InDepthNH.org (https://indepthnh.org/series/distant-dome/page/11)
Garry Rayno
The housing market in New Hampshire is going from bad to worse, particularly for potential homebuyers as rising interest rates, escalating construction costs, and a lack of available stock, statewide are causing “turmoil,” according to a report issued Monday.
Swinging the money door wide open without what had been the ability to know where the money is coming from, makes you wonder who the candidates running for federal office serve.
Two long serving members of the House said their goodbyes. the longest serving member of the House, Democrat Laura Pantelakos of Portsmouth, and Republican David Welch of Kingston.
The partisan divide in the legislature was no more apparent than in the redrawing of the political boundaries for congressional districts, the executive council, and the state Senate and House, which has to be done every 10 years to align seats with population shifts.
The two-year budget passed last year contained major changes in state policies not seen in decades. Budgets always contain some policy changes that should require separate legislation, but not to the extent the current budget package did.
The Republicans have carefully designed a system to favor their hold on power although they are the minority party in New Hampshire and the country and the demographics are not in their favor going forward.
In recent sessions, what was once unthinkable, is now law, using public money to pay for religious and private schools as well as buy textbooks that advocate one religion.
The contrast between the Senate and House was apparent last week, although only the Senate was in session.
Although we both had been around New Hampshire journalism for a while, I did not meet John until a “press conference” with the executive officers of Northeast Utilities who were offering a settlement agreement to end Public Service of New Hampshire’s bankruptcy in 1989.
At the public hearings on the bills, last week, the only person to speak in favor of the new maps was the prime sponsor of both bills, Sen. James Gray, R-Rochester, who chairs the Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee and the Senate Special Committee on Redistricting.