Weekly NH News Roundup

The Executive Council shoots down the nomination of Attorney General Gordon McDonald to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Two-thirds of Medicaid recipients in New Hampshire failed to comply with the new work requirement, prompting a delay of the penalties; the Concord School Board examines how it handles allegations of sexual abuse. 

GUESTS:

• Ethan DeWitt - Concord Monitor statehouse reporter.
• Sarah Gibson - NHPR Reporter.
• Jason Moon - NHPR Reporter.
• James Pindell – Political reporter for The Boston Globe.
• Dean Spiliotes - Civic scholar in the School of Arts and Sciences at SNHU.

A 10-9 vote from the House Education Committee on a school choice bill means it moves ahead. But a one-vote margin approving Keno in Rochester  leads to a recount. And a county prosecutor defends her decision not to bring criminal charges against two deans at Phillips Exeter Academy for their handling of an alleged sexual assault. 

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The state Attorney General's office launches a criminal investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving three Dartmouth College professors.  A report regarding sexual abuse by faculty and staff at St. Paul’s School contains new allegations against five individuals.  And residents struggle to recover from the fourth-largest power outage in state history.

N.H. officials are among those at the White House for President Trump's announcement that he will declare the opioid crisis a public health emergency.  New data show that New Hampshire's public colleges have the highest cost for in-state students anywhere in the country.  A task force looking at the future of the Manchester VA loses a controversial co-chair.  And Bernie Sanders rallies Granite State Democrats.

Gov. Sununu nominates House Speaker Shawn Jasper to be the next Commissioner of Agriculture. Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter announces she won't run for re-election, and speculation begins on who might run for the first congressional district seat. State health official say residents on public water in Merrimack and Bedford have been exposed to toxic chemicals. And the state and EPA differ on the risks posed by a superfund site in North Hampton. 

It's not primary season, but voting issues are top of mind in New Hampshire lately with the Presidential Commission on Election Integrity meeting in Manchester this week.  The voting law known as SB3 faces  its first test in a special election in Belknap County.  And Claremont grapples with race-based tension after a report of an alleged lynching attack on an eight-year-old biracial boy.  

President Trump’s decision to end the DACA immigration policy could affect as many as one thousand people in New Hampshire.  ICE orders deportation for Indonesian immigrants in New Hampshire.  Manchester became the first community to sue opioid manufacturers and distributors - seeking to recoup money spent battling opioid addiction.  And Portsmouth says no to Keno, as Rochester puts it on the ballot. 

Continued fallout and reactions to events in Charlottesville, VA, dominate the headlines this week. New Hampshire politicians respond to the President’s ambiguous statements on white supremacy. And yes, there are white supremacists here in New Hampshire. 

In other news, the federal government says New Hampshire's Medicaid funding mechanism might be illegal. Manchester is considering filing its own lawsuit against an opioid company for its alleged role in the state opioid crisis.

New Hampshire's Congressional delegation reacts to President Trump’s announcement via Twitter that transgender people would no longer be able to serve in the U.S. military.  Dozens of veterans show up at a town hall event to hear how VA officials are addressing allegations of unsanitary conditions and insufficient care at the Manchester VA Medical Center.  And Manchester officials post signs designed to discourage people from giving money to panhandlers.

Governor Sununu and other New Hampshire lawmakers announced their opposition to the proposed healthcare bill from the U.S. Senate.  "Keno-garten" comes to the Granite State, but critics worry the new funding from the electronic gambling game Keno won't be enough for widespread full-day kindergarten programs. And Mayor Ted Gatsas of Manchester announces his re-election campaign, amongst some controversy. 

Catch up on this week's stop N.H. stories:  The New Hampshire House and Senate pass an $11.7 billion budget. Despite a Republican majority, GOP leaders had to work hard to pass this spending plan, but it's now on its way to the Governor's desk.  Another fraught issue for both sides of the aisle: a bill funding full-day kindergarten.  And more than 80 Great Dane dogs were rescued from a puppy mill operating out of a mansion in Wolfeboro.

N.H. House and Senate negotiators reach a deal on the $11.7 billion budget this week but the spending plan is facing pushback from both sides of the aisle ahead of next week's full vote. At a hearing on the Northern Pass project, opponents show up in force. And bears continue to make news in the Granite State. 

Senate Republicans are confident their state budget plan will clear the full Senate. A  full-day kindergarten proposal is tied to the lottery game KENO.  St. Paul’s School releases a report detailing allegations of sexual assault by faculty and staff decades ago. And Fish & Game Officials are flooded with calls to save trouble-making bears in Hanover.

President Trump names N.H. Secretary of State Bill Gardner to a Presidential Commission on Election Integrity. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price visits New Hampshire to hear about the state’s response to the opioid crisis.  And legislative hearings into online postings by two state reps become contentious.  

