
Let’s start with some of the best news we’ve heard this year.
(besides Trump being found guilty on 34 felony charges)
Earlier this week, we were thrilled by the breaking news that the U.S. District court struck down the banned concepts law in New Hampshire! This is a significant win for an honest and inclusive public education!
As you may recall, the “banned concepts” law passed in 2021 seeks to silence discussions of race, gender, sexual orientation, and ability in public classrooms and businesses. Our friends at NEA-New Hampshire, AFT New Hampshire, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders – GLAD, ACLU of New Hampshire, and Disability Rights Center NH put together a legal challenge, and won!
Read our press release for more, with quotes from Anthony Poore at NH Center for Justice and Equity, Ronelle Tshiela at Black Lives Matter New Hampshire, Heidi Carrington Heath at Seacoast Outright, James McKim at Manchester N.A.A.C.P., Michelle Veasey at New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility, Jen Bisson at Support Our Schools New Hampshire, Carissa Corrow at Educating for Good, and Mary Wilke at Kent Street Coalition.
And a very big thank you to each and every one of you who took time over the last three years to oppose banned concepts and advocate for a full and accurate history in our schools and much needed conversations around equity and justice in our communities. We all deserve the freedom to learn about the mistakes of the past in order to build a better future, together.On Wednesday, more than 200 LGBTQ+ and allied Granite Staters showed up at the State House to call on Governor Sununu to veto all four bills that would roll back the rights of transgender people specifically, and LGBTQ+ people more broadly. First, the group rallied outside the State House with speakers, songs and chants, and then lined the halls near Governor Sununu’s office. A delegation led by New Hampshire Youth Movement delivered 500 petition signatures to the Governor’s staff, while others sang in the hallway outside the Governor’s office.
WATCH HERE.On Thursday, the New Hampshire House voted to send HB 596, a bill to end the practice of racial profiling, to the Governor’s desk. Following the vote, Ranking Member of the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, Rep. Linda Harriott-Gathright (D-Nashua) released the following statement:
“Today, after years of hard work, the New Hampshire House has finally sent Democratic legislation to end racial profiling to the Governor’s desk. I am proud that the New Hampshire House has acknowledged that racial profiling does happen here, and that it must be stopped. I urge Governor Sununu to swiftly sign this bill and join over 30 states nationwide who have similarly outlawed this despicable practice.” Two bills we have been following closely are headed to committees of conference next week, because the State House and State Senate passed different versions:
HB 1298 (which allows nearly anyone to lead a classroom, so long as they pass a background check and work no more than 30 hours per week)
HB 1665-FN (which expands school vouchers for families up to 400% of the federal poverty guidelines, forcing property poor cities and towns to replace the taxpayer money lost and keep school doors open by raising local property taxes)
We’ll be watching to let you know how these committees go, and hope for harm to be reduced as much as possible. In the meantime, we want to keep pro-public education messages in the press. Reach out to Linds if you’re interested in writing a letter to the editor.
Gun Violence Prevention
In a deeply disappointing and frustrating move, Senate Republicans once again chose to defeat Bradley’s Law during Senate session this week, ending the chance for this bill to move forward.
HB 1711, drafted in response to the NH Hospital shooting, would have allowed New Hampshire to report to the NICS federal background check system the names of certain prohibited purchasers. Despite strong bipartisan sponsorship and passage out of the NH House (twice), Senate Republicans refused to even consider the bill. Instead of working together with bipartisan supporters and advocates, Senate Republicans raised concerns about parts of the bill that had already been explained to them – and for which they refused to introduce two minor amendments which would have eliminated those concerns completely without dramatically changing the bill.
A hearty thank you to State Senator Debra Altschiller (D) for bringing the conversation back to what the bill was really about, and why it is needed. It will be introduced again next session.
Watch the Senate floor debate here
LGBTQ+ Rights
LGBTQ+ advocates and allies are continuing to stress the importance of ongoing calls to Governor Sununu’s office to demand that he veto all of the following harmful bills.
