Although there were some setbacks this session, the big takeaway is that our defensive work, in collaboration with our partners, was successful! We are incredibly proud that the most devastating proposals were defeated AND we had some proactive wins on voting and childcare. Read below for a recap on our 2026 legislative work.

DEFENSIVE WINS

We defeated EVERY SINGLE attempt to restrict abortion (HB 1590, HB 1338, HB 1333, and HB 1493)

We are proud that all four of the proposed anti-abortion bills we advocated against this year in the New Hampshire Legislature were defeated, including measures that would ban abortion after 20-weeks, give legal rights to embryos, exclude abortion providers from charitable gaming funds, and require students to watch inaccurate videos in health class. 

Sixteen anti-abortion bills were introduced this year and ALL were defeated. Only one anti-abortion bill, HB 232, made it to Governor Ayotte’s desk – and she vetoed it. 

These bills were part of a larger effort to roll back reproductive rights and undermine bodily autonomy. Access to the full range of reproductive health care, including abortion, is crucial to women’s health, economic security, and freedom.

We stopped trans bans in bathrooms and in sports (SB 459, SB 552, and HB 1442)

Trans girls are girls. And trans girls deserve to be safe in their schools and communities and have the same educational opportunities as every other student.

Many bills targeting transgender people, particularly trans women and trans girls, were proposed in the New Hampshire legislature this year. We focused our efforts on SB 459, which would have allowed schools to exclude trans girls from athletic opportunities. We opposed this bill because it harmed trans girls — period. But we also pointed out to legislators that it would harm cis girls, too. When we open the door to challenging or “checking” the sex of students, all girls are threatened with having their sex challenged and having to “prove” they are a girl. Adolescence is already a fraught time for girls; the last thing we need is girls worried that a coach, ref, or parent from another team is going to publicly question if they are a girl. This is stressful to all girls and makes girls less likely to participate in sports if they worried they would have their gender challenged. 

Of the many proposed anti-trans bills, two passed the New Hampshire House and Senate. HB 1442 and SB 552 both included trans bans in bathrooms, sports, and jails. Governor Ayotte vetoed SB 552 citing her concerns with enforcing a bathroom ban, but HB 1442 is on its way to her desk. We are hopeful for another veto from Governor Ayotte, but hearing directly from constituents will make a big difference. Call Governor Ayotte (603-271-2121) and tell her to let all girls play sports free from harassment by vetoing HB 1442.

We stopped an effort to take away workers’ time-off for postpartum and pediatric appointments (HB 1250)

One of the key components of Momnibus 2.0 created a narrow, common-sense workplace protection so that new parents could attend postpartum and pediatric appointments during their newborn’s first year of life without risking their jobs. HB 1250 would introduce loopholes that would enable businesses to evade these regulations. 

We were able to explain to the House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee why they shouldn’t allow the loopholes and to let the law stand — and they agreed! The Committee unanimously recommended to ITL (kill) the bill and the House voted to ITL (kill) it. 

We are proud we were able to defend the progress we’ve made for moms. 

PROACTIVE WINS

We moved forward on efforts to ensure women can vote (SB 437)

Due to new voting document requirements, married women who have changed their last name are having a hard time voting because the name on their birth certificate doesn’t match the name on their license. SB 437 proposed tracking the number of people who are turned away from the polls for various reasons which would help us understand the impact on women and fix the problem.

The Senate Election Law Committee voted to recommend ITL (kill) this bill after the sponsor worked with the Secretary of State to find a solution where a count of registrants who are turned away will be obtained without passing legislation. The bill itself will not be moving forward but a way forward was agreed to, nonetheless. 

Child care is now a little easier for grandparents raising grandchildren (SB 608)

In order to get a child care scholarship from the state, families need to meet income eligibility and they have to prove they are working or enrolled in school themselves. This is hard for grandparents who are raising their grandkids as they sometimes have to re-enter the workforce or enroll in and pay for an advanced degree after they have retired. SB 608 eliminated the work/school requirement in the NH Child Care Scholarship Program for those at or over 67.

The yearly median cost of child care in New Hampshire for an infant is $21,593. When grandparents are raising grandchildren, it’s grandmothers who are primarily responsible and many struggle to afford child care on fixed incomes. 

This bill was signed into law by Governor Ayotte.

