By GARRY RAYNO, InDepthNH
CONCORD — The Business and Industry Association’s annual legislative report and legislative rankings is an indication of how much the political landscape has changed in Concord.
In the report on the completed 2026 session, Democrats voted far more favorably than Republicans on bills the organization selected as key to their agenda.
Of the 12 House members who voted 100 percent with the BIA, only one was a Republican, the rest were Democrats
The organization chose eight bills reflecting its biggest concerns such as expanding child care, housing, energy costs and taxation, and then if House members voted with the organization’s position.
A group of five “job Killer” bills was used to determine those who voted to support legislation that would be detrimental to business interests.
“Only one of the five bills advanced beyond the first half of the legislative process, and it ultimately failed to gain support in the Senate,” said BIA president Michael Skelton. “Their defeat sends an important signal that New Hampshire remains committed to fostering a business climate that encourages investment, job creation and economic growth.”
The organization used three of these bills and five others to come up with their ranking of the lawmakers.
House Bill 1002 would have increased energy costs for large employers that invested heavily in solar arrays as they would have faced dramatic increases in their property taxes.
The bill would have repealed the local option for property tax exemptions for solar energy systems.
House Bill 1196 dealt with housing supply restrictions. New Hampshire’s housing shortage remains one of the most significant constraints on workforce growth. HB 1196 would have eliminated the state Housing Champions Program, a proven incentive structure that helped communities permit 2,643 new housing units in 2024.
House Bill 1585 would have led to tax increases through pension restrictions. By limiting the state retirement system’s investment strategy, HB 1585 risked lowering returns and increasing employer contribution rates, costs ultimately borne by municipalities, schools and taxpayers. House Bill 1464 was a liability Catch-22 for businesses.
HB 1464 would have created new protections based on political affiliation or opinion, but in doing so would have exposed employers to conflicting legal risks. Employers are required to prevent hostile work environments, yet this bill would have limited their ability to moderate political expression that may create one.
House Bill 1621 would have added regulatory burdens by imposing a new baseline environmental impact study in addition to existing environmental assessments, delaying development and increasing costs for a wide range of businesses, not just manufacturing.
“Cumulatively, the impact of these bills would have significantly cut into the New Hampshire Advantage, making the state less economically competitive and less attractive for businesses looking to make investments in new or existing facilities,” said Natch Greyes, BIA vice president of public policy. “The BIA is grateful for the widespread support among legislators in preventing these ideas from advancing and negatively impacting the state’s economy.”
Other bills that were used to determine ranking were:
House Bill 1484 would have established a state minimum wage of $12 per hour and set periodic increases. The BIA has a longstanding policy to oppose a minimum wage set at the state level, finding it more appropriate to be set at the federal level.
House Bill 1588 would regulate accessory parking for vehicles by local legislative bodies and multifamily housing within commercial districts by municipalities.
This bill makes several improvements to last year’s legislation allowing multi-family development in commercial areas.
House Bill 1602 would create a safe battery recycling stewardship program supported by the industry for lithium and other batteries. Several years ago, the Legislature banned lithium batteries from being disposed of in landfills with no framework for disposal.
Senate Bill 449 would have allowed large customer-generators to participate in net metering and storage related to net metering. This bill would have given manufacturers and other large energy users new tools to stabilize electricity costs through private on-site energy investments.
Senate Bill 627 would increase tolls for out-of-state turnpike users and those who pay with cash with periodic inflation adjustments. The toll increase supports the state’s 10-year transportation plan.
“The 2026 legislative session concluded with meaningful victories for New Hampshire’s business community, particularly in two areas that have become central to the state’s long-term economic success: childcare and housing,” Skelton said. “What began as a concerning legislative year ultimately ended on a positive note. Early in the session, lawmakers introduced a number of proposals that would have reversed recent progress on housing policy and imposed new costs and regulatory burdens on businesses across multiple sectors. Instead, the legislature rejected the most problematic proposals while advancing practical, market-based solutions to some of the state’s most pressing workforce challenges.”
However, the BIA’s agenda did not have significant support among the House Republican leadership.
For example, House Majority Leader Jason Osborne only voted with the BIA 38 percent of the time judging from the eight bills.
Others in the GOP leadership and their percentages included Keith Ammon, 29 percent; Joe Alexander, 43 percent; Ross Berry, 38 percent; Jim Kofalt, 40 percent; Dan McGuire, 14 percent; Steve Smith, 25 percent; Joe Sweeney, 29 percent, and Ken Weyler, 13 percent.
House Democratic Leader Alexis Simpson, voted with the BIA 88 percent of the time judging from the eight bills.
Others in Democratic leadership and their percentages were Karen Ebel, 75 percent; Nicholas Germana, 75 percent; Jaci Grote, 67 percent; Mary Hakken-Phillips, 88 percent; Laura Telerski, 86 percent; Mary Jane Wallner, 88 percent; Matt Wilhelm, 88 percent, and Lucy Webber, 75 percent.
Democrats voting 100 percent of the time with the BIA for its chosen bills were: Efstathia Booras, Myles England, Merryl Gibbs, Karen Hagner, Samantha Jacobs, Amy Malone, Chris McAleer, Russell Muirhead, Beth Richards, John Stone and Erica de Vries.
The lone Republican to vote with the BIA 100 percent on the eight bills was Sandra Panek.
Garry Rayno may be reached at garry.rayno@yahoo.com.
Read full report here: https://www.biaofnh.com/legislative-report/