News – Politics – Opinion – Podcasts
The Vermont Futures Project made something of a splash when it released a statistic showing that Vermont ranks 51st among 50 states (D.C. thrown in for giggles) for something they call “economic momentum.” This sounds really bad and, spoiler alert, it is. But, full confession, it’s not a statistic I was familiar with. Other organizations … Read more
No Independents this week, so we’re filling the time slot with the latest installment from The Granite Discourse: Mike Belcher is a NH state rep for Carroll County District 4. He is also the Author of Counterspell: A Field Manual for the Counter-Revolution, available on Amazon. Authors’ and Speakers’ opinions are their own and may … Read more
New Hampshire eliminated annual passenger vehicle inspections last year. Beginning in February 2026, they are no longer mandatory. The journey from there to here is well documented on our pages, including the lawsuits, caterwauling, and fearmongering. The problem was the paradigm. People just assumed that the state’s interest in making you pay for an inspection … Read more
Join us on Tuesday, July 14th, from 5 PM to 9 PM at the Grappone Center in Concord for the 603 Alliance 2026 Issues Briefing. Enjoy dinner while you learn about key issues from a legislative perspective. The Issues Briefing is a policy-forum firehose to help our trainees and guests grasp key issues at the … Read more
Kelly Ayotte is all about Kelly Ayotte, anything outside her personal wish list be damned. We’ve seen it with her serial vetoing of women’s bills, and don’t forget school “library lewdness,” because she vetoed SB434 today. Like any other governor, she has signed many bills that may or may not be relevant to most ordinary … Read more
Why did Cheshire County Attorney Chris McLaughlin hire Laurie List PD James McLaughlin when he knew he was on the Laurie List, and why did Chris McLaughlin transfer Robert LaMontagne’s case against James F. McLaughlin to Grafton County Attorney Martha Hornick when he knew full well that Hornick would have to come back to his … Read more
Senator Bernie Sanders says America has a student debt crisis. He’s right about that. Forty-three million Americans owe student loans. About 76,000 Vermonters have them. Many borrowers are struggling, and some face higher monthly payments starting tomorrow, July 1, as changes to federal repayment programs take effect. Sanders recently held a Senate roundtable featuring borrowers … Read more
A Solid Win for Fairness, But New Hampshire Must Finish the Job SCOTUS affirms sex-based categories under Title IX and the Constitution — now Governor Ayotte must sign HB 1442 to protect NH girls in sports, locker rooms, bathrooms, and prisons. On June 30, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a solid win for women … Read more
Here’s an odd bit of fiscal news for you. New Hampshire is not known for its affordable access to health care, though that has been improving in recent years thanks to Republicans in the legislature and the corner office. I know something happened ot the Republican State Senate as summer approached, and they went sideways, … Read more
Dear Mr. Karoutas, Since your firm has received $70,000 or more since 27th October, 2025, to help with communications and image for the judiciary, perhaps you can provide answers to the following questions: 1) When is the Supreme Court going to hear the complaint I have against Jane Young for Conflicts of Interest in her … Read more
On March 21, Laconia launched New England’s first social district, a designated area where drinking is allowed in public under tightly regulated conditions. With Motorcycle Week looming, critics on social media mockingly predicted disaster. A week later, Joia Hughes, Laconia’s economic development and housing director, summed up the damage. “No problems,” she said. Mayor Mike … Read more
This week, on Right Side Up, Alison and Mike discuss some of the upcoming America 250 July 4 events, a pending Act 73 lawsuit, and the state of the economy. Watch on the ‘Grok Rumble Channel if the Embedded Video does not load. Authors’ and Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those … Read more
Nashua has around 90,000 people in it, give or take, making it the second largest collection of people in a municipality in the state of New Hampshire. As of June 2026, 46,917 of them are registered to vote. As you’d expect, Dems have a registration advantage, but something has happened since 2024. Based on data … Read more
— ACTA’s Goal: Foster growth of Classical Education options — ACTA NON VERBA Foundation, a New Hampshire-based private charitable organization established to promote schools offering students a classical education, announced today that Richard A. Merkt of Westmoreland has been elected Chairman of its Board of Trustees. Merkt succeeds Kimberly Lavallee of Mont Vernon, who served … Read more
Welcome to our special, limited-time collaboration with Bare Minimum Books. In the month of July, for every $50.00 of support you direct to GraniteGrok.com, you can choose one PDF edition of one of Ian Underwood’s Bare Minimum Books. The Granite Grok + Bare Minimum Books fundraiser is now live. Celebrate Independence by supporting independent media … Read more
Mid Vermont Christian School in Quechee has asked a federal appeals court to overturn Vermont’s Act 73 exclusion of religious schools from the state’s tuition and other public education benefit programs, arguing the policy violates the First Amendment, according to a statement by Alliance Defending Freedom. Attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom filed an opening brief … Read more
Four Washington County legislators are being taken to task on the Rural Vermont Rising Facebook group for what a poster says is their negative characterization of the grassroots organization’s successful efforts this year to repeal Act 181 and promote legislation protecting property rights. The criticism follows a post-session legislative forum on Wednesday, June 24, in … Read more
Last year I did what I like to do. When everyone on both sides of the aisle was ranting about New Hampshire’s homeless rate rising 52.1%, I dragged out the numbers because context matters. Yes, it “doubled.” From 1172 to 2441, people who reported or self-reported as “unhoused” for at least one night. One night. … Read more
This week: a critical bill protecting women and girls is on the Governor’s desk — and she needs to hear from you. Tell the Governor: Sign HB 1442 — Protect Women and Girls The New Hampshire legislature has just sent Governor Ayotte another chance to protect the privacy and safety of women and girls. HB 1442 passed … Read more
In this installment of The Granite Discourse, David M. Scanlan is the NH Secretary of State. He is serving his second term as the SOS. He was the NH deputy SOS for 20 years before that, and a NH state rep for 18 years before that. Note: This podcast was recorded prior to HB 1569 … Read more