PROACTIVE LOSSES

We tried to pass Medicaid coverage for diapers (HB 1798)

The high cost of living in NH puts a disproportionate burden on women, and moms, particularly single moms, are struggling to make ends meet. Diapers cannot be purchased with SNAP, WIC, or Medicaid benefits and are a uniquely expensive necessity for moms of young children. 

We supported HB 1798 which would have provided a limited amount of diapers through Medicaid. New Hampshire would be the third state, after Arkansas and Delaware, to provide this support to Medicaid enrollees. 

The House Health and Human Services Committee voted to recommend ITL (kill) for this bill along party lines. The House voted to table the bill and effectively kill it. 

We tried to prohibit vape products from targeting girls (HB 1538)

Girls vape at higher rates than boys and vaping products often use marketing practices that target youth, particularly girls, with designs and flavors that might appeal to girls. 

We supported HB 1538 which would have prohibited vaping products from being marketed using candy and dessert flavors and popular characters among youth. And it would prohibit vaping devices that are disguised as school supplies or in clothing.

The House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee recommended it for Interim Study, which means the Committee would look further into the bill/issue but the bill itself will not move forward this session. 

The post 2026 Legislative Wrap Up appeared first on New Hampshire Women's Foundation.

The Music Hall’s decision to cancel Lovering Health Center’s rental contract — just six days before the healthcare provider’s annual fundraiser and documentary screening about abortion — has deeply shaken the Seacoast community.

In our public statement on October 9, we urged The Music Hall to “make it right.” We are grateful to the many community members who spoke out against this injustice and who stood in solidarity with Lovering. As the statewide women’s foundation investing in organizations serving women and girls, we are especially thankful for the many people who donated to Lovering in the aftermath of this unjust decision.

Rebuilding trust requires honesty and transparency. While we believe the Board of Trustees of The Music Hall (TMH) wishes to move forward and heal, the actions of its CEO continue to be troubling and contradictory. For that reason, we feel compelled to share a full and factual account of what transpired.

What Happened

In the immediate aftermath of the cancellation, we worked behind the scenes to understand the facts and seek a resolution — first by communicating with both Lovering and The Music Hall. TMH CEO Tina Sawtelle has repeatedly said that her decision was based on safety concerns following reports of a potential protest. However, she never reached out to Lovering’s leadership to discuss those concerns. When Lovering’s Executive Director asked to speak to Ms. Sawtelle after being notified of the event cancellation, she was told the decision was final and that Ms. Sawtelle “wasn’t going to speak to anyone.”

Ms. Sawtelle did speak with the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation on October 6. That conversation was deeply concerning. We were told that abortion was “too polarizing,” that “half of The Music Hall community” did not support abortion, and that the topic was a “lightning rod issue” on which The Music Hall must remain “neutral.” We were further told that other arts organizations “rooted in the contemporary arts” were better suited to take on “controversial subjects.”

We left that conversation with the clear understanding that The Music Hall was censoring a film about abortion and as we stated publicly on October 9, censorship of an abortion film perpetuates abortion stigma.

The Public Safety Claim

In its subsequent statement, The Music Hall again cited “public safety” concerns as the reason for cancellation. Yet the facts tell a different story. The information about the planned protest was shared with all event partners — including The Music Hall, the Portsmouth Police Department, the NH Peacekeepers, and the private security firm hired by Lovering at The Music Hall’s own recommendation.

The activist organizing the protest had requested participants bring chalk to write messages on the sidewalk before the screening. She asked people to RSVP and explicitly stated that the protest was not coordinated with New Hampshire Right to Life or any other national or state organization.

Despite knowing this, Ms. Sawtelle has continued to claim that a large-scale protest was expected. The Portsmouth Police Department refuted this directly in a Portsmouth Herald article published the same day as The Music Hall’s public statement. Deputy Police Chief Michael Maloney confirmed:

“Neither the chief nor I spoke to anyone at The Music Hall at any point. I would underscore that at no point in time was the police department tracking any kind of large-scale protest that we had safety concerns about.”

In the end, three peaceful protesters stood outside the new location of the Lovering fundraiser.

The Aftermath

Following our communication to The Music Hall Board of Trustees outlining these discrepancies, Lovering’s Executive Director received an email apology from the CEO and Board Chair for not better supporting them after cancellation. A similar apology was released publicly the following day.

