Rick Green

2 weeks ago | keenesentinel.com | Rick Green

Two bipartisan bills designed to help new parents have failed to advance so far this legislative session, but their prime sponsor is holding out hope that they still have a chance. N.H. Sen. Denise Ricciardi, R-Bedford, whose district takes in Hinsdale, Jaffrey and Winchester, among other area communities, wants to see her legislation — involving child care and maternal health — get enacted as part of the budget-writing process.

2 weeks ago | keenesentinel.com | Rick Green

Voting along partisan lines, the N.H. Senate passed and sent to the governor a Republican-backed bill Thursday that would allow organizations to restrict bathrooms, locker rooms, jails and athletic competition by biological sex. Gov. Kelly Ayotte has not said whether she will support House Bill 148, which is similar to one then-Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed last year. If she signs it, the bill would go into effect 60 days later. N.H. Sen.

2 weeks ago | keenesentinel.com | Rick Green

A N.H. House committee has retained, or removed from consideration, a Republican-backed bill aimed at preventing transgender women or girls from participating in women’s sports in public schools or entering female locker rooms. The 12-5 vote in the House Education Policy and Administration Committee on Senate Bill 211 came Tuesday after Rep. Lisa Freeman, R-Tilton, pointed out that a similar bill the N.H. Legislature passed last year, House Bill 1205, is tied up in court. On Sept.

2 weeks ago | keenesentinel.com | Rick Green

Arts Alive, which supports artists throughout the Monadnock Region, is one of many such organizations across New Hampshire facing a potential loss of both federal and state funding. Jessica Iris, executive director of the Keene-based nonprofit, said the National Endowment for the Arts recently withdrew a $25,000 grant it had offered. Under the Trump administration, the NEA has been canceling hundreds of such grants across the country.

2 weeks ago | nhpr.org | Rick Green

This story was originally produced by The Keene Sentinel. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative. Despite objections from civil libertarians, educators and librarians, the New Hampshire Senate has passed a Republican-backed bill aimed at prohibiting “obscene or harmful sexual material” from being disseminated at public schools. The Senate voted 15-8 in favor of House Bill 324 last Thursday. The House passed it 183-148 two months ago. Republican Gov.