Laurie Warnock for NH State Representative

10/21/2026

10/20/2026

What do the changes to Medicaid starting 1/1/27 mean to NH?

Our legislators chose tighter, more complicated verification processes than the changes imposed in the federal OBBB. Those rules will likely push up to 29,000 current enrollees out of the program, even those that still qualify under the new rules, according to a new report published by the N.H. Fiscal Policy Institute (nhfpi.org)

“When more people become uninsured, providers must either absorb the costs of uncompensated care or seek other revenue sources to maintain their operations. One common potential mechanism is cost shifting, in which providers negotiate higher payment rates with private insurers to partially offset losses from uncompensated care. As a result, higher payment rates can increase insurers’ health care spending and contribute to higher private health insurance premiums over time.”

10/20/2026

Today, 7 children and 6 adults are boarding in emergency departments for inpatient psychiatric beds – 5 adults under an Involuntary Emergency Admission and 1 with other legal status. Zero adults are waiting in a correctional facility for inpatient psychiatric care.

To learn about resources, supports, FAQs, alternatives, rights and what to expect in the ED, visit: NAMINH.org/EDBoarding

NAMI NH offers free support for parents/caregivers of children/youth waiting in the ED for mental health services: NAMINH.org/EDSupportForKids

If you or someone you know needs immediate support, you can call, text, or chat confidentially with a trained crisis worker 24/7 through 988 at no cost.

It’s important to seek help early for mental health concerns – from a primary care provider, local mental health center, or other provider. Don’t wait until the situation escalates into a crisis.

Local Community Mental Health Centers offer support for residents statewide – find your local CMHC: NAMINH.org/CMHCs

To connect with free (non-crisis) resources & support, contact NAMI NH’s Info & Resource Line at 1-800-242-6264 (press 4) or [email protected].

Connect with NAMI NH Online Support Groups: NAMINH.org/OnlineGroups

Find your local Peer Support Agency (services at some PSAs include crisis respite): NAMINH.org/PSAs

NAMI NH shares ED boarding posts on Tuesdays and Thursdays with the most recently available data.

In May 2023, NH DHHS launched Mission Zero – a collaborative initiative to eliminate ED boarding. Within 18 months of the launch, on several occasions, zero adults subject to IEA petitions were boarding in EDs. NAMI NH continues to make ED boarding a top priority of advocacy efforts on behalf of individuals and families affected by mental illness and su***de.

10/20/2026

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/upshot/ideas-fixing-schools-ranked.html?unlocked_article_code=1.KFE.tylK.5pADcuIjAd7z&smid=nytcore-ios-share

Math and reading scores are in a decade-long slump. We asked three dozen experts: What could turn things around?

10/19/2026

Where are your tax dollars being paid out via the EFA program? Take a look. Wouldn’t you rather that money be invested in N.H. public schools???

10/18/2026

Mandatory monthly premiums would put health coverage out of reach for thousands of low-income adults enrolled in Granite Advantage, New Hampshire’s Medicaid expansion program. For working Granite Staters already stretched by rising housing, utility, and food costs, even a small monthly bill can mean losing coverage.

New Futures is urging NH DHHS and CMS to reconsider these premiums. 📝 Read our full comments at new-futures.org/post/NF-Comments-GA-Premiums.

10/17/2026

The Perfect Storm: How a Fiscal Crisis Could Redefine New Hampshire’s Public Institutions

When a severe economic downturn collides with an active Free State movement seeking to shrink state government, the outcome isn't just budget belt-tightening—it’s permanent structural transformation.

The mechanism behind this risk is straightforward, sequential, and urgent:

1. The Revenue Gap Will Dwarf State Reserves
Financial stress tests project catastrophic state revenue losses during the next major recession:
Year 1: $576 million in lost revenue
Year 2: $462 million in lost revenue
New Hampshire’s Rainy Day Fund is nowhere near large enough to absorb a $1+ billion revenue shock over two years. When state reserves run dry, Concord will be forced to make immediate, drastic choices.

2. State-to-Local Cost Shifting Will Burden Property Taxpayers
Historically, when revenue plummets, the state balances its books by reducing aid to local municipalities and school districts. This shifts the financial burden directly onto local property owners, forcing towns to choose between steep property tax hikes or sharp reductions in community services.

3. HB 1300 Creates a Structural Trap for Local Schools
Under recently enacted legislation (HB 1300), communities can adopt local school tax caps that generally require a three-fifths supermajority override.

This creates a severe operational squeeze:
- Declining State Support: Concord cuts funding to local districts.
- Restricted Local Flexibility: Tax caps block school boards from raising necessary revenue locally.
- Unyielding Mandatory Costs: Essential obligations—such as special education mandates, contractual obligations, and transportation—cannot simply be erased.

4. Fiscal Distress Opens the Door to Structural Restructuring
Crisis creates political opportunity. Proposals like HB 1358—which aimed to study converting every public school in New Hampshire into a public charter school—signal a clear long-term direction. While Governor Ayotte vetoed the bill and the House sustained that veto, deep-seated Free State legislators continue advocating for a fundamentally reduced public sector and expanded private alternatives.

5. Emergency Measures Become Permanent Policy
In a severe crisis, radical structural overhauls will not be framed as ideological experiments. They will be presented as unavoidable, common-sense emergency solutions to a fiscal emergency.

The Bottom Line
Recessions are temporary, but institutional decisions made under financial pressure endure for generations.

The question isn’t simply whether our state can survive the next recession. It’s what kind of New Hampshire will be left standing when the dust settles.

📖 Read the complete analysis on Substack:

https://nhinsights.substack.com/p/the-next-recession-could-redefine?

10/17/2026

The ballot for every New Hampshire town and city this coming Election Day will ask voters if they want to adopt a two-year tax cap that would limit increases to their school property taxes.

10/17/2026

https://www.civics101podcast.org/

Civics 101 is a podcast about the basics of our government and how our democracy works from New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR).