New Hampshire
New Hampshire House voting on whether parents who ask must be told about transgender talk at school
CONCORD, N.H. — The national debate surrounding transgender students and parental rights returns to the New Hampshire Statehouse on Thursday.
The House is set to vote on a bill to create a “Parents’ Bill of Rights” similar to those already enacted by Republican-led legislatures in multiple states. It passed the GOP-dominated Senate in March along party lines but faces an uncertain future in the 400-member House, where Republicans have a razor-thin majority.
Much of the debate has focused on whether to require school officials — when asked by parents — to disclose that their child is using a different name or being referred to as being a different gender.
“Parents who ask such questions likely already suspect that their children are having problematic issues in this area, so this bill is not an effort to ‘out’ such students,” Republican Rep. Arlene Quartatiello wrote in remarks printed in the House calendar ahead of the vote. “It is, rather, an effort to empower a partnership between parents and teachers to most effectively help vulnerable children navigate complicated situations that may involve life-altering decisions.”
Opponents argue that while it may appear benign in detailing many rights already covered by existing state and federal law, the bill exposes students to the risk of abuse at home — a bad idea for young people who are already prone to stress, depression and suicidal thoughts.
“This rush to inform will deny adolescents the time needed for thoughtfulness and care that is sometimes needed for a teen and their family to approach this sensitive issue,” Rep. Mel Myler, a Democrat from Hopkinton, wrote in the calendar.
Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed a similar bill last year that would have required schools to automatically notify parents about students’ sexuality or gender identity. Even with the parental request requirement, opponents say the underlying intent remains: singling out transgender students. Sununu said Wednesday he generally supports the new bill but is waiting to see if any amendments are made.
FILE- Supporters of a bill to create a “parents’ bill of rights” attend a rally outside the New Hampshire Statehouse in this April 18, 2023, file photo, in Concord, N.H. The New Hampshire House is set to vote, Thursday, May 18, on a bill creating a “Parents’ Bill of Rights” that would require school officials, when asked by parents, to disclose that a child is using a different name or being referred to as being a different gender. Credit: AP/Holly Ramer
Supporters attending an outdoor rally before a public hearing last month held signs reading “PRO PARENT ANTI SECRETS” and “Children Belong to Parents, Not Schools.” Opponents — including parents of transgender children — carried signs reading “Trans Rights Are Human Rights” and “Trans Kids Belong Here.”
Many states with Republican-controlled legislatures have enacted similar measures, fueled by parental frustration with schools that boiled over during the coronavirus pandemic. In the U.S. House, a parents’ rights bill was the first legislation that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy formally announced — fulfilling a major part of the GOP campaign platform.
New Hampshire
Sens. Sharon Carson & Regina Birdsell: We’ll keep New Hampshire on the path to prosperity
New Hampshire State Police responded to a crash Friday evening on Interstate 95 northbound in Portsmouth.
The crash happened near Exit 5 and closed the highway in the northbound direction, but police said around 7:45 p.m. that one lane had reopened.
Authorities did not have any word on injuries.
Drivers are being asked to avoid the area if possible. Delays and detours are expected.
No further details were immediately available.
CONTACT:
Heidi Holman, NH Fish and Game: 603-271-2461
Haley Andreozzi, UNH Cooperative Extension: (603) 862-5327
January 10, 2025
Concord, NH — Butterflies serve as important biodiversity indicators for ecosystem health and provide food for many speciess, such as migrating birds. There are more than 100 typess of butterflies in New Hampshire, but data on their presence and distribution is limited. With butterflies using forests, fields, wetlands, and backyards all over the state, volunteer observations are critical to providing a landscape view of these species.
A five-part online training series hosted by the NH Butterfly Monitoring Network will provide information on butterflies in New Hampshire, butterfly biology and identification, and how to get involved with the Network. The NH Butterfly Monitoring Network is a collaborative effort with a goal of engaging volunteers in counting and identifying butterflies across New Hampshire. Data collected by volunteers can contribute to the understanding of long-term trends in butterfly populations and inform conservation actions for both common and declining species.
Webinars in the series will include:
February 12, 6:30–7:30 p.m.: Intro to New Hampshire Butterflies
Mark Ellingwood, Wildlife Biologist and Volunteer with the Harris Center for Conservation Education
February 26, 6:30–7:30 p.m.: Wetland Butterflies of New Hampshire
Rick Van de Poll, Ecologist and Certified Wetland Scientist
March 12, 6:30–7:30 p.m.: Butterflying New Hampshire’s Woodlands
Levi Burford, Coordinator of the Errol Butterfly Count
March 26, 6:30–7:30 p.m.: Identifying New Hampshire’s Grassland Butterflies
Amy Highstrom, Coordinator of the Lake Sunapee Butterfly Count, and Vanessa Johnson, NH Audubon
April 9, 6:30–7:30 p.m.: Become a Volunteer Guide with NH Butterfly Monitoring Network
Haley Andreozzi, UNH Extension
All butterfly enthusiasts are welcome, with or without prior experience. For more information and to register for the session(s) you are interested in, visit nhbutterflies.org.
The NH Butterfly Monitoring Network is led by the NH Fish and Game Department and UNH Cooperative Extension with collaboration from partners statewide, including NH Audubon, Tin Mountain Conservation Center, the Harris Center for Conservation Education, and Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust.
Sens. Sharon Carson & Regina Birdsell: We’ll keep New Hampshire on the path to prosperity
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