The New Hampshire House likely won't have a committee focused on child and family law in the upcoming session.
The House Rules committee has voted to eliminate the chamber's Children and Family Law Committee. Any bills related to child and family issues will instead go to the committees on judiciary, criminal justice and public safety, or health and human services. The full House must approve the rule change in January.
The change comes as New Hampshire's Division for Children, Youth and Families is under scrutiny following a number of child deaths. Democrats say eliminating the committee sends a bad message.
But House Speaker Shawn Jasper says many of the representatives who want to sit on the committee have personal grievances against the system, rendering the committee ineffective.