Call Gov. Sununu now at 603-271-2121 and demand that he veto:
HB 396: Rolls back part of the 2018 nondiscrimination law that protects transgender people in public spaces
HB 1205: Bans transgender girls from playing girls’ sports from 5th grade (age 10) to 12th grade. Requires all girls to submit a birth certificate for eligibility – or provide “other evidence,” which could include genital inspection. Allows parents and students to sue their school, an opposing team’s school, the NHIAA, and the state if they believe a transgender athlete has caused them psychological, emotional, or physical harm.
HB 1312: Requires educators to provide 2 weeks’ notice on all curriculum and materials related to gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, and identifies these topics as “objectionable material.”
HB 619: Ban referrals for gender-affirming healthcare for transgender teen girls under 18 years old, which disregards parents’ rights to support health care for their child.
Also, June is Pride Month! Traditionally celebrated in June to align with the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising that kicked off the modern LGBTQ movement, New Hampshire has a pride event in nearly every corner of the state starting in June, and a few more events continuing into July and August. Check out and share New Hampshire Queer Consortium’s post listing all upcoming NH Pride events.
Reproductive Freedom
All reproductive rights related bills are done for the state legislative year. The reproductive rights coalition is incredibly proud of ensuring that no harmful bills to reproductive freedom are moving forward this year. We also applaud the coalition’s movement building and education opportunities on protecting abortion access, protecting the privacy of providers and patients, and the importance of medication abortion.
There are two major abortion related cases that could come down any day now. One regarding mifepristone – the drug used in medication abortion and miscarriage care. Here’s what you need to know:
Access and approval to mifepristone remains unchanged.
Mifepristone was first approved by the FDA more than 20 years ago, and has since been used by more than five million people in the U.S. to safely end their pregnancies.
Medication abortion has a high safety and efficacy record when provided in various settings, including remotely and at a health center.
Attacks on mifepristone are strictly politically motivated, instigated and funded by extreme anti-abortion actors to further their agenda to ban abortion, birth control, and other sexual and reproductive health care nationwide.
The other case is about whether the Supreme Court will decide if emergency care mandates include necessary abortion care – or if politicians can force doctors to turn away pregnant people at the emergency room doors.
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) is a nearly 40 year old federal law guaranteeing everyone treatment for emergency medical conditions, nationwide. But anti-abortion extremists want to exclude pregnant people from this protection, and force doctors to turn away patients suffering emergency pregnancy complications.
EMTALA has always protected pregnant people in medical emergencies, and required stabilizing emergency abortion care. EMTALA contains no exceptions: hospitals must provide the treatment necessary to stabilize emergency medical conditions, and for some people, that means ending a pregnancy.
Black and Indigenous women—who currently face high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity—will face disproportionate harm if pregnant people are excluded from EMTALA’s protections. Additionally, a bad Supreme Court ruling will also harm those who visit ERs at disproportionate rates due to systemic barriers to health care. This includes pregnant patients who live in rural areas, have low incomes, are Latinx, Black or Indigenous, or are immigrants. Harm will be compounded for pregnant people who both disproportionately access ERs and face maternal mortality and morbidity inequities.
Willing to create or share social media content uplifting reproductive rights and the threats we are facing? Contact Linds to join NH Megaphone and be a part of a group of social media influencers and advocates working together to educate and inform.
Upcoming Events
NH Guns to Gardens
Saturday, June 8th from 10 am to 1 pm
Wesley United Methodist Church
79 Clinton St, Concord, NH
Guns to Gardens is for community members interested in voluntarily surrendering firearms that they no longer want and do not wish to sell. Currently, community members who have unwanted firearms have no way to dispose of them other than to give them away or sell them. Guns to Gardens helps take firearms off the market by repurposing them into something more useful, and less harmful, to our community. Learn more and share here!
In progress,
Linds, Zandra, Sarah, Tim C., Doreen, Nancy, and the rest of the Granite State Progress team
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