Committee Summary for Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs (02/03/2026)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
Unclear 00:19:46.240 - 8:18:32 AM	Public Hearing	Relative to voting on school closures in districts
SB587 00:31:24.720 - 8:30:10 AM	Public Hearing	creating criteria for redistricting of congressional districts, state senate districts, state house of representatives districts, and executive councilor districts.	Perkins Kwoka, Rebecca(D)[F]2025
SB587 00:36:10.240 - 8:34:56 AM	Executive Session	creating criteria for redistricting of congressional districts, state senate districts, state house of representatives districts, and executive councilor districts.	Perkins Kwoka, Rebecca(D)[F]2025
SB405 00:46:10.079 - 8:44:56 AM	Public Hearing	relative to amounts reported by political committees.	Gray, James(R)[B-]2025
SB405 00:53:29.599 - 8:52:15 AM	Executive Session	relative to amounts reported by political committees.	Gray, James(R)[B-]2025
SB435 2026448s 00:56:28.880 - 8:55:14 AM	Executive Session	relative to the zoning board of adjustment variance criteria.	Abbas, Daryl(R)[B-]2025

Unclear: Senator Dan Innis, District 7, Bradford NH Support00:19:46.240 - 8:18:32 AM; Senator Innis introduced the bill, explaining it arose from a discussion with a school superintendent about consolidating elementary schools in a rural district to reduce costs amid falling enrollments and high renovation expenses. He highlighted that current charters limit voting on school closures to the town where the school is located, excluding other district towns and leading to unfair tax burdens. The bill proposes requiring a vote by all towns in the district to close a school, initiated by a petition of 20 or more voters, to give everyone a voice in property taxes. He noted the bill's simplicity and fairness, and expressed openness to adjusting the petitioner number based on committee input.
Unclear: Unidentified Senator Information Only00:21:41.280 - 8:20:27 AM; The senator thanked Innis for the backstory and inquired about the choice of 20 voters for the petition threshold, expressing concern that a low number might enable unwanted school closures. Innis responded that 20 was a drafting suggestion, comparable to warrant article signatures in small towns like Bradford, but he was open to scaling it based on community sizes or increasing it for appropriateness.
Unclear: Senator Long Information Only00:23:55.120 - 8:22:41 AM; Senator Long referenced RSA 1943, which requires 20 voters for superior court actions, noting the bill repeals that provision. He asked if Innis would be comfortable increasing the number beyond 20. Innis agreed, stating it made sense for such a significant decision and he was open to suggestions on a reasonable threshold.
SB587: Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka, Portsmouth and surrounding towns Support00:31:24.720 - 8:30:10 AM; Senator Perkins Kwoka introduced SB587, aimed at improving the redistricting process through statutory guidelines for public participation, map availability timing, and comment reception to enhance transparency and feedback. Drawing from experiences in the previous redistricting committee and practices in other states like Colorado, she emphasized addressing issues such as delayed map releases and limited public input opportunities outside the State House. The bill is presented as a procedural enhancement to make future redistricting less partisan and more inclusive, offered as a thoughtful first draft for committee consideration.
SB587: Unidentified Committee Member Information Only00:35:05.280 - 8:33:51 AM; The member asked about the most important redistricting criteria, to which Perkins Kwoka responded that it is 'one person, one vote,' focusing on minimizing population deviations from the median. Another question addressed standard deviations from Supreme Court decisions, estimated at plus or minus 5%, and whether prior maps met it. Perkins Kwoka noted the actual criterion is a 10% difference between the highest and lowest districts, and stressed the need for better public feedback processes beyond statistical compliance.
SB587: Committee Chair Information Only00:36:10.240 - 8:34:56 AM; The committee moved into executive session after closing the public hearing. The chair questioned the need for additional statewide hearings on proposed maps, noting prior listening sessions already gathered public input on preferences. Perkins Kwoka clarified she was not proposing duplicate rounds but advocated for hearings outside the State House on draft maps before voting to allow meaningful feedback, improving on the previous process where input was limited to the State House post-publication.
SB587: Unidentified Senator Oppose00:37:29.920 - 8:36:15 AM; The senator expressed reservations about additional statewide tours, citing time constraints and the prior listening sessions' role in map development. He referenced testimony influencing the executive council map and clarified the population deviation standard as a 10% spread between districts, not plus or minus 5%. He discussed challenges in Nashua's ward splits affecting Senate districts, noting that even splits would require combining districts and limit flexibility due to large town sizes, emphasizing the need for balanced criteria application.
SB587: Unidentified Senator Information Only00:37:29.920 - 8:36:15 AM; The senator discusses challenges in redistricting, emphasizing that large towns like Nashua cannot be broken up and the process must start with Nashua and surrounding areas due to various criteria. They highlight the need for public hearings to gather feedback and address comments on map availability and feedback collection.
SB405: Senator James Gray, District 6 Support00:46:10.079 - 8:44:56 AM; Senator Gray explains that the current $50 reporting threshold over two years discourages small dollar donors who prefer anonymity. He notes that small donations, like passing the hat at county meetings, often exceed the limit unintentionally, requiring names. The bill raises the threshold to $1,000, which is a small portion of campaign funds and won't influence outcomes. He urges passage based on his experience.
SB405: Committee Chair Support00:53:29.599 - 8:52:15 AM; The chair notes minimal opposition with 54 supporters and 2 opposed online, moves to pass, and the committee votes in favor unanimously, followed by a consent motion which passes.
SB405: Senator Lang Support00:54:24.720 - 8:53:10 AM; Agrees with the prime sponsor that these small amounts are a minor portion of total campaign funds and reasonable.
SB435 2026448s: Senator (RPK) Support00:56:28.880 - 8:55:14 AM; Introduces amendment 2026448s to redefine hardship as 'unreasonable restriction' for variances, providing more leeway to planning boards while maintaining similar criteria. Discussed with NHMA.
SB435 2026448s: Unidentified Senator Support00:58:04.960 - 8:56:50 AM; Views the amendment as a positive step forward, drawing from experience on planning boards. Notes common misapplications of variances, distinctions between use and area variances, and that the redraft balances zoning application to specific parcels sensibly.
SB435 2026448s: Committee Vote00:58:04.960 - 8:56:50 AM; The committee votes in favor of the amendment and then the bill as amended, followed by a consent motion which passes unanimously.

Gray, James(Chairman)(R)[B-]2025	Lang, Timothy(V Chairman)(R)[B-]2025	Perkins Kwoka, Rebecca(D)[F]2025
Rochefort, David(R)[B-]2025	Long, Pat(D)[F]2025