HB1418

OPPOSE

This bill is an undemocratic attempt to stifle providing resources for our schools.

NHSBA is opposed to this bill. Given the number of hearings and executive sessions scheduled at this time, we will be submitting further testimony after the hearing, as appropriate. Thank you.

This is unnecessary. NH believes in local control. Let's act like it.

This bill is just an undemocratic attempt to stop providing resources for our schools.

Testimony in Opposition to HB 1418 Good morning, Chairman and members of the committee. As a lifelong New Hampshire resident and educator who has dedicated my career to serving our students and communities, I rise today in strong opposition to HB 1418. This bill, which would impose a minimum affirmative vote threshold for new or expanded spending in SB 2 towns, fundamentally undermines the democratic principles that define New Hampshire's local governance. For generations, our state has trusted voters to make decisions through simple majority rule—the bedrock of representative democracy. HB 1418 would abandon this principle, requiring a supermajority for certain budget decisions while maintaining simple majority votes for everything else. This creates an unequal system that disproportionately restricts voters' ability to invest in their schools and communities. As an educator, I have witnessed firsthand the consequences of inadequate school resources. Every year, I watch my colleagues dig into their own pockets for classroom supplies. I see outdated textbooks, crumbling infrastructure, and overcrowded classrooms. I watch talented teachers leave the profession because salaries cannot keep pace with the cost of living. Our students deserve better, and our communities have the right to decide how much investment they want to make in education, without arbitrary barriers. This bill would make it significantly harder for communities to respond to genuine needs. If a school's roof is leaking, enrollment is growing and we need additional teachers, or we want to restore programs cut during difficult budget years, this legislation would require us to meet a higher bar than any other municipal decision. It treats investment in education as inherently suspect rather than as the foundation of our democracy and economy. Moreover, this is a solution in search of a problem. SB 2 communities already have robust safeguards: public budget hearings, deliberative sessions, transparent processes, and the fundamental right of voters to approve or reject spending proposals. If voters believe spending is excessive, they vote it down—as they have done countless times across our state. The system works. What HB 1418 really does is silence voters. By requiring supermajorities, it elevates the power of "no" votes over "yes" votes. A minority of voters could block investments that a majority of their neighbors support. This isn't protecting taxpayers—it's disenfranchising them. New Hampshire has always believed in local control and trusting citizens to make decisions for their own communities. This bill abandons that trust. It assumes voters cannot be responsible stewards of their own tax dollars and need the legislature to constrain their choices. I reject that premise entirely. I urge you to oppose HB 1418 and preserve the democratic rights of New Hampshire voters to fully participate in decisions about their schools and communities. Thank you for your time and consideration.

New Hampshire has a unique way to engage the public the many community issues. Politics has always been pushed by those wo are passionate about an issue. Others have always been left out if the do not take the time to participate. There is no reason to impose a minimum voter participation standard just for schools. If people care, and want their voice to be heard, they can always participate. Punishing schools because there are not enough people that care one way or another is not the way to represent a community.

Stop undermining local elections! We are a state that prides itself on local control, where have those ideals gone?? Enough with the attempts to make local governments adhere to your ideals, leave our town elections alone!!

Good morning, HB 1418 bill is an *undemocratic attempt* to stifle providing resources for our schools. It is based on *arbitrary participation thresholds* at town and school district meetings. It's like making a 'town quorum' be necessary in order to get business done, boards elected, budgets passed. Vote NO HB 1418. Thank you, Lynn McRae, RN, BS Ed. MALS Dartmouth Lyme