What laws you can expect from the Republicans

New Hampshire’s delegation in Washington, D.C. is now all Democratic, but Republicans control the legislative and executive branches in New Hampshire.

Republican Chris Sununu won the governorship.

The Executive Council will include Democrats Chris Pappas and Andru Volinsky and Republicans Joseph Kenney, Russell Prescott, and Dave Wheeler.

Prescott, who took the seat vacated by Sununu, will be the key vote in any future state contracts with Planned Parenthood. Prescott has not clearly stated support or opposition to the current contract, but he told the Union Leader that he wants more competition in the bidding process for similar contracts. 

Republicans also have a small majority in the state House and Senate. This could pave the way for several bills passed by previous Republican legislatures but vetoed by Democratic governors.

So-called “constitutional carry” – the right to carry a concealed firearm without a permit – has a good chance of becoming law. The previous Legislature passed constitutional carry, but Gov. Hassan vetoed the bill. 

Republicans may also try to pass right-to-work legislation, which would essentially allow workers to opt out of unions that bargain on their behalf. According to our research on candidate issue positions, at least 16 of the Republicans elected to the House have opposed right-to-work at some point in the past, so right-to-work is not guaranteed. 

It’s also unclear whether the Republican Legislature will vote to continue expanded Medicaid eligibility, which is scheduled to end in 2018. Our research shows that at least 36 Republican representatives support some form of Medicaid expansion. However, the Republican-controlled Congress in Washington, D.C. could also choose to stop funding the program. 

Lastly, the Legislature will likely vote on bills to limit the Common Core educational standards and the associated Smarter Balanced statewide assessment tests. Gov. Hassan vetoed a bill from the previous legislature that would have allowed students to opt out of statewide assessment tests. 

What bills do you think will become law next year? Let us know in the comments.