The NH House investigates Rep. Robert Fisher for alleged offensive and mysognistic "Red Pill" forum postings, and decides to include tweets by Rep. Sherry Frost in the inquiry. Full-day kindergarten gets the green light with a vote for full funding in the NH House. State health officials blame Dartmouth-Hitchcock for understaffing at the state mental hospital. 

A  rape shield law passes the House committee and heads to the House for a vote. A voucher bill that is playing a big role in the school choice debate was discussed at the statehouse earlier this week, and the drug Carfentanil was linked to three overdose deaths. We'll discuss these topics and more of this week's headlines.

Governor Sununu pushes his kindergarten plan in the New Hampshire House and makes a change at the State Board of Education.   The State Senate considers legalizing, and taxing , online fantasy sports. St. Paul's graduate Owen Labrie is denied a new trial. And a new reports says our air quality is better than it's been in twenty years.

A bill to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana hits a snag in the Senate.  All eyes are on two of Governor Sununu's nominees for the Dept. of Labor and the Dept. of Environmental Services.  And the Northern Pass transmission project begins lengthy hearings before the Site Evaluation Committee. 

The Republican-controlled New Hampshire House adjourns without passing a two-year state budget.  We look at the ramifications as the Senate begins working next week on their version of the state’s new two-year budget without a House proposal.  The U.S. Supreme Court leaves a lower court ruling intact, allowing ballot selfies in the Granite State.  And for some politicians it's never too early, with two already announcing their bids for Governor and Congress.

The New Hampshire House gets ready to vote on it's version of the state budget, but some conservatives say the Republican-crafted budget is too rich.  New Hampshire's two U.S. senators say they'll vote against Neil Gorsuch, President Trump's Supreme Court pick.  A new energy project coming from Canada and an adverse decision by regulators thickens the plot when it comes to the Northern Pass project.  

Confusion reigns at town halls across the state as a nor'easter hits on Town Meeting Day.  The N.H. Senate examines bills reforming the state's Division of Children and Youth.  This follows a report that the head of DCYF closed hundreds of cases of suspected abuse over a two-day period last year.  And N.H.'s congressional delegation, along with Governor Chris Sununu, oppose the Republican healthcare plan.

Governor Chris Sununu returns from a trip to Washington bullish on block grants and President Trump.  New Hampshire's  all-democratic congressional delegation have different views of the President and his address to Congress.  Here in New Hampshire, a North Country judge drops murder charges for Celina Cass's stepfather due to mental competency. 

Governor Sununu signs his first bill into law; it makes New Hampshire the 11th state to allow gun owners to carry concealed without a permit.  A bill  to extend civil rights protections to people who are transgender wins the backing of a house committee.  And former St. Paul's student Owen Labrie is back in court seeking a new trial.

Bi-partisan frustration rises in the Granite State over President Trumps unsubstantiated charges of New Hampshire voter fraud.  The New Hampshire House votes to kill a Right-to-Work bill, which would have impacted how unions collect fees. The policy has been a priority for Republicans, who control the House, Senate and Governor’s Office for the first time in more than a decade.  And the Executive Council confirms the Governor's choice for Education Commissioner, Frank Edelblut. 

We discuss the implications for the state following Governor Chris Sununu's address outlining his two-year spending plan.  A N.H. house committee voted against passage of Right-to-Work legislation; the bill goes to the full house next week.  A paid family and medical leave bill won’t be voted on this year, despite community and bipartisan support. And a new report says Manchester's drug problem is still serious but efforts to address it are working.

We'll discuss reaction in New Hampshire to President Trump's executive orders and cabinet picks. Frank Edleblut has the support he needs to be confirmed Commissioner of Education, but the vote is delayed. Former Senator Kelly Ayotte signs on with the Trump administration to help Judge Neil Gorsuch persuade US Senators to support his nomination to the Supreme court.  And, attention at the statehouse will soon turn to the budget Chris Sununu will present to lawmakers next week.  

Authorities identify the killer in two New Hampshire cold cases.  The head of New Hampshire's beleaguered child protection agency announces her retirement.  And, as claims of election fraud return to national headlines, lawmakers here consider a slate of changes to state voting laws.  

The New Hampshire Senate moves quickly on hot-button GOP priorities like Right-to-Work and Concealed Carry.  Senator Jeanne Shaheen grills Rex Tillerson about lifting Russian sanctions in confirmation hearings for Secretary of State.  And the issue of "ballot selfies" continues to be a topic of debate in the state.

Chris Sununu was sworn in this week as the state's first Republican governor in twelve years.  We discuss the themes in Sununu's inaugural address, and the implications for  the next legislative session, as lawmakers get back to business in Concord.