Headlines from the Granite State
603 Equality
603 Equality, the two-year-old statewide LGBTQ+ rights nonprofit advocating for legislative and policy change in New Hampshire, has hired its first full-time employee, naming Aimee Terravecchia as executive director.
Reports The Laconia Daily Sun, Terravecchia, a former sales representative at the newspaper, began her new role Dec. 29, just ahead of the start of the 2026 legislative session. She said the timing is critical as the organization enters its third year and increases its presence at the Statehouse through lobbying, policy direction, and advocacy.
“Our organization does this in a multitude of ways, through community organizing, engagement, storyteller series and de-escalation trainings,” Terravecchia said.
A native of Alton, Terravecchia said while attitudes have changed since her youth, “there is still a lot of fear and misinformation.” She noted that dozens of bills affecting the LGBTQ+ community are pending, spanning issues from education and bathroom access to marriage equality and transgender participation in athletics.
Founded in 2023, 603 Equality was previously led by a working board. Terravecchia said her hiring will allow board members to focus more on long-term strategy while continuing their advocacy work. (See story on p. <?>.)
Opposition testimony
In early February, GLAD Law and New Hampshire Outright submitted testimony in opposition to NH SB430, “legislation that invades the privacy of LGBTQ youth,” according to a GLAD Law press release.
Explains GLAD Law, SB430 requires educators to respond “completely and honestly” within 10 business days to all written inquiries by parents regarding “material” information relating to their child enrolled at the educator’s school. GLAD Law and New Hampshire Outright’s testimony highlights that the “completely and honestly” and “material” standards in SB430 are vague and undefined. Additionally, the legislation does not sufficiently protect students from potential harms that could be cause by excessive disclosure to parents and undermines school board’s ability to institute polices to protect LGBTQ students.
Additionally, states the testimony, “School policy is a matter of local control and SB 430 undermines the ability of democratically elected school boards to institute policies to protect LGBTQ students.
Ayotte vetoes anti-trans bill … again
In early February, reports GLAD Law, Governor Ayotte vetoed SB 268, a bill that would have rolled back critical nondiscrimination protections for transgender and gender nonconforming Granite Staters and imposed unpopular policies such as bathroom bans in New Hampshire.
In 2018, New Hampshire became the first US state to pass an update to its nondiscrimination law to include transgender people through an entirely Republican-controlled House, Senate, and Governor. The bill she vetoed would have rolled back some of those protections for transgender people in public places, including restrooms, making it harder and less safe for an already vulnerable group of Granite Staters to simply go about their daily lives.
Governor Ayotte vetoed identical legislation, HB 148, last year. Prior to that, her predecessor Governor Sununu also vetoed a similar bill.
Another crucial Ayotte veto
In January, the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted 181–157 in support of SB 33, advancing a controversial measure critics say would significantly expand censorship in public schools, reports the nonprofit EveryLibrary. The bill goes beyond restricting access to certain books, extending to webpages, videos, artwork, performances, and other instructional materials used in school settings.
The vote came just weeks after the House voted 183–167 to sustain a veto by Kelly Ayotte of HB 324, a separate education-related measure. SB 33 now returns to the Senate, where lawmakers must either vote to concur with the House changes or request a committee of conference to resolve differences between the chambers.
In her veto message for HB 324, Ayotte warned against state involvement in determining literary value and appropriateness, arguing that such decisions rely on “subjective standards.” She also cited the risk of “extensive civil action…from out-of-state groups,” raising concerns about both the constitutional and practical implications of legislation that regulates educational content.
“All Granite Staters deserve the freedom to read, and to see themselves, and their families reflected in the books in their classrooms. Parents and teachers are already partners in the work of supporting each child inside of the classroom, and out. We will never stop fighting to ensure the Granite State is a place where every child can live free and read,” stated Heidi Carrington Heath, executive director, NH Outright.