New Hampshire
New State Budget Barely Squeaks Through
By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD – By one vote, the state has a new but leaner budget for the next two years, which passed Thursday following the Republican governor’s threatened veto and last-minute negotiations over Group II retirement benefits and restoring funding for Manchester schools.
The Senate unanimously agreed to those changes Gov. Kelly Ayotte wanted in a separate bill while the House approved it on 322-14 vote.
But the budget was another story.
It passed on the Senate side down partisan lines 16-8 and in the House on a 185-180 vote after it failed on the first try, 182-183. The second budget bill, House Bill 2, which contains the needed changes in law, fees and other provisions, barely made it through the House as House Speaker Sherman Packard had to cast the deciding vote, 184-183, while the Senate passed it on a 16-8 vote down party lines.
The $15.7 billion package, down from the $15.9 billion, “invests no new money in housing, the overwhelming, number one issue in our state,” said Sen. Cindy Rosenwald, D-Nashua. “It makes a deep, 18 percent cut to the University System driving up tuition and pushing away young talent from our state. Families will continue to struggle with high rents and hefty property tax bills while businesses will face difficulties recruiting and retaining a strong workforce,” she said.
Rosenwald added the budget does nothing for the rising cost of housing, health care, child care, higher education and energy. It cuts 18 filled positions from the Department of Corrections, she noted and issues a “tax” to the poorest families for their health care and calls for a $51 million back of the budget cut for Health and Human Services which will disrupt health care.
But Senate Republicans said the package maintains important Medicaid provider rates rather than the House’s proposal to cut them by 3 percent, returned funding for the developmentally disabled wait list and maintains local mental health services and spent more money on education than ever before.
Sen. James Gray, R-Rochester, who chaired the Senate Finance Committee, noted the budget came down to revenue estimates and the differences between the Governor’s proposed budget and that of the House were massive at $700 million.
“We were able to bring that to somewhere near a middle point,” he noted about rising revenue projections as the year went along.
He said that if the governor’s revenue numbers are right and there is more money now than envisioned, the budget allows departments to go to the well for more money by going to the Fiscal Committee to erase some of the back of the budget cuts.
“This budget does support the citizens of New Hampshire. It does support our most vulnerable and I ask you to support it,” he said.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte was pleased. “Today, we delivered on our promise by protecting our most vulnerable, creating an even brighter future for our children, and standing up for those who have made our state the safest in the nation. I look forward to signing this budget into law when it reaches my desk, and I thank the Legislature for passing it today.”
In the House, the budget was opposed by both a couple dozen Republicans and Democrats for different reasons, as one Republican said it goes down a path to tyranny and continues to fund higher education, essentially funding revolution.
Rep. Mike Belcher, R-Wakefield, lamented the rise of special interests “competing for the spoils by robbing the minority.”
“This funds a democratic form of government, not a republican one,” he said.
Democrats lamented the back-of-the-budget cuts and said it was the lazy way out, and noted the ramifications will fall mostly on the state’s most vulnerable citizens who depend on the state to survive, the elderly, the disabled, those in nursing homes, children and college students who will pay higher tuition.
Rep. Jerry Stringham, D-Lincoln, said the budget handcuffs the operations of government leading to severe, long-term problems including major reductions in critical government services in Health and Human Services, Environmental Services, the justice department and public safety.
He said cuts to higher education will greatly impact small businesses in the state and noted the impact will be felt for years to come as they have to pick up the pieces.
He likened the budget to the Titanic heading for the iceberg. This budget is a bad budget that is heading toward the iceberg, Stringham said. “It is time to turn this ship before it gets into the iceberg and make a better budget that both parties could be proud of.”
Between 20 and 30 Republicans in the House opposed the two budget bills creating the razor thin margins.
GOVERNOR GETS GROUP II, MANCHESTER SCHOOL FUNDING RESTORED
Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte threatened a veto last-minute after a committee of conference on the budget left on the cutting room floor money for first responders in the Group II retirement fund and cuts to the City of Manchester schools she found to be unacceptable.
Ayotte had those restored when the Senate, using tabled House Bill 282 to increase the maximum benefits for first responders critically injured in the line of duty, returned Ayotte’s wishes for $27 million a year for the Group II with changes which would allow them to retire and would set retirement benefits averaging the highest five years of wages rather than three and capping it at $145,000 a year of wages rather than $125,000.
