It's crossover season at the New Hampshire State House, the period for deciding which new policies still have a chance of becoming law, and which could be shelved for the year. Think of it like the midpoint of the legislative term: It’s the final chance for the House of Representatives to act on bills that its members filed at the start of the session, deciding whether to send them onto the Senate; the Senate does the same with its bills, deciding which move forward to the House. (For a deeper dive on Crossover Day, you can listen to this explainer produced by our friends at Civics 101, or read the transcript of that episode here.)
Here are some resources to help you learn about how the legislative process works and how to make your voice heard, courtesy of Citizens Count.
And for a deeper dive on how lawmakers are dealing with a few key policy areas this year, check out the explainers from our newsroom below.
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Annmarie Timmins/NHPRAs they continue to tackle perennial questions about how the state pays for schools, lawmakers are also working on a range of other policies that could have significant impacts on young people, their families and the education system. -
Paul Cuno-Booth/NHPR file photoIt’s a continuation of a trend seen over the past few years in Concord, where Republicans have introduced a wave of bills that would restrict the rights of trans youth in particular. -
Lau Guzmán/NHPRSince the beginning of the year, Gov. Kelly Ayotte has said she expected a bill on her desk that would prohibit towns and cities from passing ordinances that prevent local police from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. So far, those bills are moving along at a steady clip. -
Dan Tuohy/NHPRNH lawmakers have tackled a handful of energy and environmental bills so far this year. Here's how things are stacking up. -
Dan Tuohy/NHPRToday, a good deal of the more than 60 bills touching housing are still alive in the Legislature, many of which would constitute significant changes.
