Politics

January 10 New Hampshire primary now looks likely. NHPR's Josh Rogers reports.

Nevada is bowing to pressure from national party leaders by moving its caucus from January 14th to February 4th. Before the date change, NH was threatening to hold its 2012 presidential primary in December of this year. Steve Duprey, a NH delegate to the RNC, says getting Nevada officials to push back the caucus wasn’t easy.

"It was extensive discussion that allowed us to get there and Rience Priebus the national chairman was very involved – and that’s a great result."

Governor John Lynch surprised top Republican lawmakers today when he released an education funding constitutional amendment.

The amendment would give the state more discretion to target financial aid to schools than it has today.

Critics are concerned about how the governor’s proposal would affect court oversight of education funding.

Governor John Lynch and Republican leaders all want to see the state adopt a constitutional amendment.

Minnesota Congresswoman's local campaign workers resign en masse. NHPR's Josh Rogers reports.

Michele Bachmann announced her presidential run at a debate here in June. And during each of her 4 trips to NH, Bachmann's been quick to insist she is a natural fit for the state.

"NH is all about low taxes and liberty and that’s what I’m about, so we are perfect match. We are a marriage made in heaven."

A coalition of Republic leaders is calling on the presidential candidates to boycott the Nevada caucuses. The goal is to get Nevada to postpone its voting by three days.

Saying democracy will suffer without New Hampshire style retail politics,  a group of top Republicans want the candidates to put the squeeze on Nevada.  The organizer of the GOP gathering in Concord, Jennifer Horn, said they should promise to avoid the state unless it compromises.

The treatment of female prison inmates in New Hampshire is raising questions of civil rights violations. After a two year investigation, that’s the conclusion reached by the New Hampshire Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. The Commission reports that male inmates enjoy greater opportunities in everything from vocational training to mental health services.

JerriAnne Boggis didn’t have to see anything at the Women’s Prison to know about the problems in Goffstown.

Members of the Occupy New Hampshire movement demonstrated in Manchester this weekend.

More than 200 protesters gathered in Veteran’s Park Saturday afternoon to express their dissatisfaction with the state of the country and proclaim their solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Referring to themselves as the 99%, the assembled demonstrators protested the concentration of wealth in the top 1% of the population.

At one point, around 100 of the activists marched down Elm Street, picketing in front of the Bank of America and Citizens Bank buildings.

A minor bill to make technical corrections to the budget has caused a rift between Senate and House Republican leadership. The Senate President says the House’s actions yesterday will cost taxpayers several million dollars.

On Wednesday House lawmakers approved a bill that reduces the number of people of eligible for welfare assistance.

The change would save the state about a half a million dollars a month.

The Senate was on board with that move.

But then the House added a completely unrelated amendment, which puts the bill in limbo.

Texas Governor Rick Perry is promising voters they will see him a lot in the Granite State.  On Day One of a two day visit, he vowed to campaign with fervor, listening to voters and answering their questions about the big issues that face the country.  In a state famous for its retail style politics, Perry got off to uneven start.

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