Weekly N.H. News Roundup

We find out how Granite Staters are reacting to the release of the Mueller report, and how it is playing out on the campaign trail with 2020 candidates. Secretary of State Bill Gardner urges lawmakers to go slow when it comes to undoing voting laws enacted by the last Legislature. And the Senate backs a bipartisan plan to expand net energy metering in New Hampshire by a veto-proof margin. 

The Democratic-led House passes its version of the state spending plan, with funding for the secure psychiatric unit restored.  A bill to repeal the death penalty in the state clears NH Senate with a veto-proof margin. N.H.'s 400 state legislators get paid $100 a year; we examine the conflicts of interest they sometimes encounter in this small state. And another Democrat jumps into the 2020 primary race.

GUESTS:

It's budget season in the legislature -- and the construction of a secure psychiatric unit, a major part of the state’s new ten-year mental health plan, is at the center of a partisan tussle. Also, the state fined real estate developer Brady Sullivan half a million dollars for breaking environmental regulations. And presidential candidates: who’s here this weekend and who’s emerging from the crowded field.

The battle to abolish the death penalty advances to the state senate. Governor Sununu sends stronger signal that he may run for the Senate next year, boosted by polls suggesting he may have a chance at defeating Senator Shaheen. And we look how several national issues may affect the state, including a federal court ruling on Medicaid work requirements, and a multi-million dollar settlement against Purdue Pharma, maker of Oxycontin.  Dean Spiliotes is guest host.

The NH Senate votes unanimously to fund full-day kindergarten entirely from state funds, rather than using money generated by Keno. Instead Keno funds would go to school building aid. Eight Democratic presidential candidates (including two potential contenders) will be in N.H. this weekend. And, in honor of Sunshine Week, we'll revisit some stories that would not have been possible without reporters seeking information using state and federal open records laws. 

A hearing on proposed red-flag legislation gained national attention after several male lawmakers wore pearl necklaces during testimony on gun violence. The move drew widespread criticism. Rep. David Welch, one of the lawmakers wearing pearls,  said they'd been handed out by members of the Women's Defense League of New Hampshire and he'd worn them in solidarity with their opposition to red-flag laws. In other news, town meeting season is in full swing, and public hearings on PFAs regulations for drinking water began this week. We discuss all of this, and other big stories in New Hampshire this week. 

With at least seven Democratic presidential candidates - and one Republican - showing up in New Hampshire recently, it's hard to tell the 2020 primary is a year away. Political observers are remarking on the number of candidate visits to the state as well as the crowds in N.H. at candidate events and are wondering how long the early energy can last. How many house parties or town halls have you attended so far?  We take the entire hour to look at the field and get a sense of emerging themes.

We focus on the state budget following Governor Chris Sununu's budget address on Thursday, Feb. 14. We provide some context for the state's priorities and examine what new efforts the governor is highlighting. We also take a look at what was not covered in the budget address. The democratically-controlled legislature will now begin a months-long process of debate and negotiation over some $13 billion worth of spending over two years. 

A bill to legalize recreational marijuana gets a hearing in Concord.  A seemingly routine request for a pay raise at the Executive Council became a tense discussion of the financial management of the state's Liquor Commission.  And Dover school officials stand by their decision to NOT fire a teacher at the center of a controversy over racist song lyrics. 

The N.H. Republican Party gets a new leader, who's now charged with building up the party's bank account. Senator Jeanne Shaheen announces she'll seek a third term.  We check out who's already on the campaign trail in the Granite State for the first in the nation presidential primary, and who will sit this one out.  And we get some insight into Sunday's Superbowl LIII from the Nashua Telegraph's Tom King, who is covering his tenth Superbowl.

Some federal workers in New Hampshire log another week of work without pay as the partial government shutdown continues. Debate continues in Concord over new pieces of legislation, including one that would create an independent commission to draw boundaries for state elections. And we'll have a chat with New Hampshire's first Kid Governor.

GUESTS:  

The State's Office of the Child Advocate releases its first annual report on the state of DCYF. Director Moira O'Neill says lots more needs to be done to keep kids safe. Julian Castro comes to New Hampshire in his bid to win over Democrats in the 2020 presidential primary. And democrats have made legal marijuana a part of its platform, so why do some leading democrats seem reluctant to back legalization bills? 

With the governor signaling support for offshore wind energy, we talk with environmental reporter Annie Ropeik. We also discuss new limits on PFAS chemicals and arsenic in drinking water.  The state rolled-out the new program of "doorways" to addiction treatment services in a series of meetings around the state. And potential 2020 presidential primary candidate, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, will be the keynote speaker for a N.H. Democratic party event in February. Lauren Chooljian, NHPR Political Reporter, State of Democracy, is guest host.

Eversource wins state approval to build the Seacoast Reliability Project, an $84 million dollar project includes routing the line beneath Little Bay.  The New Hampshire G.O.P. works to avoid a primary challenge to President Trump in 2020 - but should it?  And we remember the ice storm of 2008.

We discuss leadership changes at the New Hampshire House, after Democrats gain control of both chambers in the midterm elections. The New Hampshire ACLU is filing a federal lawsuit against the Northwood Police Department for what they say was an illegal immigration stop based on racial profiling.  Another ACLU lawsuit contends that mental health patients in New Hampshire are routinely denied their constitutional rights by being detained in emergency rooms without a hearing. And a judge has ruled that New Hampshire authorities investigating the stabbing deaths of two women can examine recordings made by an Amazon Echo speaker with the Alexa voice assistant.

