CONCORD, NH – Today, the New Hampshire House of Representatives cast bipartisan votes to sustain Governor Ayotte’s vetoes of seven bills related to public education.
Megan Tuttle, President of NEA-New Hampshire, provided the following statement after the Veto Day:
“All students deserve a high-quality education and the support they need to thrive. We’re pleased that state representatives stood with the vast majority of Granite Staters who support their public schools by sustaining the Governor’s vetoes on seven bills that would have negatively impacted public education in New Hampshire, including efforts to make local school board races partisan, ban books, and make transportation for half-day kindergarten optional.
NEA-New Hampshire will never stop defending against government overreach into public schools and efforts to weaken public education or harm students and educators. We know students thrive when public schools have the resources needed to foster a supportive learning environment. As we enter a new year and a new legislative session, we look forward to working with lawmakers from across the political spectrum to ensure public schools are resourced based on what students need—not political agendas.”
Background:
The following bills were vetoed by Governor Ayotte, which was upheld by the House of Representatives on December 17, 2025:
- HB 319 – would have made providing transportation for half-day kindergarten optional for school districts
- HB 324 – book ban legislation that would have hampered students’ freedom to read while also exposing educators to potential criminal penalties
- HB 356 – would have unnecessarily inserted partisan politics into local school board elections
- HB 358 – would have unnecessarily expanded the religious exemption for childhood immunization requirements and potentially impacted student and educator health
- HB 446 – would have made the Youth Risk Behavior Survey an opt-in, rather than an opt out survey, weakening its value
- HB 475 – would have artificially reduced default budgets due to mere turnover in filled positions
- HB 667 – would have required all school districts to show a computer generated or ultrasound video that shows gestational development of a fetus in health class
###
About NEA-New Hampshire
NEA-New Hampshire is the largest union of public employees in the state. Founded in 1854, the New Hampshire State Teachers Association became one of the "founding ten" state education associations that formed the National Education Association in 1857. Known today as NEA-NH, our mission to advocate for the children of New Hampshire and public-school employees, and to promote lifelong learning, remains true after more than 165 years. Our members are public school employees in all stages of their careers, including classroom teachers and other certified professionals, staff and instructors at public higher education institutions, students preparing for a teaching career, education support personnel and those retired from the profession.
