NH News

The N.H. House votes 211-151 to give gun owners immunity if their weapons are stolen and then used in a crime.

Mayor Gatsas unveiled his budget for fiscal year 2014, which raises taxes and allots more funding to schools.

Gatsas' budget pushes for the maximum amount of new revenue allowed under the city's tax cap. That's just more than a two-percent increase.

The bulk of new revenue would go towards bolstering the city's school system, which has experienced layoffs and overcrowding in recent years.

Gatsas was optimistic that the budget could be hammered out before the city's June deadline, but acknowledged it would be a difficult process:

Governor Maggie Hassan plans to nominate Glenn Perlow, the current Deputy Commissioner of the New Hampshire Banking Department, for the top job. She’ll do so during the Executive Council Meeting on Wednesday.

“The role of the Banking Commissioner,” Perlow says, “is vitally important for maintaining the health of our financial institutions and keeping consumers safe from predatory practices.”

He says he looks forward to working with the Governor to ensure the safe flow of credit that will help the state’s economy grow.

The House Committee on Public Works and Highways held a hearing on a bill that would increase the state's gas tax and vehicle registration fees.

The bill would raise 800 million dollars over eight years in new revenue by increasing the state's gas tax by 12 cents over three years and tacking on five dollars to vehicle registration fees.

Representative David Campbell, the bill's primary sponsor, urged lawmakers to pass the legislation, arguing that New Hampshire's transportation infrastructure is in a state of crisis:

Governor Hassan began her day before the Senate Ways and Means committee.  She delivered a pro-gambling pitch familiar from her budget address last week -- New Hampshire needs to act to authorize a casino with 5000 slot machines and 150 table games before similar facilities open in Massachusetts.

  Several bills being considered by the House would boost the state’s minimum wage.

One would make it $9.25 an hour. Another would set it at $8 an hour and tie annual recalculations to the rate of inflation.

The House passed legislation last week that would limit the awarding of the state’s Medal of Honor to those killed in action.

The bill holds special meaning for one member of the House.

Representative Skip Rollins says he kept the promises he made to his son before he was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2007.

He made sure his son, Specialist Justin Rollins, was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He welcomed his girlfriend into the family and watched over his dog.

New Hampshire U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen says delaying former senator Chuck Hagel’s appointment as Secretary of Defense has real national security implications.

Shaheen believes Hagel will ultimately be confirmed as the next defense secretary, but not until after the Senate returns from its break a week from Monday.

But she says delays to the process by her Republican colleagues do not serve the country well.

New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen introduced legislation this week that would extend military benefits to same-sex military families.

Shaheen says the Charlie Morgan Military Spouses Equal Treatment Act of 2013 is named after the New Hampshire National Guard Chief Warrant Officer who died Sunday.

“As she was dying of breast cancer, she knew her wife and her daughter were not going to be able to get the benefits that she had earned on her active duty and guard service and that’s not right. It needs to change and this legislation is designed to do that.”

Advocates of the rights to own guns and those who want to restrict the laws governing them are often on opposing sides of the conversation. But many find a common voice when it comes to reducing gun violence. In New Hampshire, gun shop owners are forging ties with mental health experts to prevent the most frequent kind of death by firearms: suicide.

As part of NHPR's news series, A Loaded Issue, we’re asking Granite Staters to weigh in with their thoughts about gun ownership, laws governing guns, and the culture here.

Each day we'll ask a new discussion question and throughout the week we'll read your comments on the air.

Today's Question:  Does New Hampshire need stricter gun control laws?

Please include your first name and your hometown.

It's no surprise to Granite Staters that New Hampshire is one of the safest places in the country.

The governor’s budget address is the starting point for the months of wrangling and compromises that will eventually determine where the state will spend its money.

In the budget released today Governor Hassan spelled out her priorities in key areas like education, healthcare and infrastructure.

On Education

Restoring cuts to the state’s public universities was a centerpiece of Maggie Hassan’s campaign for governor, and Education was at the center of her speech.

Governor Maggie Hassan is looking to raise New Hampshire’s cigarette tax.  In her state budget address, she pitched a  30-cent increase as good public health policy.

“New Hampshire has the highest youth smoking rate in the Northeast, with 19.8 percent of high school students who smoke cigarettes," Hassan said.  "Cigarette taxes nationwide have proven to be one of the most effective ways to prevent youth smoking.”

She also said it will raise $40 million in revenue without compromising cross-border sales.

Calling public safety “our most important responsibility,” Governor Maggie Hassan outlined her funding proposals in today’s budget address. 

Comparing public safety to the state’s health care system, Hassan said it had taken “too many hits” in the last budget.  She called on legislators to “reverse course” immediately, in the interest of keeping New Hampshire residents safe.