Legislative Updates by Rep. Maureen Mooney for August, 2025

Greetings!

Summer is moving right along! In the fall, a “Veto Day” will be scheduled for House and Senate members to vote on the Governor’s vetoes. The Governor has authority to veto bills per the NH Constitution, Part II, Article 44.

Two-thirds of each legislative body is required to overturn a veto in New Hampshire.

To date, the Governor has vetoed ten bills this year. Each veto comes with a brief “Governor’s Veto Message” explaining the rationale. See veto messages here.

Here is a summary of some recent vetoes:

• HB 356 AN ACT enabling school districts to adopt partisan school district elections. This bill would allow school districts to choose whether or not to have partisan elections for the offices. The Governor’s veto message says the bill will “create unnecessary division between Granite Staters.”
• HB 358 AN ACT relative to exemption from immunization requirements on the basis of religious belief. This bill would remove the requirement of a form for religious exemptions for minors, and instead replace it with a signed statement from a parent/guardian. The Governor’s veto message claims the state already has “an established process” for parents/guardians to claim religious exemptions.
• HB 475 AN ACT relative to the reductions from the default budget for official ballot town meetings. This bill would have included salary and benefit reductions in the definition of a default budget. The Governor’s veto message cites difficulty in recruiting and retaining first responders if this bill is passed.
• HB 781 AN ACT requiring school districts to adopt policies establishing a cell phone-free education. This bill requires public school districts to adopt policies prohibiting cell phone usage for statewide public schools with certain exceptions. The Governor vetoed this bill because a similar ban was passed within the state budget (HB 2).

The House filing period for bills to be considered in 2026 is: September 15-19 (at 4pm), 2025.

Around Town

A special “thank you” to the Town of Merrimack Police Department and Parks and Recreation for hosting the “National Night Out” on August 5, 2025. I enjoyed speaking to the various vendors there. Here are some take aways:

• The Town of Merrimack needs volunteer Commission and Committee members. See the list of vacancies here: https://www.merrimacknh.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif3456/f/uploads/250710_vacancy_listing.pdf
• Merrimack Historical Society hosts an Open House each first Saturday of the month. The next one is September 6, 2025 from 10am-2pm: https://merrimackhistory.com/calendar/.
• The Merrimack Police Department has an awesome team of Police Volunteers! Learn more about them here: https://www.merrimacknh.gov/police-department/pages/merrimack-police-volunteer-program

Wishing all the best to Merrimack students starting school on August 28, 2025! Remember, NH RSA 265:54 requires stopping at least 25’ from a school bus with flashing red lights, whether you are driving toward or from behind the bus. Drivers must stay at a stop until the bus starts again or the red lights stop flashing.

See you around town!

Rep. Maureen Mooney is in her sixth term as a NH State Representative serving Merrimack. Her website is: www.votemooney.com and Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/maureenmooneynh.