NEWS & NOTES Bronx gangs
Last November, the Hippo published a cover story (“Drug Dealers’ Paradise”; go to hippopress.com, click on “past issues” and look for the Nov. 5, 2015 issue) about the economic forces driving drug dealers from as far away as New York to sell drugs in New Hampshire. In it, we unveiled a link between several arrests by Manchester police of likely-gang-affiliated traffickers with ties to the Bronx. Now, four months later, New York police and federal agents have announced the largest gang crackdown in Bronx history, with 84 indicted on charges of drug dealing, gun running and several shootings. And authorities say those individuals arrested in Manchester were part of the same operation that allegedly sold crack cocaine predominantly in exchange for guns. Manchester police named three individuals that they arrested, and the Boston Herald reported six individuals were arrested in New Hampshire. The Boston Globe reported traffickers also operated out of Cape Cod towns of Bourne and Wareham, and authorities said dealers were selling $10,000 worth of crack cocaine a week for quadruple the price they would get if they sold it in the Bronx.
Statehouse marathon
During a couple marathon legislative sessions on March 9 and March 10, the House passed and killed several bills. NHPR reported the key legislation the House passed was the reauthorization of expanded Medicaid. The Republican-led House voted 215 to 145 to pass the bill after two hours of debate. The bill still includes work requirements but a floor amendment ensured that the program would continue if federal regulators reject the work requirements. The House also passed a 10-day residency requirement for voting in the state. The issue, which is meant to tackle voter fraud, gained traction after videos were released alleging to show voter fraud in the primary. Gov. Maggie Hassan vetoed a similar 30-day requirement last year. And a bill that would have raised the state’s minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by 2019 was killed by the House with a vote of 185 to 143. New Hampshire has a lower minimum wage than all its surrounding states with $7.25 an hour. HIPPO | MARCH 17 - 23, 2016 | PAGE 4
Senate race money
While only $2.6 million in outside money has already been spent on the U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Sen. Kelly Ayotte and Democratic challenger Gov. Maggie Hassan, observers expect it to blow out previous spending records. The Union Leader reported the last record of $31 million was set in the 2014 race for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s seat against Republican nominee Scott Brown. This is money not spent by the candidates’ campaigns but by corporations, advocacy groups, political action committees, unions and individuals. Both candidates have issued competing pledges to limit outside spending, but those pledges have been used more as political weapons than as uniting documents against independent forces. And with a third candidate now in the running — Republican former state senator Jim Rubens — high stakes and New Hampshire’s swing state status, experts say spending this cycle could get as high as $80 million.
Rx probe
An investigation by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office into suspected misleading marketing practices by major pharmaceutical companies, downplaying the risks of opioids like OxyContin and Oxycodone, has hit a wall. NHPR reported a court order nullifying a contract for outside legal help has slowed efforts by the AG, forcing him to draw up a new contract but with governor and Executive Council approval. The AG’s office subpoenaed five companies last August: Purdue, Teva, Actavis, Endo and Janssen. Purdue executives pleaded guilty to criminal charges in 2007 for aggressively marketing OxyContin to doctors while downplaying its addictiveness.
Pot survey
A majority of Granite Staters support legalizing marijuana for recreational use, according to a recent Granite State Poll by the University of New Hampshire. More than 60 percent support legalization while about 30 percent oppose it. In 2013, about 50 percent supported legalization and 43 percent opposed it. Yet bills in the legislature to legalize cannabis have failed to pass. According to the same survey, more than 70 percent approve selling marijua-
na at state liquor stores and taxing it at liquor levels. Twenty-four percent disapprove. New Hampshire is the only New England state that has not decriminalized marijuana, though it legalized it for medical purposes in 2013.
At a recent town meeting, voters in Bow approved a $4 million public safety complex that will house fire and police departments. The Union Leader reported construction is expected to be complete by next January. CONCORD
Expanded gambling
The state Senate will be taking up expanded gambling again in the next two weeks, according to the Union Leader. Democratic Sen. Lou D’Allessandro of Manchester, the bill’s sponsor, made a change to the legislation in order to garner at least one more vote he needs to pass it. Previously, the bill would have located the expanded gambling site at Rockingham Park in Salem. As rewritten, the location would be determined through a competitive process. It’s unclear whether the change is enough to win over Republican Sen. Kevin Avard of Nashua, whose vote is needed to pass, but this may be the last chance the legislature gets to pass expanded gambling in a way that competes with Massachusetts, as Rockingham Park is up for sale.
Merrimack water
In the wake of news that Merrimack’s drinking water may be contaminated with perfluorochemicals, it’s gotten the attention of politicians and activists. NHPR reported Gov. Maggie Hassan along with Vermont and New York governors wrote a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency urging the EPA to review its standards for this kind of contamination. Meanwhile, the law firm of clean water activist Erin Brockovich is looking into the issue
SOLAR OWNERS
There will still be a police force in Canterbury following a recent town meeting vote. The Union Leader reported the warrant article to disband the town’s police department was added by petition, but a recent report recommended upgrades to the department. Hooksett
Students from 20 high schools and middle schools competed in the Science Goffstown Olympiad State Tournament in Manchester on March 12. The Union Leader reported this was the eighth state tournament of its kind.
MANCHESTER
Bedford
In Merrimack, a deliberaAmherst tive session approved sending a $34 million budget to be votedMilford on April 12. The Union Leader reported the budget, if approved, would raise the town portion of the tax rate by 9 cents to $5.58 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
Merrimack
Derry
Londonderry
NASHUA
and may start its own investigation, and a Kentucky lawyer who’s spent his career fighting DuPont in multimillion-dollar lawsuits over PFCs wrote a letter saying the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services downplayed the risks when it first announced the issue.
can State Rep. Jack Flanagan of Brookline made his candidacy for Congressional District 2 official. The AP reported Flanagan is the first to challenge Democratic incumbent Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster in the 2016 cycle. Flanagan, who has served five terms in the House, recently stepped down as majority leader under Speaker Flanagan for CD2 After previously announcing an Shawn Jasper in order to work on his exploratory committee, Republi- campaign.
The New Hampshire House passed a bill to raise the current net metering cap from 50 megawatts to 100 megawatts. NHPR reported the net metering program allows for excess energy produced by property owners with solar panels to be sold back into the grid. It serves as an important economic incentive for the growth of renewable energy systems like solar and for businesses who install or lease solar to grow. Renewable energy advocates warn that failure to raise the cap would result in job losses in the solar sector. The Senate passed a similar bill that would raise the cap to 75 megawatts, but critics said that wasn’t enough to save jobs in 2016.
PITTSFIELD POT PROPONENT
A measure to legalize marijuana in a small New Hampshire town failed and the measure’s proponents vowed to continue the effort. The Concord Monitor reported Dan Schroth wasn’t given a chance to give his whole spiel in defense of the proposal at a recent town meeting in Pittsfield. Town Moderator Art Morse stopped Schroth short, saying it would be illegal for the town to allow recreational marijuana use and to tax its sale. Though no one spoke against the measure, voters widely rejected it. Schroth said he would protest at the town’s veterans memorial on the 20th of every month, frustrated that he couldn’t speak on his warrant article.