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New Hampshire

The top-searched issues by New Hampshire voters ahead of 2024 election – Washington Examiner

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The top-searched issues by New Hampshire voters ahead of 2024 election – Washington Examiner


New Hampshire is known for its independent streak, especially when it comes to elections. Nonetheless, the Granite State has voted blue since 1992 with one exception in 2000. In 2020, President Joe Biden won the state’s four electoral votes by 7% over former President Donald Trump.

A woman leaves a voting booth in the presidential primary election at Windham High School on Jan. 23, 2024, in Windham, New Hampshire. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

The Washington Examiner is following the key issues voters care about as they prepare to vote for the next president of the United States. The specific issues being tracked are Social Security, crime, abortion, the economy, and immigration. 

These concerns were chosen with the help of the Associated Press’s issues tracker. The Washington Examiner subsequently compared five of the key matters in Google Trends on a state-by-state basis, revealing which ones are most important to voters in swing-state contests.

Here, you can track how important these various concerns are to the voters in New Hampshire on a rolling 30-day basis. 

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Social Security 

Social Security took the top spot for New Hampshire voters. The state has a median population of 43.1 years old, and approximately 20.8% of the state is 65 or older. The state is the second oldest state, tied with Vermont. By 2030, it’s estimated that there will be more adults over 65 than children, placing a shifting population right in line with social security’s potential insolvency. 

With an aging population, the state’s total eight Social Security Administration locations might wind up being slightly outnumbered. Concerns over the administration’s longevity and accessibility seem right in place in the makeup of this state. 

Crime 

Crime followed social security in importance to New Hampshire voters even though the state ranks 49th out of 50 for violent crime rate. Violent crime occurs at a rate of 126 out of 100,000 and when compared to the national average of 381, equates to a 65% decrease. New Hampshire’s property theft rate is 50% lower than the national average, and the Granite State has the lowest rates of burglary and motor theft in the nation. 

Overall, New Hampshire is one of the safest states in the country, and it isn’t surprising that the residents might want to keep it that way.  

Abortion 

Abortion was the third most searched topic in New Hampshire, where the procedure is accessible but does not have legal protection. Their law does state that abortion after 24 weeks is illegal and a parent or guardian must be notified before care is provided. However, a minor can petition a judge for permission without parental notice. 

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Abortion is never mentioned in the state’s laws or protections. However, it is enshrined in the state’s Constitution that an individual’s right to privacy from governmental intrusion is essential. The state has never clarified whether that involves the right to abortion, but there have been no moves made to block access to the procedure. 

Economy 

Concerns over the economy aren’t too bad with the issue coming in fourth. The Bureau of Labor Statistics and Bureau of Economic Analysis found New Hampshire’s unemployment rate has consistently been below the national average for the last five years; the state’s current unemployment rate is 2.3% placing it sixth in the nation. 

The gross domestic product in the third quarter of 2023 was $112.5 billion in goods and services and its growth was 4.5%. New Hampshire accounted for 0.7% of the nation’s economy, ranking 40th in economy size. 

New Hampshire’s mining, oil, and gas extraction saw a 13.4% increase with a GDP of $129 million, and the construction industry had a 19% increase, bumping it up to $3.3 billion. The highest GDP of any industry was in real estate with $15.73 billion. New Hampshire’s educational services also saw a 10% increase in growth, resulting in a GDP of $2.67 billion. 

Immigration

Immigration came in last for the Granite State’s concerns. The immigrant population isn’t large in New Hampshire with the American Immigration Council reporting that 5.9% of its population being foreign born and 2.2% of its residents having at least one immigrant parent. Immigrants in New Hampshire are most likely to have India or China as their country of origin. 

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CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

About 7% of New Hampshire’s workforce is immigrants- 11.3% of the manufacturing workforce is immigrants, and 13.4% of STEM workers are immigrants. More immigrants than U.S.-born residents have graduate degrees, and 3,767 international students contribute $161.3 million to the state’s economy. 

Immigrants in New Hampshire had a total spending power of $3.3 billion and paid $1.1 billion in taxes in 2022. Of the immigrants in the state, 61.1% are naturalized, 12,700 are eligible for naturalization, and 11.6% of immigrants are undocumented. 



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New Hampshire

N.H. lawmakers to vote on increasing tolls, civil rights, and k-12 education – The Boston Globe

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N.H. lawmakers to vote on increasing tolls, civil rights, and k-12 education – The Boston Globe


One proposal (Senate Bill 627) would generate more than $53 million per year in estimated revenue for turnpike projects by essentially doubling what certain cars pay on the state’s toll roads.

The cash fare for Hampton’s main toll booth on Interstate 95, for example, would jump from $2 to $4 for cars and pickup trucks. The toll wouldn’t increase at all for motorists who use New Hampshire’s E-ZPass transponders.

“Surrounding states already have the same in-state discount structure in place,” Democratic Representative Martin Jack of Nashua wrote on behalf of a House committee that unanimously recommended the bill.

A potential hitch: Governor Kelly Ayotte. She’s expressed opposition to the whole toll-hiking idea, and proven she’s not afraid to use her veto pen.

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Modifying civil rights standard

Another proposal (Senate Bill 464) would add a few words to the state’s Civil Rights Act. Instead of addressing conduct that is merely “motivated by” a legally protected characteristic, the proposed revision would address conduct that is “substantially motivated by hostility towards the victim’s” protected characteristic (such as their race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, or disability).

