Key Votes in New Hampshire This Week: What Passed, What’s Next, and Why It Matters
Granite State Report legislative & policy brief — Week of Sept. 22, 2025
The big picture
New Hampshire’s most consequential votes over the past several days came not on the House or Senate floors, but across the river from the State House at the Executive Council table. In a 4–1 vote, councilors confirmed Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s nominee Bryan Gould as an associate justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court and granted Attorney General John Formella another four-year term. Both decisions shape the legal terrain on issues ranging from school funding to public integrity and consumer protection.
Meanwhile, there are no full House or Senate floor sessions scheduled in Concord this week, with the Senate next slated to gavel in on Oct. 23 and the House meeting at the call of the Speaker. That makes the Executive Council actions, municipal dockets (notably Portsmouth’s rescheduled City Council meeting on Sept. 24), and election-law changes coming into effect next week the most immediate arenas to watch.
Below is your concise, research-backed rundown of what happened, why it matters, and how to follow the next votes.
What just happened at the Executive Council
1) Bryan Gould confirmed to the NH Supreme Court (4–1)
After a public hearing that focused heavily on recusals and judicial independence, the Republican-controlled Executive Council confirmed Bryan Gould to the state’s highest court, with Democrat Karen Liot Hill casting the lone “no.” Gould—66 years old—has long represented corporate and Republican political clients, including Casella Waste Systems and the state GOP; he told councilors he would recuse from cases involving those past clients. He’ll serve until the mandatory retirement age of 70.
Why this matters right now: New Hampshire’s Supreme Court is in the thick of defining the state’s responsibility for public-school funding. On July 1, the court (in the ConVal case) held that the state’s base “adequacy” funding is unconstitutionally low—an historic ruling that leaves it to the Legislature to craft a fix. Gould steps onto a bench already shaping the parameters of that fix and is likely to encounter follow-on lawsuits (including the Rand case) challenging how the state funds schools and uses property taxes. With all sitting justices now appointed by Republican governors, observers are parsing whether future school-funding and separation-of-powers disputes tilt in any direction.
Context in one chart (metaphorically): The July decision did not dictate a line-item appropriation, but it affirmed that the current formula violates the constitution’s guarantee of an adequate education and pointed the political branches back to the drawing board. (Coverage summaries and the opinion itself are linked in References.)
Key quotes to know
- “He has a strong sense of independence.” — Councilor Joe Kenney, explaining his vote to confirm Gould.
- “These are among the most important constitutional issues facing our state.” — Councilor Karen Liot Hill, outlining concerns about partisanship and future cases on education funding and election law.
2) John Formella confirmed for a second term as Attorney General
In the same meeting, councilors voted to keep AG John Formella in place for another four years. Gov. Ayotte had delayed the renomination earlier this year, saying she wanted time to work with him; she ultimately backed his reappointment after months of high-profile litigation by the state on youth detention center claims, school-funding lawsuits, foster-care oversight, and multi-state actions against tech companies over youth harms.
Why this matters: Continuity at the Department of Justice affects every corner of state government, from election enforcement and public-records compliance to consumer protection and criminal appeals. With the Supreme Court pushing the Legislature to confront school funding, and with new election-administration rules rolling out for municipal contests this fall, the AG’s office will be advising agencies and defending state policy in real time.
How they voted: In both confirmations, the four Republican councilors voted “yes”; the Democratic councilor voted “no” on Gould and recused from Formella. (We’ll update the roll call details once the official “Quick Results” are posted; for now, multiple news outlets have confirmed the outcomes and split.)
What to watch in Concord this week
- No House/Senate floor sessions: The Senate’s next listed session is Oct. 23; the House is on call of the chair (watch the House Calendar and committee notices for any late-breaking executive sessions). If you’re tracking specific bills retained in committee, those executive sessions—often scheduled with little fanfare—are where technical rewrites and kill/keep decisions get made.
- Executive Council meeting cadence: The Council typically meets every two weeks on Wednesdays. The Secretary of State’s page posts agendas, minutes, audio, and “Quick Results” for contract and confirmation votes. (If you can’t attend in person, the Council provides call-in audio and has an official YouTube presence for past meetings.)
Municipal spotlight: Portsmouth votes Wednesday (Sept. 24)
The Portsmouth City Council has a rescheduled meeting at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 24, with an anticipated non-public session at 6 p.m. The city’s calendar indicates attachments for the agenda and packet; watch housing and zoning items closely (Portsmouth has been workshopping “co-living” and other zoning amendments this fall). If you’re a Seacoast resident, this is the docket to skim.
Tip: Most large NH cities maintain robust agenda portals with live video. If your town board is moving quickly on zoning, ARPA closeouts, or union contracts, the fast action is often at the municipal level—well before it becomes State House news.
Election law changes start next week—here’s what’s changing
While not “votes” this week, new election-administration rules take effect Sept. 30, and they’ll shape how local officials run this fall’s municipal elections:
- Hand-count option: Voters in jurisdictions with ballot-counting devices may request that their ballot be hand-counted after polls close. (This was enacted via House Bill 154; local procedures are spelled out for moderators.)
- Absentee ballot processing: Another 2025 change repeals the provision that allowed challengers to delay counting under certain circumstances (HB 294), reducing the potential for late-night slowdowns.
- Implementation guidance: The Secretary of State and Attorney General issued a joint memorandum for election officials to operationalize these changes; the SOS also posted a consolidated “2025 Election Law Changes” reference. Voters should see impacts at municipal polling places starting next week.
If you vote in Concord, the Monitor has a helpful explainer on how these new rules will be visible to municipal voters this cycle. (Municipal calendars and ward maps vary; check your city clerk.)
