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ORTOLANO: The 13-to-1 Problem: How NH Superior Court’s ‘Assigned Docketing’ Utterly Destroys Rights to an Impartial Judge

Laurie Ortolano

My six-year fight for government transparency, recognized by the Nackey S. Loeb and New England First Amendment Awards, exposed a cynical failure in the New Hampshire judicial system. My Right-to-Know (RTK) lawsuits sought critical records, from assessing records to an alleged fraudulent federal funding scheme for the Nashua Performing Arts Center, a matter serious enough that the federal government is … Read more

EMail

OPINION: Phishing or Taunting?

Jane Aitken

Beware of emails that you may get that look like this. This one was sent to us by one of our members. Forward the email to us and we will report it to the registrar and hosting server. Hi [recipient’s name redacted], I’m Sam, I’m representing an ADU builder in NH. I’m looking for people … Read more

HOHENSEE: Judicial Nomination Power – Shared, Not Sole

Doris Hohensee

Since at least 2000, our governors have knowingly usurped the Executive Council’s power to nominate judges. Courts are an essential branch of government, but we’ve learned the hard way that our rights are no longer sacrosanct in the NH courts. Nominating and appointing the best judges is critically important. The NH Constitution says that all … Read more

Scott Brown and John E Sununu

MACDONALD: As The Brown / Sununu Campaign for US Senate Percolates

Steve MacDonald

We’ve seen coalitions of locals forming up around the Republican Primary for US Senate. Jeanne-The-debt-Machine-Shaheen is retiring from politics about 18 years too late, and the GOP would like to pick up the seat. Scott Brown, who no right-minded conservative would have trusted previously as anything but another NRC stooge of choice, has become “the … Read more

Welcome to salem NH

SMITH: A Salem Parade Without Local Politicians

Julie Smith

Dr Frank has often told his audiences “politicians don’t start parades, they join parades.”  The Londonderry Old Home Day parade is said to be the biggest parade in NH, but one could easily argue that the Salem Christmas parade can give it a run for its money.  Having been a spectator in 2023, I knew … Read more

empty chairs classroom

CLINE: NH Public Schools Post Nation’s Largest Enrollment Decline

Andrew Cline

4th Highest Per-Pupil Spending Growth As New Hampshire’s K-12 public schools experienced the largest enrollment decline of any state this century, they enjoyed the fourth-highest increase in per-pupil spending, according to a new analysis from the Reason Foundation’s K-12 Education Spending Spotlight. Per-pupil public education spending in New Hampshire grew by 60.5% from 2002-2023, the fourth-highest … Read more

chicken

OPINION: There is No “Chicken” Problem in Merrimack

Jeanne Martin

The Proposed Ordinance is an unnecessary intrusion. Dear Councilors, fellow Merrimack residents, and interested members of the public. Since my last letter, I’ve had more time to reflect on the proposed chicken ordinance.  I stand behind every word of my last letter, and I’ve made it public for the sake of discussion. Still, I now … Read more

The Granite Discourse

The Granite Discourse: Mike ter Maat

Granite Discourse

[Elsa Kurt took the week off for the holiday] Mike Ter Maat is a retired economist and 2024 Vice Presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party. He was in New Hampshire recently to recruit for the NH chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus. Note: I have served on the board of the Republican Liberty Caucus of … Read more

Maggie Goodlander

MOFFETT: Rep. Maggie Goodlander: Seditious or just Shameful?

Michael Moffett

There are many angles from which to view the “Scandalous Saga of the Seditious Six,” the recent Video-Gate story of six Democrat congresspeople who went public to admonish serving military personnel that they don’t need to follow orders they deem illegal. Such sagas have value in that they necessarily raise awareness about history, law, civics, … Read more

The Independents

The Independents: Do NH Right-to-Know Laws Need a Major Overhaul?

The Independents with Carla Gericke

This week, on the Independents with Carla Gericke, I sit down with First Amendment firebrand [And longtime GraniteGrok.com contributor] Laurie Ortolano—winner of the 2023 Nackey Loeb Award and the 2025 NEFAC Award—to talk about why New Hampshire’s Right-to-Know system is… let’s call it “quaint.” . Speakers’ opinions are their own and may not represent those … Read more

HOHENSEE: State Bailouts Protect State Mandates

Doris Hohensee

Funding should not be the defining issue in public education. But it is, because the state government is addicted to federal funds and imposes endless mandates on school districts. Many of these mandates aren’t fully funded, in violation of Article 28-a Part 1 of the NH Constitution. Taxpayers are screaming about skyrocketing property taxes. The … Read more

CLINE: The RGGI Trap

Andrew Cline

According to national media reports, Pennsylvania’s 2025 budget deal caused the state to “exit” RGGI. Media coverage also used the words “leave,” “quit” and “pull out” to describe Pennsylvania’s abandonment of RGGI. Pennsylvania, though, wasn’t actually a member of RGGI.  In 2019, then-Gov. Tom Wolf issued an executive order for his administration to adopt regulations consistent with … Read more

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COLQUHOUN: 75 is Too Late – Prioritizing Judicial Performance Over Tenure in NH

Laura Colquhoun

Maintaining High Performance and Efficiency on the Bench Demands a Firm Retirement Standard, Not Political Convenience. New Hampshire voters have already spoken, rejecting a constitutional amendment to raise the mandatory retirement age for judges from 70 to 75. Yet, despite this direct public feedback, this costly and ill-advised proposal, CACR9, is back on the legislative … Read more

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