Rep. Robert Wherry

Maddy summaryHB 358 would have allowed parents or guardians to claim religious exemptions from school and daycare vaccination requirements for children. It directly affected families seeking to opt out of immunization mandates based on religious beliefs. The bill proposed amending existing law to establish a clearer process for submitting such exemptions, replacing current requirements. The bill passed both legislative chambers in June 2025 but was vetoed by Governor Ayotte on July 15, 2025, preventing it from becoming law.

Maddy summaryHB 356 would have allowed school districts to choose whether to hold partisan elections for school board seats, meaning candidates could run under political party labels (e.g., Democrat or Republican) instead of as nonpartisan candidates. This change would directly affect school districts that opt to adopt this system and the voters who participate in those elections. The bill’s key provision was amending election rules to permit partisan contests, shifting the process from nonpartisan to party-based voting for school board positions. The bill passed both legislative chambers in May 2025 but was vetoed by Governor Ayotte on July 7, 2025, so it did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 437 provides a legal process to correct property records when mortgages remain unpaid but are no longer active, directly affecting property owners with unresolved mortgage documentation. The bill establishes a streamlined procedure for recording authorities to clear outdated mortgage liens without requiring full repayment, using court-certified affidavits to verify the mortgage's inactivity. This removes bureaucratic barriers preventing property owners from selling or refinancing due to obsolete mortgage records. The law became effective September 5, 2025, after passing the legislature and being signed by the governor.

Maddy summaryHB 288 limits when voters can request absentee ballots by requiring most applications to be received or postmarked within six months before an election. It directly affects voters seeking absentee ballots, except for federal UOCAVA forms (used by military and overseas voters), which can only be submitted starting January of the election year. The bill modifies state law to prevent acceptance of absentee ballot applications received earlier than this six-month window. This creates a specific timeframe for submitting absentee ballot requests, aligning with standard election administration practices.

Maddy summaryHB 474 requires that when counting write-in votes using ballot counting devices (which display write-in votes digitally or on paper), the moderator must conduct the count in the presence of a second sworn election official. This applies to towns or cities using devices approved by the state ballot law commission. The law directly affects local election officials handling write-in votes in jurisdictions using such technology, adding a verification step to the counting process. It does not change how write-in votes are cast, only the procedure for counting them.