While we welcomed this acknowledgment, progress toward accountability quickly unraveled. That same day, Ms. Sawtelle sent an email to local nonprofit leaders alleging a “digital civil war” of “cancel culture” against herself and The Music Hall staff — repeating the false claim that a “widespread invitation from New Hampshire Right to Life” had driven her decision. She also suggested she would have reconsidered her decision “had she received direct feedback from Lovering” — despite having declined to speak with them immediately after canceling.

The Path Forward

This continued doubling down and revision of events is profoundly disappointing. There have been numerous opportunities to take responsibility and begin to rebuild trust. Mistakes happen, and intent can differ from impact — but progress requires truth.

The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation, along with many in the Seacoast community, wants to see The Music Hall emerge from this moment as a stronger, more inclusive institution that truly values diverse perspectives. But genuine healing cannot occur without accountability, transparency, and a shared commitment to the truth.

We remain hopeful that The Music Hall Board will act decisively to restore trust and reaffirm the organization’s place as a cultural center that welcomes all voices — including those advocating for women’s health and reproductive freedom.

The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation invests in opportunity and equality for women and girls in the Granite State through research, advocacy, education, grantmaking and philanthropy.

The post NHWF Statement on Developments Since The Music Hall’s Decision to Cancel Lovering Health Center’s Event appeared first on New Hampshire Women's Foundation.

On May 21, the Executive Council voted 3-2 AGAINST a fully federally funded (no state dollars) contract for maternal health. The vote was not partisan. The three men on the Council (Joe Kenney, David Wheeler, and John Stephen) voted against the contract while the two women on the council (Karen Liot Hill and Janet Stevens) voted in support.

MATERNAL HEALTH IS NOT PARTISAN

Maternal health is not a partisan issue, but it is clear that women’s leadership is needed to ensure comprehensive women’s health care and protections for moms. We know that regardless of party, women in elected office are more likely to vote for efforts that support women and girls, and this was made abundantly clear in yesterday’s vote. 

HYPOCRISY

Just two weeks ago, Governor Ayotte read aloud and signed a proclamation for Maternal Mental Health Week in the presence of all five councilors and more than a dozen maternal health advocates. We were grateful to the Governor for lifting up the importance of maternal mental health in the presence of the Councilors. Afterwards, the councilors posed for photos with the maternal health advocates. It is hypocritical and politics at its worst for the three men on the Council to stand next to maternal health advocates for a photo op and turn around two weeks later and vote down a fully paid-for maternal health contract. 

ABOUT THE CONTRACT

The Department of Insurance brought this contract forward “for the purposes of studying access to women’s health services, particularly postpartum care, and to explore fiscally responsible options for expanding coverage within New Hampshire’s Essential Health Benefit benchmark plan.” This contract was entirely federally funded from an Expanding Access to Women’s Health Program grant and would propose ways to make sure moms with commercial/employer-based insurance get the postpartum care they need with lower hospital and insurance bills. There is no state funding for this grant or contract. 

The majority of Granite Staters, women, moms, and births are covered by commercial insurance, therefore, it is integral to study the level of birth and postpartum benefits and access to care commercial insurance is providing. The UNH Institute for Health Policy and Practice recently reported that pregnancy is the highest out-of-pocket expense for Granite Staters with commercial insurance and the cost has increased 42% since 2016.

WE NEED MORE WOMEN IN OFFICE

We know that, regardless of party, women in elected office are more likely to vote for efforts that support women and girls. We are so proud of the legislators and councilors across the political spectrum who sponsor the bills and take the votes for our most important priorities. 

IMPORTANCE OF MATERNAL HEALTH IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

New Hampshire moms continue to face serious gaps in maternal health and wellness. Behavioral health, including substance misuse, is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the state. 

Women in New Hampshire face disparities in access to adequate prenatal care by race, ethnicity, income, and location, putting them at increased risk for poor birth outcomes. 

In the past two decades, 11 maternity wards in the state have closed, increasing the median driving time for women to access care and disproportionately affecting women in rural communities. 

TAKE ACTION

• Send an email to the Executive Councilors asking them to reconsider and approve the fully funded maternal health contract.
• Consider running for office and/or encourage a friend to run for office and sign up for Women Run! 

The post Tell the Executive Council to support the maternal health contract appeared first on New Hampshire Women's Foundation.