Rep. David Paige (D-Conway) is a sharp guy. In only his second term in the NH House, he's arguably the most sophisticated member in the 400-member body on the #1 issue facing New Hampshire these days: Housing (and the lack thereof).

In this episode, we went through the reasons why the NH housing market is so tight, and so expensive. It's supply problems, including challenges legislators can help address (like zoning changes to lower some of the costs of new construction, and to make ADUs and manufactured housing easier to build), and some that are bigger than simply New Hampshire (like the high cost of supplies, such as lumber, thanks in part to tariffs). It's also the demand side, though - especially for those at the entry-level side of renting or buying.

There may be as much bipartisan opportunity in housing policy as *any* topic in NH, but Democrats (dealing with being on the wrong side of a GOP trifecta) have been pushing Governor Ayotte and Republicans to fund housing programs *proven* to increase new home starts (like the Housing Champion Program), and to consider fairness in access to housing, particularly for renters.

We went through it all, and then closed with David's thoughtful take on how he seeks to lead at a moment when the GOP has full control, as well as some of the underlying factors going into the continued growth and dynamism in the Mount Washington Valley - one of my favorite parts of the state.

Former Executive Councilor (and 2020 gubernatorial candidate) Andru Volinsky released his "3-3 Tax Savings Plan" Tuesday morning at the NH State House, and it definitely got the New Hampshire political community talking. The plan would rely on a 3% income tax (w/significant deductions) and a $3 per $1,000 statewide property tax (with a $250K homestead exemption) to generate significant revenue earmarked for public education. They also released a calculator to allow you to see what they say their plan would mean for your household: www.nhtaxsavingscalculator.com Volinsky and State Rep. Tom Oppel (D-Canaan) came on my Substack Live show immediately after the press conference to talk about their plan, and to answer a lot of questions I had about the political viability of the plan. The current frontrunner for the gubernatorial nomination, Cinde Warmington, has pledged no income or sales tax. The entire Democratic State Senate caucus opposes it, as well. And all of Democratic House leadership, along with the majority of its House caucus, oppose central tenets of the "3-3" plan.Can they build political support in that context with only eight months until Election Day? How can they assure that the new revenue would go to property tax relief? And what do they say to those (Democrats and Republicans) who oppose the plan?

What would you do if a bill going through your state legislature had the potential to be the most harmful piece of public policy in your state in a generation?

If you're my two guests today, you'd build a statewide coalition to do something about it in a matter of weeks.

My guests today are a pair of local leaders who are impressively organizing a statewide coalition opposed to HB751 - a bill that would create arguably America's most expansive (and expensive) open enrollment system.

Micaela Demeter, a member of the Dover School Board, and Lil Maughan, the Chair of the Lebanon School Board, are two of the three originators (along with ConVal School Board members Curtis Hamilton) of an open letter laying out the concerns with HB751, including dozens of questions they have with the bill's potential consequences. You can read the letter, as well as a partial list of the questions raised by the signatories, here.

New Hampshire's public education system is regularly ranked in the top 10 nationally. though it is also among the more expensive per-pupil, as well. NH relies far more on local property taxes to pay for education than any state in the nation - barely 20% of the cost is covered by state government!

The pressure this is putting on some of America's highest property taxes is reaching a breaking point, and the GOP-dominated legislature is passing increasingly provocative legislation in response. In 2025, it was a universal voucher program; this year, it was an attempt to mandate a state cap on local per pupil spending (which narrowly failed when 22 House Republicans broke from party leadership to effectively kill it). Now, it is HB751 - universal open enrollment. And, if enacted, it threatens to be the most impactful law passed in New Hampshire on any policy area in at least a generation.

One of the most experienced and respected legislators in New Hampshire 400-member House, 23-term State Representative Mary Jane Wallner (D-Concord) has seen it all. She's been the Majority Leader, served under Democratic *and* GOP trifectas, and earned bipartisan respect along the way.

MJ was *also* the Executive Director of one of Concord's best-known child care centers, serving as ED for 30+ years, and has perhaps the most sophisticated take on the struggles with both supply *and* demand in New Hampshire's child care infrastructure.

In this episode, we spent a lot of time on a snowy weekend midday getting into the weeds on child care, as well as on other issues where MJ is leading, such as reforming the way we fund special education in New Hampshire.

We hit on some fun topics, too - My wife and I have going to the Westminster Dog Show on our bucket list, but MJ and her husband have attended, and it is even more fun (if you're a dog person) than I imagined! Anyway, enjoy this show, and please rate and share it, as well.

Learn more about the work Steve Marchand is doing at his Substack, at www.SteveMarchand.com, and at his political organization, www.MoveTheGoalpostsNH.com.

New Hampshire State Representative Anita Burroughs has seen a lot during her four terms in the NH House, going back to her upset win vs. former Speaker of the House Gene Chandler in 2018. In the 7+ years since then, Burroughs has become a well-respected member of the Commerce & Consumer Affairs Committee, able to thread the needle: Working well with Republicans while publicly calling out the problems she sees with the GOP's agenda and leadership.