The proposal also did away with spiking of retirement benefits by prohibiting dumping significant amounts of unused earned time into the employee’s final year which in the past resulted in some retirees earning more in retirement than they did when they were working.
The proposed changes unanimously passed in the Senate and in the House on a vote of 322-41.
Brian Ryll, president of the Professional Firefighters of New Hampshire said “we are thrilled. We are incredibly grateful to Governor Ayotte for the support she has given us with this process,” saying for the membership that it “restores trust in the system and in the state.”
He said it will also help with retention and recruitment.
Sen. Tim Lang, R-Sanbornton, said it is not a massive recruitment tool nor a massive retention vehicle but the important thing is “we kept our promise to our first responders.”
There was bipartisan support in the Senate.
Sen. Sue Prentiss, D-Lebanon explained that a little over 13 years ago, the state made changes to the retirement system and a specific group, about 1,500 serving in law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical services, prison and parole officers across the state were impacted and lost benefits they expected to get when they signed up.
She said these people provide the most fundamental care for citizens 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
“We value them,” she said. “and this allows them to go back to the original deal.”
The bill will also increase the cap for first responders critically injured, from $750,000 to $1 million, said Sen. Regina Birdsell, R-Hampstead.
Sen. Patrick Long, D-Manchester, said the budget agreement also addresses the back-of-the-budget loss for the Manchester School District which would have lost $10 million in state education aid.
The budget now heads to the governor who is expected to sign it after reaching agreement with lawmakers Wednesday to restore full funding for Group II retirement members and Manchester’s state education aid.
Both Ayotte and the Legislature dodged a bullet Thursday by the slimmest of margins, but both sides breathed a sigh of relief for not having to spend the summer negotiating a budget.
Instead they have a budget ready to go July 1 when the new fiscal year and biennium begins.
InDepthNH reporter Garry Rayno contributed to this report.
Are you ready for your mornings reimagined?
Hi! I’m Garret Doll (like Ken, but less hair and not as handsome), and I’m teaming up with Katie Killourhy for 97.5 WOKQ’s new morning show, Garret & Katie in the Morning!
You ready to join us?
So, Who Is Garret Doll?
I’ve learned something about myself… I don’t like clutter. Unless it’s my clutter. Then it’s not clutter, it’s a system.
That’s probably a pretty accurate starting point for who I am. A little self-aware, a little stubborn, and definitely someone who knows what he likes. I like tacos, steak tips and lobster rolls. (Fun fact: I’ve never had a lobster roll until moving here.)
How It All Started
This whole radio thing started for me when I was 15. My mom helped me land a job at a radio station in my hometown (cause she worked there), and I fell in love with radio. I’ve never left this career.
I’ve spent my entire adult life doing this job, and I still feel like I lucked into the best job in the world. No two days are the same. One minute you’re talking about life, the next you’re playing your favorite songs, then suddenly you’re out in the community meeting people who feel like friends you’ve known forever.
Most of my career took me to places like Denver, Charleston, and Richmond. Now, somehow, it’s brought me here to New Hampshire.
Honestly, I look at it like a “this is exactly where I’m supposed to be” moment. It’s a new start on life, so to speak. You will learn more about that as we get to know each other and you listen to the show on 97.5 WOKQ.
Why WOKQ Matters to Me
WOKQ is one of those stations you hear about in radio. It’s got history. It’s got heart. And it’s built around a community that actually cares about local connection and country music throughout New England.
That matters to me.
I don’t want to just “be on the radio.” I want to be part of what’s happening here. The towns, the events, the random conversations at a bar, the places you tell your friends they have to check out.
That’s the fun part of all of this.
What I’m All About
I’m a pretty simple dude:
I’m the guy who would give you the shirt off my back
Glass half full (even when it probably shouldn’t be)
Always smiling
Authentic… sometimes too authentic
And yeah, there are definitely moments where I say something before thinking it all the way through.
So if you ever hear me and think, “Did he really just say that?” There’s a decent chance the answer is yes.
