CONCORD, NH  – New Hampshire lawmakers are back to work and finishing up old business. The House and Senate start their second half of the two-year Legislative session today. They will meet to vote on more than 100 bills they delayed action on last year. The House is expected to take at least two days to plow through its list, while the Senate calendar is considerably shorter.

Among the bills up for consideration in the senate are two related bills one that would eliminate the statute of limitations on prosecuting any sexual assault or incest case and another that would remove the limit in cases when the victims were under age 18. The Senate Judiciary Committee is recommending that the first bill be killed and the second be amended to create a commission to study the issue.

The Senate Committee on elections law is recommending passage by the full Senate of a bill aimed at ending confusion over the terms “residency” and “domicile” for voting purposes by making them synonymous. Supporters argue doing so would reduce election fraud and ensure that only New Hampshire residents vote in the state, but opponents say it amounts to a poll tax because college students would have to declare residency in order to vote, thus becoming subject to residency requirements such as obtaining a driver’s license and registering their cars.

When it comes to the House they will consider a bill requiring blood testing for lead in all children age 2 and under, bringing the action level for lead in a child’s blood in line with federal standards and providing $6 million in loan guarantees for property owners for abatement projects. The Senate-passed version would have provided grants instead of loans. Governor Chris Sununu recently voiced his support of the bill.

One major bill up for consideration in the House is an overhauled version of a senate passed bill that would provide parents with the state’s basic per-pupil grant of roughly $3,000 to be used for private school tuition or home schooling. To qualify, parents would have to have a household income less than or equal to 300 percent of the federal poverty limit, live in an under performing school district, have a child with an individual education plan or tried unsuccessfully to enroll a child in a charter school or get an education tax credit. Opponents argued the program would violate the state Constitution, which says no person, shall be compelled to pay to support a religious school.

Lawmakers will also be looking at a bill that seeks to create a family and medical leave insurance program. The bill insurance would providing leave for the birth, adoption or fostering of a child or serious illness, including substance use disorders, of a spouse, civil union partner, child, parent or grandparent. Supporters say it will address key challenges in the state, including maintaining its workforce and helping the state recover from the opioid crisis. Opponents say it is just a tax disguised as an insurance premium.

AUGUSTA, ME (AP) – Mainers who want to run for office in 2018 can start gathering signatures. Voters this year will elect one of Maine’s two U.S. senators, Maine’s governor, two representatives to Congress, members of the Maine Legislature and several county officers.

Anyone who wants to get on the 2018 ballot for the June 12 primary or Nov. 6 general election must fill out a petition. Prospective candidates can begin collecting signatures on the first day of the new year.

Members of the Democratic, Green Independent, Libertarian or Republican parties seeking their party’s nomination must submit their forms to the secretary of state by March 15. Non-party candidates must submit their forms by May 25 to the appropriate municipality for certification.

The number of signatures required depends on the office and party.

Delays

Schools

SAU 9, Conway – 2 Hour Delay

SAU 13, Freedom, Madison, Tamworth – 2 Hour Delay, Including Middle School and High School transportation

White Mountain Waldorf School – 2 Hour Delay

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CONWAY, NH –  An east Conway home is safe thanks to the quick actions of first responders during a 4-alarm fire. Dispatchers said that fire crews were called out a structure fire on East Conway Road at around noon Sunday.

When crews arrived they found the garage next to the home fully engulfed in flame. Around 40 Firefighters from eight Maine and New Hampshire departments, an ambulance, and two police officers worked together to battle the blaze and they were able to knock it down in about half an hour.

According to the East Conway Fire Department’s Facebook page First responders saved the main house by cutting the fire off in the breezeway.

Though the cause of the fire is still under investigation Officials said they believe the fire started due to an electrical issue in a truck that was parked in the garage.

A 2018 Skidoo Renegade was consumed by fire on the Cotton Valley Rail Trail in Wolfeboro Wednesday ~ Photo courtesy of Wolfeboro Fire-Rescue

WOLFEBORO, NH – A Snowmobile was destroyed in a fire on a local trail in Wolfeboro. According to Wolfeboro Fire-Rescue they were called snow machine fire between River Street and Mast Landing at around 1 pm Wednesday. When crews arrived they found the 2018 Skidoo Renegade fully engulfed in flame on the Cotton Valley Rail Trail.

Luckily the rider, identified as Nicholas Mauch of Southborough, Massachusetts, was uninjured the machine however was a total loss. Mauch told fire officials that he had just purchased the snowmobile the day before and that it was brand new.

The fire was declared under control about thirty minutes after the call, with fire crews leaving the scene at around 2pm.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.