Her Substack, Inside the New Hampshire Dome with Anita Burroughs, does a great job of providing the blow-by-blow of policymaking in NH from a veteran legislator's perspective.

We go through some of the highest-profile and potentially most consequential bills of 2026; how she got involved in politics in the first place, and what it was like to take on one of the most prominent state-level politicians in NH; and the changing politics of her part of the state (she represents the northern part of Carroll County, a part of the state with a combination of bright blue and ruby red - towns quickly getting bluer thanks to an influx of tourists-turned-residents and anti-MAGA Yankee Republicans, and other towns getting redder, reflecting the transition of blue-collar mill towns we see across the country).

It's a great, relaxed, wide-ranging conversation. Learn more at Anita's Substack (go to Substack.com and type her name into the search bar), and visit Steve's Substack at www.SteveMarchand.com.

New Hampshire is one of 20 states that do not have a state minimum wage, and thus default to the federal minimum of $7.25/hour - a number hasn't changed in over 16 years.

Of those 20 states, NH has the highest cost of living, and (along with PA) are the only states in the northeastern U.S. with no state-level minimum wage. Rep. Kathy Staub (D-Manchester) is the lead sponsor of a bill (HB1484) that's hoping to do something about this.

The bill would create a $12/hr. minimum wage, gradually increasing to $17/hr. over the next several years. With the GOP having solid majorities in both the House and Senate, as well as Gov. Kelly Ayotte, the effort faces long odds in the short term, but Staub has worked on this issue for years in office and as an advocate, and she came armed with facts and arguments for this episode.

We discussed everything from the politics of building bipartisan support for a strong minimum wage, to a series of policies supported by NH and national Republicans having the effect of widening the income and wealth gap.

For our year-end episode, I brought on two good friends who are a generation younger than me: Emerson Doiron and Zach Nelson. We talked 2025 politics (NH and national), but then things careened wildly: Getting iced coffee at Dunkin' with Eric Swalwell during a snowstorm. How playing Oregon Trail on the one computer in the classroom in the early-to-mid 1980s made me afraid of...Oregon. How Vegas (where Zach is from) has changed the rules, minimum bids, and payout of blackjack over the past 15 years to make it a lot less attractive to everyday people. Why Drake Maye is the NFL MVP (and Matthew Stafford is not). How the "Nick Punto trade" caused me to wake up my entire family while getting gas in Gray, Maine. And describing the leadup to Y2K to young Millennials without sounding crazy. Have some fun, kick back, and enjoy this wide-ranging, stream-of-consciousness conversation as you take some time off before 2026 kicks in!

Alexis Simpson is the Minority Leader of the New Hampshire House - and so much more. The veteran Democratic legislator from Exeter is an ordained minister with an academic background in physics, who originally came into state politics through her interest in sustainable farming (a particularly important topic in NH). This diverse (and, in some ways, unconventional) background for a political leader has many subtle advantages, and we explored her leadership style and hopeful outlook.In the 400-seat NH House, the GOP currently has about a 222-178 majority, and along with a Republican State Senate majority, and Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte, a legislative trifecta. They've largely used that trifecta to aggressively push forward a number of provocative policies, including arguably the country's most libertarian school voucher program and the elimination of the state's Interest & Dividends tax, while increasing the cost of the state's Medicaid program for lower-income families to help balance the budget.Simpson and House Democrats recently released their "Fair Chance Agenda", with specific legislation meant to help address the high cost of everything from housing, to health insurance, to child care. We talked about that legislative agenda, what it's like to try to push the ball forward while in the minority, and big recent news that the national Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) has put the NH House (and Senate) into "Battleground" status. It's a big deal for the 2026 elections, which we discussed at length, as well.

Christian Urrutia is a Democratic candidate for Congress in New Hampshire's 1st district. It's an open seat, as current Rep. Chris Pappas (D-Manchester) is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Jeanne Shaheen. It's a competitive congressional seat (about D+2), and they don't come open often, so both sides of the aisle are engaged in sprawling primaries. Urrutia came on the show today to unveil his plan to address arguably Americans' biggest concern these days: Affordability. The plan is called "A Fair Shake for All", and it led to an hour-long conversation where I sought to get a handle on some of the nuances of policy (including cause-and-effect) in housing, child care, health care, and inflation. You can find the plan - and much more about the candidate - at www.UrrutiaForNH.com.

How do you know you're getting stuff done? When the NH House GOP files a frivolous "impeachment inquiry" bill to try to shut you up. We discussed that and much more with Executive Councilor Karen Liot Hill during a recent Substack Live broadcast. Included in the discussion: Her first year as the only Democrat on the 4-1, GOP-led Executive Council has been quite eventful, with unusual coalitions and opportunities to draw attention to issues that most NH Democrats simply can't command right now. She's also preparing to kick off a tour in early 2026, answering a question she hears all the time: "Why are your property taxes so high?"