From 603 Equality:
This is urgent: Tomorrow, the New Hampshire State House will vote on its version of the budget, before sending it to the State Senate. The proposed budget is full of cuts to major programs many Granite Staters need – read more here for a summary – and some lawmakers are using it as a tool to pass more unpopular, harmful policies.
Yesterday, we found out that Rep. Jess Edwards of Auburn, NH, introduced an amendment to the budget with the text of HB 148 – the bathroom ban that would allow any business to organize bathrooms based on “biological sex.” This shows that anti-trans politicians are trying to pass this anti-LGBTQ+ measure by any means necessary. There’s a chance Governor Kelly Ayotte might veto a bathroom ban as a stand-alone bill, but she’s much less likely to veto the budget based on an amendment.
The Concord Monitor has also reported that the budget includes another amendment that would “prohibit the state itself, as well as municipalities and school districts, from engaging in any Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-related efforts, training or policies. No state funding could be used for DEI activities, including implicit bias training, DEI assessments, critical race theory and race-based hiring.”
The proposed policy language also specifically targets public schools. If any public school fails to comply with the proposed law, the state Department of Education would “immediately halt” all taxpayer funding to that school until it does.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion simply mean increasing respect, belonging, and opening doors of opportunity and support, rather than quotas. Politicians are overreaching by using the government – and especially the state budget – to control localities and schools. We should be seeking to better understand each other across differences, not allowing politicians to further divide us.
If you’re reading this on Thursday, please still send a message – it may not be too late!
In solidarity,
Linds Jakows (they/them), Bill Blum (they/them), Emryn Lessie (they/them), Pasha Roberts (they/he)
