The New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies announced on Friday that it is closing its doors after 22 years, citing a lack of funding.
The Concord-based non-profit produced in-depth reports on a wide range of issues impacting life in the state, from casinos and the corrections system, to health care, pension funds and school-dropout rates.
"Reliable, unbiased information and analysis is essential for shaping good public policy,” writes Donna Sytek, long-time board member and Republican former Speaker of the House, in a statement. "The closing of the Center is a loss of a trusted, neutral resource -- not only for policymakers, but for all of us who care about making good decisions for New Hampshire.”
The Center earned a reputation for publishing well-researched, non-partisan documents that could influence legislative debates in the Statehouse. Founded in 1996, the organization relied on support from individual donors, as well as state and national foundations.
According to a press release, the group’s Board of Directors has spent the past several months looking at various options, but decided last week that the Center was no longer viable. It will wind down operations during the next two months, and transfer any remaining assets to other non-profits.
