CONCORD, NH – Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed 20 bills into law this week – including one of the most controversial HB 1300, which requires each municipality to include a question on the 2026 and 2028 ballots capping local school budgets “for a period of two years.” She also vetoed three bills.
House Democratic Leader Alexis Simpson, D-Exeter, said of passing HB 1300: “Instead of getting to the root of the problem, Republicans keep coming up with ways to distract the public from their horrific record. New Hampshire is dead last in the country in state education funding, and over half our municipalities are getting less than they did last year.
“Republicans are making it impossible to provide the quality education students deserve and are blaming local voters – the people they’re supposed to represent – for the property tax crisis that Republicans created,” Simpson said.
Christina Pretorius, Education Justice Campaign Director for Engage NH and a mother of three public school students said: “The state downshifts nearly $3 billion per year to local property taxpayers, causing high property taxes statewide. HB 1300 does not provide property tax relief, nor does it address the real issue of the state’s longstanding and chronic underfunding of public schools. Instead of providing property tax relief and providing sufficient resources for strong public schools, HB 1300 is a political ploy to appear to reduce property taxes without actually doing anything. Forcing voters to consider this without the context of their regular school budget discussions is just another attempt to cut funding for public education that will have lasting, harmful impacts on our children’s education and future.”
Americans for Prosperity-New Hampshire (AFP-NH) commended Ayotte for signing House Bill 1300, “which lets Granite Staters decide whether to cap school property tax hikes and rein in administrative overhead.”
AFP-NH Deputy State Director Sarah Scott said: “By signing HB 1300, Governor Ayotte is putting the power back where it belongs—with the people. This law gives Granite Staters a direct say over school property tax growth and ensures education dollars are spent in the classroom, not on administrative overhead. AFP-NH fought hard for this commonsense reform, and today it pays off.”
Megan Tuttle, President of NEA-New Hampshire, said: “New Hampshire voters already have the authority to place caps on local school budgets and taxes, and time and again they have chosen not to because they understand the real costs schools face, including rising utility expenses, health care premiums, and the growing cost of student support services.
“Instead of supporting students and working to address New Hampshire’s broken and unequal school funding system, this legislation will further constrain local schools and make it harder for districts to meet the needs of their students. Every Granite State student in every community deserves access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed. But HB 1300 locks in existing funding disparities that will widen the gap between communities and undermine the quality of education for students across New Hampshire.
“While we are deeply disappointed that Governor Ayotte has signed this burdensome legislation into law, NEA-New Hampshire will work to ensure every Granite Stater knows how these ballot measures will harm their local public school before they vote in November,” Tuttle said.
Ayotte said: “New Hampshire is at its best when we’re putting decision making power in the hands of the people. This bill gives voters a say about their local property taxes and ensures Granite Staters’ voices are heard.”
This week, Governor Ayotte signed the following bills into law:
- HB 244 – Updating and recodifying the municipal enforcement of the building and fire code.
- HB 1010 – Relative to multi-family residential development on commercially zoned land.
- HB 1042 – Relative to the cap on outstanding obligations for which the housing finance authority if allowed.
- HB 1109 – Relative to notice requirements regarding public employee suspensions and investigations and recognizing certain positions in the department of corrections as group II positions.
- HB 1194 – Relative to credits for assessments paid by insurers and relative to the application of criminal gambling statutes.
- HB 1279 – Relative to the use of physical force in defense of a person.
- HB 1300 – Establishing a school district local tax cap question for the state general elections of 2026 and 2028 and related limitations on central office administrative expenses in school districts.
- HB 1365 – Relative to applications for licenses to carry a loaded pistol or revolver and relative to the composition of the board of dental examiners.
- HB 1376 – Relative to a parent’s ability to raise their child in a manner consistent with the child’s biological sex and relative to breast surgeries for minors.
- HB 1541 – Requiring the secretary of state to provide all voting precincts with secure containers for storing ballots.
- HB 1584 – Directing the department of health and human services to provide notice of medical and religious exemptions from immunization requirements and relative to notice of drug pricing options.
- HB 1588 – Relative to the regulation of accessory parking for vehicles by local legislative bodies and multifamily housing within commercial districts by municipalities; establishing special assessment districts; and relative to expanding the housing infrastructure municipal grant program and making an appropriation therefor.
- HB 1681 – Relative to the definition, inspection, and local approval of tiny houses and yurts as innovative housing structures.
- HB 1727 – Relative to student data sharing for the Summer EBT program.
- HB 1738 – Relative to ratepayer benefits from the regional greenhouse gas initiative and relative to energy procurement and nuclear regulatory duties.
- HB 1772 – Relative to prescribing ibogaine for investigational use only and adopting the physician associate licensure compact.
- HB 1775 – Relative to utility ownership of natural gas and nuclear power generation facilities.
- SB 56 – Relative to consolidating the New Hampshire health and education facilities authority within the business finance authority and establishing a surplus land revitalization program.
- SB429 – Relative to the placement of trauma kits in public schools and making an appropriation therefor and relative to the parental bill of rights concerning the creation of student media recordings.
- SB 592 – Enabling regional, conservation, and energy resource planning for habitat strongholds and wildlife corridors and creating a commission to study transferring ownership of the Winnipesaukee River Basin program to an alternative authority.
The Governor has also vetoed the following bills:
- HB 1442 – Permitting classification of individuals biological sex under certain limited circumstances.
- HB 1565 – Relative to the penalty for false reports of suspected abuse and neglect made to the division for children, youth, and families, relative to owner’s project manager services for school building aid projects, and relative to long-term care eligibility and making an appropriation therefor.
- SB 475 – Relative to pet vendor foster homes, defining pet vendor foster facility, and relative to cruelty to livestock.
The Governor’s veto statement for HB 1442:
“This bill is nearly identical to the Senate bill I vetoed last month, as well as two other bills I have vetoed. These bills are overly broad, poorly drafted, and create the potential for substantial litigation. For these reasons, I have vetoed House Bill 1442.”
The Governor’s veto statement for HB 1565:
“I agree with the goal of this legislation to hold accountable individuals who knowingly make false reports of child abuse. Based on consultation with the Attorney General, it appears that this bill has technical flaws and could have unintended consequences that undermine our ability to protect children. For this reason I have vetoed House Bill 1565.”
The Governor’s veto statement for SB 475:
“I fully support making it easier to foster animals as they await safe, loving homes. Unfortunately, SB 475 includes the same problematic language from House Bill 1766, which I vetoed last month. The language in both of these bills makes it harder to respond to animal abuse and neglect cases, costs taxpayers more money, and could lead to forced euthanasia of abused but otherwise healthy animals. For these reasons, I have vetoed Senate Bill 475.”