Distant Dome

Garry Rayno

Garry Rayno’s Distant Dome runs exclusively on Manchester Ink Link and InDepthNH.org, where Rayno will explore a broader perspective on State House – and state – happenings. Over his three-decade career Rayno has closely covered the NH State House for the New Hampshire Union Leader and Foster’s Daily Democrat, and his coverage spanned the news spectrum, from local planning, school and select boards, to national issues such as electric industry deregulation and Presidential primaries. He is former editor of The Hillsboro Messenger and Assistant Editor of The Argus-Champion. Rayno graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a BA in English Literature and lives with his wife Carolyn in New London.

Co-production between InDepthNH and Manchester In Link

Distant Dome: Not the Time To End Mask Mandate

According to tracking done by the New York Times of every state in the country, in New Hampshire, new cases have increased at a rate of 11 percent over the last 14 days, hospitalizations have increased 43 percent and deaths have decreased by 1 percent.

Proposed State Budget Now in Senate’s Court, Who’ll Win the Culture War?

House budget writers tried to thread a needle with their plan: include enough culture war and spending cuts to draw enough from the very conservative wing of the GOP House members without losing the half dozen moderate Republicans who remain in their caucus.

The House’s Own March Madness Begins

While some issues draw bigger crowds to public hearings like right-to-work, abortion restrictions and gun control, the budget ostensively adopted by the legislature and governor in June affects far more people and it affects them personally.

Budget

NH Doing It On The Cheap Has Its Costs

A former National Education Association-NH lobbyist once told me “Never underestimate the New Hampshire Legislature’s proclivity to be cheap.”

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Redistricting Is Partisan Politics and Always Will Be

Elections have consequences and Democrats are about to receive a difficult reminder of how impactful the repercussions can be.

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Shared Truth Is Needed Now To Drive COVID-19 Recovery

In light of the last few years, culminating in the insurrection that attempted to overturn the general election results, many people wonder what can be done to curb misinformation that explodes like a geyser and infects the masses.

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What Is The Rush To Merge Higher Education in NH?

Later we learned the board would begin governing the two systems July 1 and the members would need Governor and Executive Council approval.

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Is It Rules or the Power of the Majority?

The source of the problem was how the Republican leadership handled COVID-19 exposure at its caucus at McIntyre Ski Area in Manchester, where at least four, probably more members contracted COVID, but the leadership kept that a secret until the news broke just before Organization Day.