The prime sponsor, Republican Senator Daryl Abbas, an attorney, testified the change was small and aligned with the law’s intent. But the attorney who oversees the Civil Rights Unit at the New Hampshire Department of Justice, Sean Locke, testified in opposition, saying the proposal could reduce protections, especially since the meaning of “substantially” is somewhat vague.

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The House is also weighing a proposed amendment that would add a few more words than Abbas’s version, potentially narrowing the Civil Rights Act’s applicability a bit further.

Open enrollment for K-12 schools

A third proposal up for a vote on Thursday (Senate Bill 101) would make every K-12 public school in New Hampshire an “open enrollment” school. That way, students could freely choose to transfer to a district other than the one where they live.

The proposed policy is controversial, partly because of how schools are funded. Districts rely mostly on local property taxes to cover their costs, as the state government chips in relatively little, and property tax rates vary widely from one community to the next. That generates concern about who will foot the bill when a student transfers.

In light of those concerns, Republicans are offering a compromise amendment to SB 101 that would require the state to provide more money per pupil that a district receives via open enrollment, as the New Hampshire Bulletin reported. Democrats are offering their own amendment to establish a study commission on this topic, rather than adopt the proposed policy now.

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Lawmakers have until May 14 to take action on the bills that came from the other chamber, though they have until June 4 to iron out any discrepancies.

Amanda Gokee of the Globe staff contributed to this report.


This story appears in Globe NH | Morning Report, a free email newsletter focused on New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles elsewhere. Sign up here.


Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.





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New Hampshire

Boston MedFlight expands into NH

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Boston MedFlight expands into NH


Boston MedFlight often touches down at the scene of some of the worst tragedies in New England – where minutes can mean life or death for a victim. The critical care transport operation is now expanding with a new base in New Hampshire.

The organization is hosting an open house at the new Manchester location on Thursday.

Boston MedFlight flies a critical care transport paramedic and nurse on every flight. Jaik Hanley-McCarthy says their helicopters and ground vehicles are equipped to handle just about any emergency medical procedure.

“Anything that can be done in the ICU,” explained Hanley-McCarthy. “We have a mobile lab so we can draw blood and run labs in real time.”

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Boston MedFlight now has five bases across the region.

“Having a base in Manchester just expands this Boston-level care even further north to the more remote areas of the state,” said Hanley-McCarthy.

Boston MedFlight operates as a network of bases and some of the locations are staffed 24 hours.

Chief Executive Officer Maura Hughes says the nonprofit operation survives on public and private donations.

“We provide about $7 million in free care every year to patients,” said Hughes. “Not every hospital can be everything to every patient. We’re really the glue that keeps the health care system together.”

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Heather Young says her daughter, Teighan, is still alive because she was flown for a critical assessment and procedure after falling off a truck and hitting her head.

“She should not be driving and walking and talking and all the things she’s doing as quickly as she is,” said Young.

Teighan just turned 18 and plans to go to college to study the medical field.

“I want to be a nurse and help other people,” she said.

It’s stories like this that keep the men and women who work Boston MedFlight focused on their mission.

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“I think we just go call by call and try to do the best we can,” said Hanley-McCarthy. “I think when we stop and truly think about it, I think that weight is pretty heavy.”

Boston MedFlight also has a yearly reunion where patients and the team get together here in Bedford to meet and check in on their progress. It really shows you how connected they are to the people they help.



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Hiker who set out in warm spring weather found dead after snowstorm in New Hampshire mountains

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Hiker who set out in warm spring weather found dead after snowstorm in New Hampshire mountains


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A Massachusetts hiker who set out in warm spring weather was found dead deep in New Hampshire’s White Mountains after a snowstorm dumped several inches of snow in the area, authorities said.

Kent Wood, 61, of West Roxbury, was discovered Tuesday evening on a remote section of the Kinsman Pond Trail in Franconia Notch, about 5.5 miles from his vehicle, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game.

Wood had driven to Franconia Notch on April 17 for a weekend camping and hiking trip, and set out on a hike the next morning in warm, clear weather, officials said. Family and friends last heard from him Saturday afternoon.

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When he failed to return or make contact for two days, officials said relatives reported him missing Tuesday morning, prompting a large-scale search.

HIKER IDENTIFIED, POPULAR TRAIL CLOSED AFTER DEADLY FALL A UTAH’S ZION NATIONAL PARK

An aerial view of Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire, where a hiker was found dead on Tuesday. (Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group, File)

Rescuers quickly learned Wood had packed for mild conditions, not the three to five inches of snow that fell in the area between Sunday and Monday.

Fog hovers over a narrow road through Franconia Notch in the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire on Dec. 27, 2021. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis)

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Search teams from Fish and Game, PEMI Valley Search and Rescue, and the Army National Guard launched a coordinated effort, focusing on the Lonesome Lake and Kinsman Pond areas.

FAMILY’S SPRING BREAK HIKE TURNS INTO LIFE-OR-DEATH RESCUE AFTER PARENT FALLS 70 FEET OFF UTAH CLIFF

Conservation officers located Wood’s body around 7:41 p.m. Tuesday. Crews carried him out overnight, reaching the trailhead shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday.

Franconia Notch and the Appalachian Trail are seen in New Hampshire on Sept. 21. (Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

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Since Friday, six hikers from Massachusetts have been rescued in the White Mountains, Fish and Game said.

Officials are reminding hikers that winter conditions still grip the mountains, with snow, freezing temperatures and rapidly changing weather.



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