New Hampshire
We’re not kitten: States could move to ban declawing of cats
Lawmakers in more than a dozen states have filed legislation this year to outlaw the declawing of cats, which many animal advocates and some veterinarians say is a cruel deforming of felines’ bodies and impedes their natural instincts to climb and scratch. Maryland last year joined New York, which prohibited declawing in 2019, as the […]
Voting to Raise Their Own Pay Puts State Lawmakers in a Bind
Persistently low salaries discourage everyday citizens from serving in state legislatures, say legislators who face an uphill battle to raise pay. “Could a single parent be a state rep? Absolutely not. If you are the sole wage earner in a family, you can’t afford it — or even if you’re the primary wage earner,” Louisiana […]
States Strive to Reverse Shortage of Paramedics, EMTs
Note: This story was updated, February 6, 2023, to clarify the capabilities of emergency medical responders who have completed the first level of training in Louisiana’s Jump Start program. Low wages, a lack of work-life balance and burnout are among factors driving emergency medical services personnel around the country to quit ambulance duty. Last year, the […]
States Take on PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ With Bans, Lawsuits
“Forever chemicals” are everywhere. The thousands of chemicals in the group known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are found in cookware, packaging, cosmetics, clothing, carpet, electronics, firefighting foam and many other products. The chemicals, which do not naturally break down, are so widespread that they’re found in the blood of 97% of Americans. […]
More States Back Offshore Wind, Citing Economic Potential
Many states are looking to offshore wind as a key source of clean energy that’s essential in their fight against climate change. Other states are just looking to cash in. “States and regions that invest in offshore wind are going to benefit greatly economically,” said South Carolina state Rep. Jason Elliott, a Republican. “If South […]
One Region Led a 13-State Pandemic Baby Boomlet
New England has seen an unusual uptick in births during the coronavirus pandemic as more highly educated residents, especially those in their 30s, seized working from home as an opportunity to start a family. All six New England states were among the 13 states where births increased between 2019 and 2021. New Hampshire and Tennessee […]
Romance Scams Bedevil Law Enforcement
Jeanne Aikens was a widow in her late 60s when she found a new love. Or so she thought. Aikens had nursed her husband through Parkinson’s disease until his death a few years earlier, and she was ready to start dating again. Aikens, a nursing manager at Boston Children’s Hospital, met a man called “Logan” […]
Parents Say Mask-Optional Policies Leave Out High-Risk Students
Read more Stateline coverage of how schools are affected by and responding to COVID-19. Editor’s Note: The story has been updated to correct Amanda McDougald Scott’s name. After South Carolina banned schools last spring from mandating masks, Amanda McDougald Scott removed her immunocompromised 5-year-old son from the Greenville County School District and enrolled him in a private […]
Black Advocates Take Ownership of Ancestors’ History; Legislation Could Help
Editor’s note: This story was updated Feb. 25, 2022, to correct the spelling of Julie Schablitsky’s name. LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — On a windy Thursday morning in mid-February, the Rev. Michelle Thomas walked up a winding gravel path surrounded by dirt, broken tree branches and mostly brown grass. The path led to the African American […]
Offshore Wind Takes Off at Last. States Have Been Counting on It.
The United States currently produces almost no electricity from wind farms in ocean waters. That’s about to change—fast. State leaders have spent years laying the groundwork: requiring their utilities to purchase set amounts of offshore power by certain dates, investing in ports and transmission infrastructure and setting up workforce training programs. As a quickly growing […]
GOP Lawmakers Kickstart New Wave of Transgender Athlete Bans
South Dakota could become the first state this year to enact a law that would prohibit transgender girls from participating on sports teams for girls and women in high school and college. Without a floor debate, the state House on Wednesday advanced a bill that would ban transgender girls from playing on girls varsity sports […]
Small Cities Worry Cybersecurity Money Won’t Reach Them
The ransomware attack that struck Salem, New Hampshire, a little over a year ago forced the town to shut down its entire computer network—with chaotic consequences. Officials couldn’t process car registrations, and residents couldn’t pay taxes or water and sewer bills online. Workers couldn’t fully plan for the next year’s budget. Police and fire department […]