Some Quick Hits About Me
Coffee order: Americano
Drink Order: Old Fashioned or just a good local beer
Favorite food: Tacos (not even close)
Guilty pleasure show: The Big Bang Theory
Pet peeve: Close talkers… and people who are late
Random fact: I once got a tattoo of Dopey from the Seven Dwarfs because a girl I was dating wanted one. We got them together. (Don’t worry, it’s been covered up by a microphone and a rose… and I haven’t heard from her in about 20 years)
Let’s Do This Together
I’m new to town, which means I could really use your help.
Where’s your go-to spot when you just want to get outside? Best place to hike? Kayak? Local bar? Just disappear for a few hours?
READ MORE: Hidden Gems in New Hampshire: 5 Secret Places Worth Discovering
Drop me your favorites, because if there’s one thing I know, it’s that the best recommendations don’t come from Google… they come from you! The ones who actually live it.
And I’m ready to start exploring and getting to know you. So make sure to tune in to Garret & Katie in the Morning! See you there.
BankNH Pavilion: Summer Show Lineup, 2026
Gallery Credit: Sarah Sullivan
HUDSON, N.H. — An animal cruelty investigation led to the arrest of two former tenants who police say left three cats behind in the apartment they were evicted from.
The Hudson Police Department said officers responded to 19 Oliver Drive on Nov. 25 after the town’s animal control officer received a report that multiple cats had been left behind in an apartment previously occupied by Faith Byers, 48, and Kevin Greene, 57.
The pair had reportedly been evicted a week earlier, on Nov. 18.
Police said that attempts to reach Byers and Greene by phone were unsuccessful, and the property owner later confirmed that the two had moved out without taking the cats or arranging for their care.
With the owner’s permission, police entered the apartment and found three cats alone inside the unoccupied residence.
Police said they determined the cats had been left unattended for several days in conditions lacking adequate airflow, sunlight, litter and consistent access to food or water. Police added that no care plan had been made for the animals, and neither former tenant indicated any intention to return for them.
The animals were safely removed and transported to the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire in Bedford, where they are now receiving care.
Arrest warrants were issued for Byers and Greene, who are each charged with one count of cruelty to animals, a Class A misdemeanor. They were arrested on Friday and released on personal recognizance bail.
They are scheduled to appear in 9th Circuit Court Nashua District Division at 1 p.m. April 28.
Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.
Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will meet in Islamabad today in an attempt to come up with a plan to de-escalate the Iran war.
The meeting comes as several thousand more U.S. troops arrived in the region and after another group got involved in the expanding conflict: Yemen’s Houthis.
The Iran-backed Houthis launched missiles towards Israel, and there’s concern their involvement could threaten another vital global shipping lane in the Red Sea.
Here are more updates on day 30 of the Iran war.
Diplomacy Push in Pakistan
The four foreign ministers from regional powers will meet in Islamabad today and Monday for a push towards diplomacy to end the war.
In a statement ahead of the meeting, the Egyptian government said: “Discussions are expected to focus on recent developments related to regional military escalation and ongoing diplomatic efforts to contain tensions and promote de-escalation.”
“The talks come amid heightened concerns about regional stability, with participating countries seeking to coordinate their stances and support political solutions to emerging crises,” it added.
Whether whatever consensus the countries known as “the quad” come up with will be accepted by the US, Israel, and Iran is another question.
Pakistan has emerged as a possible peace-broker in the conflict, passing messages between the U.S. and Tehran. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Saturday that “dialogue, diplomacy, and such confidence-building measures are the only way forward.”
Dar also welcomed the fact Iran has agreed to allow 20 Pakistan-flagged ships – or two a day – through the Strait of Hormuz.
Houthis enter war
Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen launched the first missile they have fired since the war began toward Israel on Saturday. Israel’s military successfully intercepted it but the Houthis’ attack opens another front in a war that has now moved into its second month.
Up until Saturday’s missile launch the Houthis had stayed out of this war. But a Houthi spokesman said attacks will continue until “the aggression on all resistance fronts stops.”
Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs / AP
/
AP
The Yemen-based rebels were active during Israel’s war in Gaza, firing on cargo ships in the Red Sea and disrupting global commercial traffic.
With Iran essentially blockading the Strait of Hormuz, driving up global oil prices, there are concerns that if the Houthis start attacking ships in the Red Sea again global shipping will be even more disrupted.