Why the Supreme Court seat looms over “Veto Day,” budgets, and beyond
Even with no floor votes this week, Gould’s confirmation will reverberate through several near-term decision points:
- School funding (ConVal & Rand): In ConVal, the Supreme Court affirmed that the state’s adequacy funding is too low but left the remedy to lawmakers. In Rand, a superior court judge again ruled in August that the funding model and related property-tax scheme are unconstitutional; portions of that litigation are expected to continue climbing toward appellate review. The next round of legislative “fixes” may be challenged—and ultimately interpreted by the court Gould just joined.
- Separation of powers & election cases: The same bench will likely field challenges related to changes in election administration, education-choice programs, and executive-agency rulemaking. Councilor Liot Hill flagged those frontiers explicitly during the confirmation debate.
- Judicial composition: With Justice James Bassett’s retirement creating the vacancy Gould now fills—and with Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi due to hit mandatory retirement next year—the court’s composition and internal alignments are in motion. For advocates, that alters litigation strategies and settlement postures over the next 12–18 months.
Inside the Council’s Formella vote: What stays the same, what could change
AG John Formella’s second term means continuity across a set of high-stakes matters:
- Youth Detention Center (Sununu Center) litigation: Hundreds of civil claims are moving through the courts; settlement frameworks and individual adjudications sit with the AG’s office.
- School-funding defense posture: The AG will continue advising on the state’s obligations post-ConVal and defending any subsequent legislative fixes.
- Tech & consumer cases: NH remains an active party in multistate actions against platforms over youth harms and data privacy—areas that intersect with school safety and mental health.
Practically, for local governments and nonprofits, Formella’s confirmation means no sudden changes in how the state enforces elections law (complaints still go to the DOJ’s Election Law Unit) and steady continuity in public-records and open-meeting enforcement.
Quick guide: How to follow the next votes live
- Executive Council: The Secretary of State’s “Meetings” page posts agendas/minutes; call-in audio is listed on the Council’s site. The Council and several outlets post video after the fact.
- NH Senate livestream: Subscribe to the Senate’s official YouTube channel for session days and some committee coverage.
- NH House committee streams: House committee rooms stream hearings and executive sessions on YouTube—vital if you’re tracking retained bills.
- Municipal boards: Portsmouth’s calendar lists the Sept. 24 meeting with links to the agenda/packet; Manchester TV’s Channel 22 and Nashua’s CivicClerk portal are reliable for city meetings and votes.
Watch & Catch Up
(Formella renomination & Gould nomination)
(Sept. 12, 2025 Executive Council hearing (public upload))
What Granite Staters should know this week
- The legal branch is the action center right now. With no floor votes this week, the most consequential government actions are judicial and executive. Gould’s confirmation ensures the Supreme Court has a full complement heading into a budget-shaping autumn.
- School-funding politics will dominate the fall. The ConVal ruling doesn’t set a dollar figure, but it does increase pressure on budget writers. Expect “veto day” positioning and off-season hearings to be framed around adequacy, property taxes, and education-choice programs. (Background links below.)
- Your polling place may run a little differently starting Sept. 30. Hand-count requests, clarified absentee processing, and other tweaks are in place for municipal elections. If you’re a moderator, clerk, or local party chair, read the SOS/AG guidance; if you’re a voter, you may see more signage and slightly different end-of-night workflows.
- This Wednesday night is a live one in Portsmouth. The City Council meets Sept. 24; housing and land-use items continue to churn there and on the Planning Board docket.
Methodology & sourcing notes
This brief synthesizes official meeting notices, statutory guidance, court documents, and reporting from nonpartisan, statewide outlets. For contentious or fast-moving claims (e.g., the scope of the ConVal ruling, Council roll calls), we anchor to primary documents or multiple independent outlets and include direct links.
References & further reading
- Executive Council confirmations: NHPR’s meeting report; WMUR’s confirmation alert; Governor’s press release; Council meeting logistics.
- Judicial context (education funding): NH Supreme Court’s ConVal opinion (PDF); NHPR explainer; New Hampshire Bulletin and WMUR coverage; Education Law Center overview.
- Ongoing school-funding litigation (Rand): Superior Court ruling coverage and project updates.
- Council makeup and process: Executive Council overview and history (for powers/role).
- Election-law changes: SOS/AG joint memo for officials; SOS summary PDF; NH Municipal Association guidance; Concord Monitor voter explainer.
- Legislative schedule: Senate calendar (next session Oct. 23); House calendars & journals portal.
- Municipal docket: Portsmouth City Council meeting calendar (Sept. 24, 7 p.m.) and recent packet references.
One-page “watch list” for the rest of the week
- Wed., Sept. 24 — Portsmouth City Council, 7 p.m. (rescheduled). Housing and zoning remain live issues; watch for first/second readings that could advance quickly into October.
- Executive Council: Monitor the SOS meeting page for agendas/“Quick Results” postings and contract approvals; these often include millions in transportation, health/human services, and IT spend.
- Courts: Track any motions for rehearing or clarifying orders tied to ConVal; the AG’s office has signaled it’s evaluating next steps even as lawmakers start drafting.
Have a tip, packet, or meeting video we should add?
Send primary documents (agendas, amendments, fiscal notes) and we’ll incorporate them in next week’s brief with full credit. We prioritize official minutes/packets and nonpartisan outlets; if you send a clip from a public upload, include the meeting timestamp.
Granite State Report is committed to clear, sourced coverage of New Hampshire’s state and local government. If there’s a vote you want tracked in your town or a state board you think we should watch, tell us where to look—and we’ll put it on the list.
