House Passes Dangerous Discriminatory Church Bill
This week, the House unfortunately passed SB 291, a bill that, in its current amended form, will actually remove vital tax exemptions for several churches.
SB 291 was originally a positive bill to alleviate the unfair taxing of churches and enable them to help solve the housing crisis in their communities.
However, the bill was amended and will now curtail churches’ tax exemptions – the opposite of its original purpose. SB 291 will, for the first time, expressly interfere in church spending by requiring that certain church income be spent only on pastor compensation.
What is particularly egregious is that SB 291 was overwritten with surprise, last-minute new text after it had already had two hearings. The House gave churches no opportunity to testify about the problems with this text or how they use their rental income. It simply weakened churches with no debate.
Churches often provide for and give back to their communities with critical support such as church-led schools, shelters, food banks, and other charitable programs. Penalizing churches for providing these services deprives the surrounding community of valuable opportunities and resources.
You can read more about the full impact the amended bill would have on our blog here.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
📝 SB 291 will now go to a committee of conference, a group composed of both House and Senate members, who will review the bill and possibly amend it.
📩 We urge you to contact your representatives and your senator, and ask them to oppose any text in the committee of conference that conditions church tax exemption on how the church spends its income. Alternatively, you can simply ask them to oppose the House bill and restore the version of the bill that passed in the Senate, which supported, rather than harmed, churches.
Ask Committee to Restore Law Banning Teaching Discrimination
Our current law against teaching discrimination prohibits teaching critical race theory (CRT) in public schools. Unfortunately, the law is practically unenforceable due to agency non-enforcement as well as a 2024 NH federal court declaratory judgment that the law was unconstitutional.
Cornerstone has been the leading organization helping parents report violations of the law; we have also been working to restore the law by requiring agency enforcement and appealing the federal district judge’s ruling.
Separately, the House Education Policy and Administration Committee is currently considering an amendment to SB 100 that could potentially restore the CRT ban in our public schools.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
🗓️ The amendment is scheduled for a public hearing in the Committee on Tuesday, May 27, at 11:30 am.
✅ Register your support of amendment #2332h by signing in. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to sign in. Please select the box that says “Testimony is for non-germane amendment”.
✍️ Submit written testimony. You can do this when you sign in. Simply hit “choose file” under step number four to upload a document with your testimony, or type your testimony into the provided box.
📍 Attend the hearing and testify in person. The hearing will be in the Legislative Office Building, 33 North State Street, Concord, NH 03301, Rooms 205-207.
Right to Try Legislation Needs Your Voice in the Senate
The New Hampshire Senate is currently considering HB 701, a right to try expansion that would give terminally ill patients greater access to next generation treatments in development. The bill has already passed in the NH House.
By incorporating common-sense enhancements, including providing greater legal protections for patients and providers, HB 701 promises real relief for terminally ill individuals desperately seeking access to promising treatment options. It will not only advance life-affirming healthcare in New Hampshire, it will make our state the best jurisdiction in the country for clinical trials and seriously ill patients who are urgently seeking additional treatment options.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
🚨 The full Senate will vote on HB 701 on Thursday, June 5. While the time between now and then gives supporters of the bill more time to ensure its passage, it also gives the opposing plaintiffs’ attorneys’ association additional time to undermine the bill.
❌ The plaintiffs’ attorneys’ association will likely propose a floor amendment to strip liability protections for medical professionals, undermining the entire point of “right to try” laws and this bill. We have heard heartbreaking stories of denied access because of providers’ fear they will be taken to court.
📩 We strongly urge you to contact your Senator and ask them to vote YES on the OTP motion, and to oppose any amendment to that bill that would remove the civil liability waiver.
Special Cornerstone Event on HB 701 Sunday, June 1!
🎧 Join and listen to a panel on this critical right-to-try legislation with our attorney, Ian Huyett, and special guest speakers! Happening Sunday, June 1, at 8pm, this space is a great opportunity to learn about Right to Try laws and how HB 701 will improve our state! You are welcome to bring any questions, comments, or concerns about the bill.
⏯️ If you cannot join the upcoming X space, feel free to listen to the recordings of the first and second conversations about right to try legislation on Cornerstone’s X.
Contact Governor Ayotte and Your Executive Councilor Today
On August 31, 2025, New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice James P. Bassett will retire, leaving his seat open to a replacement. His replacement could shape the direction of all NH law for decades to come, including on 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, leaving another vital seat open.
These openings are our last chance to get 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.
Cornerstone is part of a coalition of conservative groups working to vet court 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 click on the contact button of each Executive Councilor’s profile to view the list of towns they represent.
📧 You can contact Governor Ayotte by emailing her at GovernorAyotte@governor.nh.gov, or calling (603) 271-2121.
NH Should Stop Being Anti-Family
Think New Hampshire is pro-family? Think again. Many NH communities are actively working to keep families and their dreaded children out. A NH House member from Weare recently shared a letter on X sent to him from a member of the Weare Planning Board with this telling reaction to the prospect of creating more affordable housing….
Read more of Shannon McGinley’s latest op-ed originally published in the Manchester Union leader on May 23, 2025.