Iran also hit multiple sites around Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Saturday and Israel’s military says Iran is increasingly using cluster bombs.
Designed to detonate at high altitude the munition disperses dozens of smaller bombs that are more challenging for Israel’s multi-layered air defense system to intercept and can cause damage over a wider area.
Dozens of countries have signed onto a cluster munitions treaty banning the weapons – except Iran, Israel and the U.S.
Iran threatens U.S. universities in region
Iranian authorities and residents say more airstrikes hit them overnight. Social media videos from across Iran showed strikes hitting all over the country.
Israel’s military said it had completed what it called a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting weapons production and storage sites.
Iran claims U.S.-Israeli strikes hit a Tehran university over the weekend and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened American university campuses in the Middle East in retaliation.
“We advise all employees, professors, and students of American universities in the region and residents of their surrounding areas” to stay a kilometer away from campuses, the statement, carried by Iranian media, said.
Several US universities have campuses in the Gulf, including New York University in the United Arab Emirates and Texas A&M University, among others, in Qatar.
Meanwhile, Iran continues to fire drones and missiles at Gulf countries, with Kuwait saying it was intercepting missile and drone attacks early Sunday. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed ten drones.
Iran also claimed it had attacked two major aluminium sites in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Emirates Global Aluminium confirmed an Iranian attack wounded several and caused significant damage to its plant.
U.S. Troops injured, more arrive
At least 15 U.S. service members were wounded Friday in an Iranian strike on a Saudi air base that hosts American troops, according to the Associated Press, including at least five in serious condition. The missile and drone strikes targeted Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan air base, located outside the capital Riyadh.
Iran has targeted U.S. service members at bases throughout the region since the war began a month ago, in retaliation for the U.S. attacks and seeking to drive troops out of the region. Overall, the Pentagon has put the U.S. casualty toll at 13 killed and more than 300 injured.
On Saturday, troops from the Japan-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, made up of around 3,500 sailors and Marines, arrived in the Middle East, according to U.S. Central Command.
The U.S. military will not say where and how they might be deployed. Thousands more soldiers from the U.S. military’s 82nd Airborne Division are also expected to be deployed.
Journalists killed in Lebanon
Three Lebanese journalists covering the Israeli invasion of the country’s south were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Jezzine.
One of them worked for a TV channel affiliated with Hezbollah and Israel accuses him of being a militant rather than a journalist – but has not provided evidence. The journalist Israel says it targeted was Ali Shaeb, a veteran TV correspondent and household name in Lebanon. After killing him, Israel’s military issued a statement accusing him of exposing the locations of Israeli troops.
The other two journalists killed were siblings, TV correspondent Fatima Ftouni and her cameraman brother, Mohammed Ftouni. Afterward their father appeared on TV, saying he was proud of his children.
All three had been covering Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon.
Lebanese officials called the attack a flagrant violation of international law, and said they’re complaining to the UN Security Council. Hundreds of fellow journalists marched at a protest vigil in Lebanon’s capital.
The three journalists were among at least 47 people killed Saturday in Israeli attacks, according to Lebanese health officials.
Nine of those killed were paramedics, which the head of the World Health Organization called “a tragedy,” noting health workers are protected under international law.
Israel has intensified its attacks across Lebanon, mostly in the South, where Israeli ground troops are moving northward to try to oust Hezbollah militants.
Another Israeli soldier was also killed in Lebanon, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing his condolences on X over the weekend.
Developments in Syria, Iraq
The war is spreading to more parts of the Middle East. On Sunday, Syria said it had intercepted a drone strike from Iraq targeting a U.S. military base. Pro-Iran Iraqi groups have claimed responsibility for some attacks on US interests.
Separately, the Syrian and UAE governments condemned an attack targeting the residence of the Kurdish region’s president Nechirvan Barzani.
French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the attack saying: “The sovereignty of Iraq, and of Kurdistan within it, is essential to regional stability. Everything must be done to prevent Iraq from being drawn into the ongoing escalation.”
On Sunday, the Israeli army said it had launched its “first” attack into Lebanon from Syria.
Jane Arraf in Amman, Emily Feng in Van, Turkey, Lauren Frayer in Jezzine, Lebanon, Carrie Khan in Tel Aviv, and Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg contributed to this report.
Copyright 2026 NPR
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