Energy Policy Committee in Greenland

If you are interested in lowering your electric rates and relying more on “green energy,” contact Greenland Town Administrator Paul Sanderson for details on how to join a committee that will develop a plan.

Details of the formation of the committee and its charge can be found in NH RSA 53-E:6 Electric Aggregation Plan.

The RSA allows an energy policy committee to develop a plan for providing universal access, reliability, and equitable treatment of all classes of customers subject to any differences arising from varying opportunities, tariffs, and arrangements between different electric distribution utilities in their respective franchise territories, and shall meet, at a minimum, the basic environmental and service standards established by the commission and other applicable agencies and laws concerning aggregated service.

There are several for-profit and non-profit companies that will help guide a community through the process and Greenland is now hearing from these companies.

Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership Report

State Rep. Dennis Malloy, State Senator Deb Altschiller, State Rep. Allison Knab and State Rep. Chris Munns at the Piscatagua Region Estuaries Partnership June 5, 2023.

The condition of New Hampshire estuaries are improving including shellfish harvesting opportunities, bacteria, nutrient concentrations, conserved land, and seaweeds, according to a new report from Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (PREP) at the University of New Hampshire.

However, PREP director Kalle Matso says that climate change and increasing human development are a threat to the ecosystems of estuaries.

Over 200 interested people and organizations attended the PREP presentation in Portsmouth on June 5, 2023 including your local state representatives pictured above.

The report also measured community involvement. Volunteer hours decreased during the pandemic, but the authors said federal and local leaders have begun to work together more effectively, particularly on permitting decisions.

Residents who live near Great Bay including Greenland, Rye, Dover, Durham and Newington and our community leaders can play an important role in protecting the bodies of water.

While oysters are at their highest level since 1998, and the oyster aquaculture industry has never been more vibrant, the levels of natural oyster reefs are still down 80% from where they were 30 years ago.

Eelgrass, which can help keep estuaries resilient against challenges, is continuing to increase in the Portsmouth Harbor regions and migratory fish are returning to the water shed in the highest numbers since 1992 following the removal of a dam in Exeter.

The complete 105-page interactive report is available at StateOfOurEstuaries.org.

Thanks to NHPR for reporting on this conference. Sources of this report include the State of Our Estuaries 2023 and NHPR reporting.

Medicaid Expansion Survives

Expanded Medicaid has provided healthcare to over 200,000 Granite Staters – our friends, neighbors, and colleagues are served by this program and the health of the entire state of New Hampshire is better for its existence.

The NH House agreed and voted in favor on May 18, 2023.

While House Republicans made repeated attempts to table the bill and block its passage, House Democrats held strong, knowing that Granite Staters’ healthcare should not be contingent on unreasonable requirements or arbitrarily ended after a random number of years. Medicaid patients, providers, and so many in the healthcare and business community believe this program should be permanent and we are glad to have been able to deliver a strong vote.

Parental Bill of Rights Dies

The protection of students, teachers, and family relationships prevailed in the New Hampshire House of Representatives on May 18, 2023. Not only did the House Democrats stand strong in killing the dangerous “Parental Bill of Rights,” but 70% of Seacoast residents wanted it to go away too.* Even Greenland residents rejected the bill by a 7 to 1 margin.

SB 272 would have wrongfully forced school personnel to ‘out’ vulnerable LGBTQ+ students and insert government needlessly into conversations that should be left to the parent and child. This session, we heard from thousands of Granite Staters who urged us to oppose this legislation and we are proud to have delivered a strong win for them today.

The debate was heated, with the majority party leader calling out his caucus in an uncontrolled rant saying that our public education system is a “black hole.”

Reason and thoughtfulness prevailed and with the NH House rejecting the national agenda put forth by Republicans that the public education system has failed our children and our society.

*Results from the UNH Survey Center Granite Poll conducted in March 2023.

Parental Bill of Rights, EFA's Coming to the House

By a 7 to 1 margin, Greenland residents said no to SB 272, the so called “parental bill of rights” initiative, but both chambers of the NH legislature insist on passing this bill in spite of statewide opposition, as expressed by the overwhelming negative response this received from NH voters. Thousands weighed in on this bill before the Senate voted to approve SB 272.

The bill is coming to the House this week and I’ll vote against it.

Proponents say the bill includes additional rights to address current concerns related to gender identity that have only recently emerged as relevant issues for legislation. Passage of this bill would assure parents that their rights are well respected and would prevent a likely mass exodus of students whose parents would seek alternative educational options that would respect their rights. A failure to value truth and parental authority, as this bill does, will inevitably lead to dysfunctional governments.

Democratic leaders of the House Education Committee say that reiterating existing parental rights is not the intent of the bill. This bill targets transgender and gender nonconforming students under the guise of “parental rights.” It singles out those students for special surveillance and reporting upon parental inquiry.

Singling out some students is a deeply concerning and unconstitutional requirement that violates the principle that all students come before the law as equals. Nearly every student will explore their identity in some shape or form that may not meet the approval of their parents. Teens do have rights of privacy.

There will be a very close vote on this on May 18. It will be critical for Democrats to attend this important session.

On the Educational Freedom Accounts (EFA) the Senate Education Committee voted to recommend a bill that would expand the Education Freedom Account program by increasing the income threshold. The committee voted 3-2 down party lines to approve House Bill 367, which just barely passed the House last month on a 187-184 vote.

The bill is one of three House bills to be approved on the new school voucher-like program that has been way over budget for the first two years of operation. HB 367 would increase parents’ income threshold for a child to be eligible for the program from300 percent of the federal poverty level to 350 percent or from $82.410 to $105,000 for a family of four.

I have consistently voted against any expansion of the EFA program, and will continue to do so.

A unified Democratic Party in the NH House helps pass the 2023-2024 NH budget. It’s not perfect but we were able to get important legislation approved and funded.

The budget process now moves to the NH Senate. While there are always some changes, we are hopeful the NH Senate will go along with the House budget.

In spite of our minority status in the NH House, this week House Democrats led the charge to protect our drinking water, reduce property taxes, increase access to health care, and find solutions to rising energy costs. House Democrats are pushing forward for a stronger New Hampshire.

To accomplish this, Democrats stood up for NH families and values, and were joined by many Republicans who decided it was time to come down on the side of the majority of NH residents.