CONCORD, NH – Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte will request a special session of the New Hampshire House and Senate at the Executive Council meeting on Wednesday.
The Governor submitted the below explanation to the Executive Council for consideration of her special session request:
“The General Court has not passed a budget or adopted a conference report for State Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027. If the budget fails to pass and does not become law by the end of the day on Thursday, June 26, I request the Legislature convene in Special Session.
“We must continue to do the people’s work and deliver on our promises to all of New Hampshire. That means keeping the state open, especially during our summer months, to serve the people of our great state,” Ayotte said.
In a joint statement, House Democratic Leader Rep. Alexis Simpson and Senate Democratic Leader Sen. Rebecca Perkins Kwoka, criticized the Republicans who control the House and Senate and corner office because of the budget disagreement.
“The Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the corner office—and somehow, it appears they still can’t get a budget over the finish line. They had one job: pass a budget that meets the needs of Granite Staters. Instead, we’re staring down chaos and dysfunction of their own making.
“While working families face rising costs, Republicans are too busy playing insider politics to do the work. They’ve failed to govern, and it’s Granite Staters who will pay the price.
“Democrats are ready to keep our government running, but we will not support any continuing resolution that cuts off critical services. At a minimum, any Continuing Resolution must be as close to existing funding as our revenues can support. New Hampshire deserves real solutions, not political games,” the statement from Simpson and Perkins Kwoka said.
The House and Senate still have to vote on Thursday. The committee of conference report on HB 1 and 2 will begin in the Senate and if it passes will move to the House. It requires a simple majority up or down vote to adopt or not to adopt the report.
A Continuing Resolution, which might be passed even if the budget passes due to threat of veto, could be taken up by either body and then passed to the other, though rules are easier in the Senate to do so.
Ayotte said in her release: “Doing the people’s work means putting together a responsible, balanced budget that keeps our promises to protect services for our most vulnerable citizens, ensure our children receive a best-in-class education, and take care of the men and women who have made our state the safest in the nation. That is why we should have a continuing resolution of no more than 90 days. We must ensure certainty for our citizens and continuity for our tourism industry during this critical revenue period, and we must continue to work together through the summer to deliver for all of New Hampshire.”