No legislative sessions again this week as both House and Senate committees continue wading through the hundreds of legislative proposals that need public hearings over the next two months. This week’s agenda includes guns, weed, and school funding.
The House and Senate each take up Democratic education funding proposals this week.
Tuesday, January 20
9:00 a.m.- Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee- SH 103
No butts on the beach! Stratham Democrat Sen. Debra Altschiller brings in SB 596 to ban smoking at Hampton Beach State Park.
Loudon Republican Sen. Howard Pearl brings back an effort to require background checks for landfill owners (SB 644).
9:15 a.m.- Senate Education Committee- State Library
Senate Education considers five bills, including a ban on color additives in school meals (SB 577, Perkins Kwoka) and requiring recess for all public school students through 8th Grade (SB 578, Sullivan).
9:30 a.m.- Senate Commerce Committee- SH 100
Last week, it was pickles. This week, it’s puppies as Commerce takes up SB 444, a bill from Bradford Republican Sen. Dan Innis to ban most animal testing in New Hampshire.
10:00 a.m.- House Education Funding Committee- GP 232
School funding is back in the spotlight, as the House takes up a proposal from Chairman Rick Ladd (R-Haverhill) to modesty increase the state’s annual adequacy payments (HB 1826) and a competing bill from Rep. Dick Ames (D-Jaffrey) that would nearly double them (HB 1799).
10:00 a.m.- House Election Law Committee- GP 158
Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s promise to veto mid-cycle congressional redistricting has doomed HB 1300 from the start, but Chairman Ross Berry (R-Weare) wants to replace the bill with a non-germane amendment that would put a local property tax cap on the ballot every general election cycle. Caps would be calculated using inflation and arbitrary growth, not arbitrary figures. Voters get the ultimate say on property taxes and can choose to rescind or increase them.
The panel also takes up HB 1487, from Concord Democratic Rep. Connie Lane, to create an independent commission to redraw district lines once per decade.
In the afternoon, Hanover Democratic Rep. Russell Muirhead brings in HB 1838, which would increase vanity license plate fees to pay for public financing of political campaigns.
10:00 a.m.- House Public Works and Highways Committee- GP 228
The committee hears three bills in the morning, but the heavy lifting starts at 1:00 p.m. when it considers HB 2026, the state’s ten-year transportation improvement plan.
10:00 a.m.- House Transportation Committee- GP 234
There’s a full docket on bills on tap, including HB 1452 from Rochester Independent Rep. Aidan Ankarberg to let parents teach their teenagers to drive without going through a driver’s ed. course.
1:00 p.m.- Senate Judiciary Committee- SH 100
It’s Gun Day. The panel hears a handful of gun control bills, including Red Flag Laws (SB 555, Altschiller) and Gun Free School Zones (SB 463, Fenton).
Wednesday, January 21
9:00 a.m.- Senate Ways and Means Committee- SH 122-123
A busy morning includes SB 511, a bill from Manchester Republican Sen. Keith Murphy that would give New Hampshire residents a 50 percent discount at all state parks, as well as deeper discounts for veterans and school groups.
9:30 a.m.- House Resources, Recreation, and Development Committee- GP 228
The movement to tear down statues hits the Granite State as Gilmanton Republican Rep. David Nagel introduces HB 1664, which would tear down the Hannah Dustin Memorial in Boscawen.
10:00 a.m.- House Commerce and Consumer Affairs- GP 229
After Gov. Chris Sununu signed a voluntary family and medical leave plan into law, Democrats are pushing to make it mandatory for New Hampshire businesses (HB 1761).
The committee also takes up two Republican bills to require New Hampshire drivers to be insured (HB 1568, HB 1558). Supporters will argue that doing away with mandatory vehicle inspections should change the Granite State’s traditional reluctance for car insurance mandates.
10:00 a.m.- House Education Policy and Administration- GP 232
Morning and afternoon sessions will tackle a variety of subjects, including three more Democratic attempts to clamp down on the state’s expanding Education Freedom Account program (HB 1834, HB 1716, HB 1264).
10:00 a.m.- House Judiciary Committee- GP 230
On the agenda are constitutional amendments to eliminate the vestigial county office of the Register of Probate (CACR 13) and to enshrine same-sex marriage in the state constitution (CACR 25).
10:00 a.m.- House Ways and Means Committee- GP 154
State House Republicans love to cut taxes, but even they may balk at bills by Rep. Aiden Ankarberg to completely repeal the Business Profits Tax (HB 1546) and Business Enterprise Tax (HB 1629).
Thursday, January 22
9:00 a.m.- House Legislative Administration Committee- GP 234
The controversy over “Rebel Girl” and Stalinist Elizabeth Gurley Flynn returns as Rep. Greg Hill (R-Northfield) wants to require approval from the Legislative Fiscal Committee before state historic markers can be removed (HB 1097).
The committee also takes up a constitutional amendment from Peternorough Democratic Rep. Jonah Wheeler to remove the current $ 100-per-year limit from the Constitution, empowering future legislatures to set their own salaries.
10:00 a.m.- House Criminal Justice and Public Safety- GP 158
Gov. Kelly Ayotte touted the end of Sanctuary Cities as one of her top accomplishments of 2025, along with allowing local police departments to enter into agreements with federal immigration authorities. The fight over ICE resumes as Portsmouth Democratic Rep. Buzz Scherr wants to require local budget writers to approve any such agreement before it can be signed (HB 1570).
10:00 a.m.- Senate Education Finance Committee- SH 103
The Senate takes its turn to debate school funding. First up, SB 584, a bill from Lebanon Democratic Sen. Suzanne Prentiss to increase state special education funding by nearly $1,400 per student, which would cost more than $430 million per year.
Sen. Debra Altschiller will introduce SB 582, a bill to increase state Adequacy spending to the $7,356.01 per pupil required under the recent Con-Val decision, which would increase state spending by $470 million per year.
Sen. Victoria Sullivan (R-Manchester) brings in SB 581 to lift the annual cap on the Education Freedom Account program, currently at 10,000 students.
1:00 p.m.- Senate Judiciary Committee- SH 100
It’s Weed Day. The committee takes up four bills ranging from easing regulations on Alternative Treatment Centers to full-on marijuana legalization.
Friday, January 23
1:00 p.m.- Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee- GP
The most powerful committee in Concord holds its monthly meeting to approve changes to state spending and acceptance of federal grants.