If you're running for governor or legislator, laws govern how much money your supporters can contribute to your campaign. But those laws don’t cover city and town elections.

The issue has come up recently in Manchester, where one of the candidates for mayor has raised record amounts.

NHPR Correspondent Ellen Grimm reports.

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Budget Woes Return To Center Stage

By Josh Rogers on Saturday, November 8, 2008.

Budgets dominate post-election talk in Concord. Governor and lawmakers eye cuts and revenue ideas as state faces shortfall some peg at half billion dollars.

A Close Rematch in Senate District 16

By Ellen Grimm on Friday, October 17, 2008.

One one of the tighter local races this election season is shaping up in Manchester.

Republican Senator Ted Gatsas is defending his seat against his democratic challenger Bob Backus.

Backus, a Manchester lawyer, ran against Gatsas two years ago and narrowly lost.

NHPR Correspondent Ellen Grimm has this report.

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State Senate Races Underway

By Dan Gorenstein on Friday, June 13, 2008.

Some of this political season’s closest races will likely be between candidates for state senate.

Democrats expect to expand their 14-10 majority.

Republicans believe they will pick up seats after a disastrous 2006 election cycle.

But New Hampshire Public Radio’s Dan Gorenstein reports that both parties agree two variables this year will affect who will control the chamber next session.

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State Computer Overhaul Could Face Further Delays

By Josh Rogers on Friday, February 8, 2008.

State leaders are now weighing whether to again delay the July 1st launch of a long-planned state computer upgrade. If successful, the $21 million dollar initiative known as NH first would allow policymakers to keep track of all money flowing in and out of state government through a single computer system.

That may sound simple enough, but as New Hampshire Public Radio's Josh Rogers reports, such projects involve tens of thousands of hours of work, and are often beset by troubles.

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The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

By Laura Knoy on Tuesday, February 5, 2008.

It’s a regional effort that other Northeastern states have signed onto, and it's aimed at reducing Global Warming. Governor Lynch made it a big priority in his recent State of the State speech, and now it’s being debated in the legislature. We’ll learn more about REGGI…and see how it may fly in the Granite State.

Guests

Martha Fuller Clark, Democratic State Senator from Portsmouth, Majority Whip, Chairwoman of Energy, Environment, and Economic Development and primary sponsor of the RGGI bill in the State Senate
Ted Gatsas, Republican State Senator from Manchester and Senate Minority Leader.

We'll Also Hear From

Dave Juvet, Senior Vice-President for the Business and Industry Association
Jim O'Brien, Executive Director of the Granite State Conservation Voters Alliance

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State of the State Address Wrap-Up

By Laura Knoy on Thursday, January 24, 2008.

The morning after Governor John Lynch’s State of the State Address, we’ll sit down with the leadership of the House and Senate to talk about the report and the picture it paints of the health of the Granite State. We’ll also look at what implications the speech may have in terms of policy and legislation for the new year.

Guests

Sylvia Larsen, Democrat from Concord and President of the Senate
Ted Gatsas, Republican from Manchester and Senate Minority Leader
Terie Norelli, Democrat from Portsmouth and Speaker of the House
Gene Chandler, Republican Representative from Bartlett who is currently the Senior Republican Policy Advisor in the House and former Speaker of the House

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