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Each week Anna Brown and Mike Dunbar of Citizens Count break down a New Hampshire bill that has an upcoming hearing, vote, or other opportunity for public input. Citizens Count focuses on lesser-known policy proposals that could have a big impact on the lives of Granite Staters. The show is completely nonpartisan, and the hosts give you the pros and cons from both sides. The podcast is produced by The Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication at Franklin Pierce University and supported by The Granite State News Collaborative.
Episodes

Sunday Jun 20, 2021
Is NH ready for the delivery robot revolution?
Sunday Jun 20, 2021
Sunday Jun 20, 2021
New Hampshire legislators have a habit of looking to the future with bills to legalize flying cars or autonomous vehicles. HB 116 is another such bill that looks toward the not-to-distant future; it regulates how delivery robots would be allowed to operate in New Hampshire.

Sunday Jun 13, 2021
New Hampshire Holidays
Sunday Jun 13, 2021
Sunday Jun 13, 2021
Two years ago New Hampshire recognized Juneteenth in state law. This year June 19 falls on a Saturday, which means many of us will have the day off to celebrate. Any other year, though, public schools and state offices would still be open. That’s because Juneteenth is not an official state holiday – and if it was, history suggests there would have been a lot more debate about whether to recognize it.

Sunday Jun 06, 2021
NH futurists take note: weather experiments now require public input
Sunday Jun 06, 2021
Sunday Jun 06, 2021
It sounds like the plot of a science fiction movie—state agencies attempting to modify the weather. Still, HB 128, a bill that requires public notice before a state agency attempts to modify the weather, is anything but fiction; in fact, it was just signed into law by Gov. Sununu.

Sunday May 30, 2021
Should NH give Granite Staters more time to file PFAS lawsuits?
Sunday May 30, 2021
Sunday May 30, 2021
PFAS may be called “forever chemicals” but you only have three years to file a lawsuit after discovering you were harmed by PFAS. A bill in the New Hampshire Legislature would double that time limit, potentially opening the door to more PFAS-related claims.

Sunday May 23, 2021
Sunday May 23, 2021
Whether it’s on the TV news or your local police department’s Facebook page, we all know what a “mug shot” looks like; it’s the photo that’s taken of someone after they are arrested. But just because someone has been arrested doesn’t mean they have been convicted of a crime, so some feel it is unfair to release these embarrassing post-arrest photos where potential employers and others can see them. HB 125, a bill being considered by the New Hampshire Legislature, would prohibit law enforcement officers from publicly disseminating these post-arrest photos with limited exceptions.

Sunday May 16, 2021
Sunday May 16, 2021
Earlier this year the New Hampshire Senate unanimously passed SB 114, a bill to require law enforcement officers to complete training on de-escalation, ethics, implicit bias, and cultural diversity. The bill mirrors action from the Police Standards and Training Council to voluntarily add this training. Now that SB 114 is in the House of Representatives, some legislators argue a state law is unnecessary.

Sunday May 09, 2021
Should New Hampshire allow patients to grow their own medical marijuana?
Sunday May 09, 2021
Sunday May 09, 2021
Medical marijuana is legal in New Hampshire, but patients have to buy their therapeutic cannabis at one of a handful of Alternative Treatment Centers. Now, legislators are considering allowing patients to grow their own marijuana at home.

Sunday May 02, 2021
Should NH update its Fair Housing Law for federal funding?
Sunday May 02, 2021
Sunday May 02, 2021
While many Granite State homebuyers and renters are being priced out of the market, some face a more surreptitious barrier to housing: discrimination.
In March the New Hampshire Senate voted unanimously to revise the state Fair Housing Law through SB 126. The bill is intended to win federal funding for housing discrimination investigations. However, SB 126 could meet resistance in the state House of Representatives, where some legislators look suspiciously on federal government ties.

Sunday Apr 25, 2021
Sunday Apr 25, 2021
If the federal government raises the minimum wage, New Hampshire employers will have to match that minimum. Tipped employees, however, are treated differently under state and federal law. Now lawmakers in Concord are considering a bill to insulate the tipped wage from federal increases.

Sunday Apr 18, 2021
Should NH ban landfills within 2 miles of state parks?
Sunday Apr 18, 2021
Sunday Apr 18, 2021
A landfill proposal in northern New Hampshire is kicking up dust in the state Legislature, with some lawmakers supporting a bill to ban landfills near state parks. Nobody likes to imagine a pile of trash next to scenic lake, but lawmakers are also concerned about shrinking landfill capacity and state interference in local zoning laws.