The so-called "blue wave" flipped the New Hampshire legislature and Executive Council to Democrat - we look at what's ahead after Tuesday's midterm elections, and the impact of increasing diversity at the N.H. statehouse. We also look at midterm results in neighboring states plus some non-election New Hampshire news.

With less than two weeks until the midterm elections, state officials are left scrambling after a judge blocks the voter registration law known as SB3.  Candidate debates get testy as the election nears, with gubernatorial candidates Chris Sununu and Molly Kelly presenting sharply differing views of the state's economy.   And ski season starts early after snowfall in the North Country. 

With just over two weeks to go to before midterm elections, we look at how the candidates in top New Hampshire races are seeking to stand out - including who's got cash on hand, endorsements from out-of-state politicians, and performances in polls, debates, and forums.  Family Medical Leave and social security come to the fore as pivotal issues in the Granite State. And the nine health care providers receiving federal funds are identified; they will help coordinate drug abuse treatment and recovery programs in the state's recently revealed hub-and-spoke program to battle opioid abuse.

The debate season is well underway, and in the first congressional district, the two candidates are staking out their differences - but both agree, the historic nature of their race is no big deal.  More than two dozen sites at the Saint Gobain plant are under scrutiny for contamination. And the bear-human conflicts continues this fall, with Fish & Game making the decision to shoot two bear cubs in Manchester. 

NHPR's president Betsy Gardella  announces her retirement at the end of the year following an investigation into management issues; we talk with NHPR reporter Todd Bookman about how he reported on this story for the station.  U.S. Senator Jeff Flake, who has been at the center of the Brett Kavanaugh controversy, visits the Granite State.  Concord's downtown is looking spiffy lately  -- we learn about the ongoing redevelopment process. And Concord's Christa McAuliffe will be the subject of a feature film.

GUESTS:

N.H.'s congressional delegation reacts to the Kavanaugh hearing. Key New Hampshire unions make endorsements in the gubernatorial race. A U.N.H. student is the third person charged with voter fraud. And Dartmouth decides to move racially insensensitive murals to an off-campus storage facility. 

We get an update on reform efforts at the Manchester VA. A Hampton couple is charged with a felony for allegedly voting in New Hampshire and Massachusetts in 2016. N.H. Senate Democrats have outlined the agenda they will pursue if they gain a majority in the Statehouse. And a dead whale washes up on on Jenness Beach in Rye, offering a chance to learn about the mammals, but moving it proves a challenge.

We reflect on trends in the primary election. Legislators narrowly overturn Governor Chris Sununu's veto of a bill subsidizing biomass plants, while upholding a veto on a bill that would have expanded net metering in the state.  And the Fisher Cats have home-field advantage as they try to clinch the Eastern League Championship. 

We take a look at this final week of debates, forums, and politicking before next Tuesday's primary. In Massachusetts it's being called a political earthquake - do historic victories in primaries there have ramifications for New Hampshire races?  And the Red Sox add a shimmy to the lineup.

GUESTS:

The Granite State's two U.S. Senators call for a delay in the upcoming Supreme Court confirmation hearings. With state primary elections around the corner, a plethera of polls predicts who's up and who's down.   

In the first congressional district G.O.P. primary, Eddie Edwards opts out of a debate with Andy Sanborn.  A federal judge nixes New Hampshire's absentee ballot law, on the books for forty years.  The Coakley Landfill is back in the headlines, more than three decades after it became a Superfund site.  And second congressional district candidate, Robert Burns, spells out where he stands on the issues.

NHPR's Casey McDermott discusses her reporting on allegations of a veteran statehouse lawmaker accused of creating a "hostile work environment" at the statehouse. The state Democratic Party renames their Fall fundraising dinner - again- this time in honor of Eleanor Roosevelt.  And Lynne Blankenbeker, Republican candidate for the second congressional district, spells out where she stands on the issues. 

GUESTS:

State Sen. Jeff Woodburn arrested on domestic violence and assault charges, followed by calls for his resignation.

Governor Sunuu's commission on diversity is inciting some strong - and some say racially charged - reactions.

Rudy Giuliani, former New York City Mayor, visits the state to endorse Republican Eddie Edwards in his bid for N.H.'s First Congressional district. 

New Hampshire Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut condemns a statement by a departmental spokesman that has been called racist. 

Prosecutors say a former Wolfeboro dog breeder found guilty of animal abuse misled the court during her sentencing. 

And the Concord Police are the latest department to throw down in a national viral video challenge.

New Hampshire House lawmakers fail to pass a challenge to the Internet sales tax, an apparent rebuke to Governor Chris Sununu and the Senate, which had unanimously approved the original bill. In a tense meeting with EPA officials, Nashua residents demand more cleanup at a toxic site tapped for redevelopment. And state officials hold a public hearing on how best to use $23 million in federal funds to fight the opioid crisis.

GUESTS:

Dean Spiliotes - Civic scholar in the School of Arts and Sciences at SNHU and author of the website NH Political Capital.

The N.H. Supreme Court decides that the voting bill defining residency/domicile, HB1264, is constitutional. Candidates for New Hampshire's First congressional district hold their first debate, amid new allegations about State Senator Andy Sanborn. State lawmakers return to Concord to figure out how tax-free New Hampshire can fend off an internet sales tax.  And Attorney General Jeff Sessions visits N.H. to discuss the opioid crisis.