in the hope of finding any new potential witnesses in the cold case, New Hampshire officials said.
“Our family wants to know what happened, who did this and why,” the family of Rosalie Miller said in a press release. “We miss her and want to give her peace.”
Miller was last seen on December 8, 1996 at her apartment in Manchester. At the time of her disappearance, Miller had plans on meeting friends in the Auburn, New Hampshire area, officials said.
Her body was found on January 20, 1997 in a partially wooded spot on a residential lot along the Londonderry Turnpike in Auburn, officials said in the release.
The autopsy report declared Miller’s death a homicide by asphyxiation due to ligature strangulation, N.H. officials wrote.
As part of a new effort to garner public help with the case, an “uncirculated” photo of Miller, 36, is being distributed “in hopes it may jog the memory of someone who saw or spoke with her in the winter of 1996,” Attorney General John M. Formella and New Hampshire State Police Colonel Mark B. Hall announced on behalf of the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit in a joint press release.
Investigators are especially hoping to talk to anyone who was in contact with Miller in December of 1996 or anyone “who may have seen her in the vicinity of the Londonderry Turnpike in Auburn during that time,” officials said in the release.
“We are releasing this new photograph today because we believe someone out there has information, perhaps a detail they thought was insignificant at the time, that could be the key to solving this case and bringing justice for Rosalie and those who loved her,” Senior Assistant Attorney General R. Christopher Knowles, New Hampshire Cold Case Unit Chief said in the release.
The New Hampshire Cold Case Unit encourages anyone with any amount of information to contact the group at [email protected] or (603) 271-2663.
Arkansas2 minutes ago
Arkansas Library Board approves funding for public libraries after initially declining to do so | Arkansas Democrat Gazette
California8 minutes ago
Supreme Court blocks California law limiting schools from telling parents about trans students
Colorado14 minutes ago
Weiss keeps focus on job as Colorado AHL assistant, not historic promotion | NHL.com
Connecticut20 minutes ago
The Great Westport Sandwich Contest kicks off with event at Old Mill Grocery
Delaware26 minutes ago
Delaware eyes $25.3 million infusion to affordable child care. But to what end?
Florida1 year ago
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Connecticut2 years ago
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
Oregon2 years ago
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Virginia2 years ago
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana1 year ago
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Politics6 hours ago
Trump sends official notification to Congress on strikes against Iran
World8 hours ago
Unexpected birth brings hope to near-extinct Amazon tribe
News8 hours ago
Supreme Court blocks redrawing of New York congressional map, dealing a win for GOP
News17 hours ago
Map: Earthquake Shakes Central California
Politics19 hours ago
Gas prices could jump as Middle East tensions threaten global oil supply
-
World5 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts6 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Denver, CO5 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Louisiana1 week agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Technology1 week agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Politics1 week agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT
-
Technology1 week agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
Oregon4 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling