Contact Governor Ayotte and Your Executive Councilor Today
On August 31, 2025, New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice James P. Bassett will retire, opening his seat, one of only five on the court. Whoever is named to his seat will help shape the direction of all NH law for decades to come, significantly impacting critical issues such as life and religious and civil liberties.
While Justice Bassett’s upcoming retirement results in a more immediate opening, Justice Anna Hantz Marconi has a mandatory retirement date of February 12, 2026, which will leave another vital seat open within another six months.
These openings are our last chance to form an originalist court for the next decade, one that would faithfully follow the meaning and intent of our state constitution as the writers intended. New Hampshire does not need an ideologically-driven activist Supreme Court. In our state and nationally, we have all witnessed the damage that can be caused by a politically motivated judiciary.
Cornerstone is part of a coalition of conservative groups working to vet judicial candidates.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
We urge you to contact Governor Kelly Ayotte and your Executive Councilor and tell them to make sure Justice Bassett’s replacement is someone who supports our constitution and fights for its protections of life and liberty. Urge them to oppose any stealth candidate with no public paper trail of their views on these critical issues.
⚖️ You can find your Executive Councilor here. Simply go to the councilor’s profile page and click on the contact button under their photo to view the list of towns they represent. Alternately you can look at the district map to identify your town’s district.
You can contact Governor Ayotte by emailing her at GovernorAyotte@governor.nh.gov, or calling (603) 271-2121.
Right to Try Advances to Governor’s Desk
Last month, the House and Senate voted to adopt the committee of conference version of HB 701, a right-to-try expansion that will make New Hampshire one of the best states in the country for providing access to next-generation treatments for terminally ill patients.
Although the federal government and most states have “right-to-try” laws, these statutes have such weak protections that virtually no patient has ever been able to use them.
Thanks to HB 701, or the The John Lewicke and Michael Yakubovich Right to Try Act, New Hampshire will now lead the way with several vital and cutting-edge improvements to our existing law. These include a critical limitation on civil liability, approval for remote prescreening and signing of consent forms, and the right of a provider or patient to seek injunctive relief against a state regulatory or law enforcement authority that is obstructing their treatment.
Rep. Lisa Mazur’s right-to-try expansion, named after former state representatives and bill champions John Lewicke and Michael Yakubovich, will empower the Granite State to become a national leader in biotechnology. To learn more, see our full page of resources on the bill here.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Although there’s no announced timeline for the governor’s decision, we encourage you to continue to contact the Governor and stay tuned for updates as we monitor this closely. Your ongoing advocacy is essential to make sure this life-saving legislation becomes law.
Please contact Gov. Ayotte and ask her to sign the bill into law to make New Hampshire one of the best jurisdictions in America for the terminally ill to gain access to experimental treatments.
Saving Lives – Safe Havens and Churches
Just days ago, a newborn baby was discarded in a dumpster in Truckee, California. Thankfully, the infant was discovered and rescued in time. Ironically, the very consequences the mother was likely seeking to avoid are hers to deal with as she is now charged with attempted murder and child abuse. And, sadly, there are children who do not survive being abandoned such as the infant found in a Manchester pond in April of this year.
That New Hampshire tragedy never needed to happen. In our state, we thankfully have a newly invigorated Baby Safe Haven Law that offers robust protections for unwanted children by empowering hospitals and safe havens to accept temporary custody for children up to 61 days old. A “safe haven” by definition includes churches, police stations, and fire stations that have staff members present.
It’s important to note that a so-called “baby box” is not the same as a “safe haven.” A baby box is simply a device that can be installed in a 24-hour staffed facility (such as a hospital or fire station) which facilitates the surrender of a child. While baby boxes have successfully saved lives, as evidenced from this newborn surrender in New Mexico, a baby box is not required for a facility to be a safe haven.
Also important to note is that, if you are a New Hampshire church that has staff present, you are already a named safe haven by law. Practically speaking, though, churches need to make the decision whether to commit to being a safe haven and promote that commitment to the public. A growing number of churches are embracing their safe haven status by posting signage notifying the public of their willingness to accept unwanted newborns during their staffed hours.
You never know where and when a parent will make the decision to abandon their unwanted infant. We need churches across the state who are willing to accept this most sacred of responsibilities – preserving the precious gift of life. Find out more about our safe haven laws and how your church can step into the gap to save these children.