CONCORD, NH – Today, Governor Ayotte signed HB 1300. This bill is the latest attempt by anti-public education lawmakers to arbitrarily cap school budgets by requiring tax cap votes on the General Election ballot in November of 2026 and 2028.
The adoption of HB 1300 follows previous failed efforts to arbitrarily cap local school budgets, including HB 675 (which the House defeated in January) as well as annual school meeting votes across the state in March of 2026 and March of 2025 to cap local school budgets.
Megan Tuttle, President of NEA-New Hampshire, provided the following statement after the vote:
“New Hampshire voters already have the authority to place caps on local school budgets and taxes, and time and again they have chosen not to because they understand the real costs schools face, including rising utility expenses, health care premiums, and the growing cost of student support services.
Instead of supporting students and working to address New Hampshire’s broken and unequal school funding system, this legislation will further constrain local schools and make it harder for districts to meet the needs of their students. Every Granite State student in every community deserves access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed. But HB 1300 locks in existing funding disparities that will widen the gap between communities and undermine the quality of education for students across New Hampshire.
While we are deeply disappointed that Governor Ayotte has signed this burdensome legislation into law, NEA-New Hampshire will work to ensure every Granite Stater knows how these ballot measures will harm their local public school before they vote in November.”
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