Latest news with #JohnFormella
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
High court upholds House redistricting plan
The state's highest court rejected an appeal from critics that the Republican-led redistricting of the New Hampshire House of Representatives was so politically drawn that it should be deemed unconstitutional. In its unanimous 4-0 ruling the New Hampshire Supreme Court decided the maps for the 400 seats approved and signed into law in 2022 met the 'rational basis' test that courts hold for such legislative acts. A group of 10 residents had brought the appeal that alleged the approved map had failed to provide enough towns and city wards with their own representation. They had introduced a rival plan from a nonpartisan organization known as 'Map-A-Thon' that came up with a proposal that gave 15 more communities and city wards their own state rep compared to the House plan. The justices noted that any lawsuit against redistricting faces a high bar because it's the actions of a separate and independent branch of government. 'This means that we will not hold the redistricting statute to be unconstitutional unless a clear and substantial conflict exists between it and the Constitution,' justices wrote. 'It also means that when doubts exist as to the constitutionality of a statute, those doubts must be resolved in favor of its constitutionality.' Attorney General John Formella's legal team had countered that the redistricting plan (HB 50) was a 'political decision to be made by the Legislature based on policy considerations.' Redistricting has favored GOP State prosecutors maintained for the court to strike the plan down, justices would have to act as lawmakers and the court agreed with that logic. 'The plaintiffs have not persuaded us that the trade-offs the Legislature made in enacting RSA 662:5 (redistricting law) were unreasonable,' the justices wrote. 'Accordingly, we conclude that the plaintiffs have not met their burden of demonstrating that the Legislature had no rational or legitimate basis for enacting RSA 662:5.' Formella issued a statement praising the decision and thanking his legal team for its defense. 'Today's decision reaffirms the court's prior precedent recognizing the Legislature's broad discretion in the area of redistricting and recognizes that the Legislature must balance complex constitutional requirements when determining the most appropriate map,' Formella said. 'We are delighted that the Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's finding that the Legislature acted within its constitutional authority …' In November, the high court upheld redistricting maps for the 24-person state Senate and the five-person Executive Council. Since all three maps were approved, Republicans have held onto the ruling majorities in the Legislature and on the council. In 2022, Democratic Party critics noted that their candidates for Executive Council got the most votes across the state, but they won only one of the five seats. That's because the redistricting made four of those council districts more Republican-leaning while the fifth became much more Democratic. The fifth Supreme Court justice, Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi, is on administrative leave while she fights charges she illegally interfered in a criminal investigation into her husband, State Ports and Harbors Director Geno Marconi. klandrigan@
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate budget action includes YDC Settlement Fund, landfill moratorium
The Senate Finance Committee on Monday approved changes to the Youth Development Center Settlement Fund and a moratorium on new landfills. A new provision in the Senate budget proposal would make the administrator of the YDC Settlement Fund a political appointee subject to a vote of the Executive Council to serve at the 'pleasure of the governor.' The current administrator, John Broderick, was appointed by the state Supreme Court with the support of Attorney General John Formella and lawyers representing an overwhelming majority of alleged victims of sexual or physical abuse at the the state's youth detention centers. Broderick is a former chief justice of the state Supreme Court and has come under criticism for his handling of settlement payments. Chuck Miles is a YDC abuse survivor who is on the board of YDC Victims, an advocacy group. "The Senate's proposal to remove any semblance of impartiality surrounding the YDC Settlement Fund administrator is an affront to YDC victims who have voluntarily paused their constitutional rights to a court trial with the understanding that the settlement fund would be a fair, impartial process," Miles said in a statement. "Adopting this measure combined with a dramatic underfunding in the first year of the budget is an abandonment of the settlement fund by the state and a slap in the face for all victims who were promised justice. We encourage the Legislature to change or remove this unfair measure and stand by their promises before the budget is finalized." Landfills The Senate budget panel also approved a scaled-down version of the House-passed moratorium on the construction of new landfills. Sen. Howard Pearl, R-Loudon, worked out the Senate position that would reduce the moratorium from three years to one and significantly scale back the powers of a new site evaluation commission to review landfill permit applications. The Senate language also would give preference to expansions of existing landfills over new ones. Gov. Kelly Ayotte had called for a one-year moratorium. klandrigan@
CBS News
13-04-2025
- CBS News
Police shoot woman during New Hampshire traffic stop
A woman was shot by police early Sunday morning during a traffic stop in Dover, New Hampshire, the Attorney General's office said. It happened on the Spaulding Turnpike, also known as Route 16, on the southbound side of the road between exits 6 and 7. Attorney General John Formella said a woman was shot by a New Hampshire State Police trooper during a traffic stop. No additional details about what led up to the shooting were released. Video from the scene shows the car in the breakdown lane with a shattered driver's side window and a New Hampshire State Police cruiser parked behind it. The vehicle was later towed from the scene. No law enforcement officers were hurt during the incident. The woman was taken to an area hospital for treatment. Formella did not provide any additional update on the woman's condition. According to investigators, the officer's name is being withheld pending the competition of a formal interview. Formella did not say how long it would be before that information would be available. As of Sunday morning, police were still seen in the area of the shooting, including multiple cruisers and truck from the New Hampshire Police Major Crime Unit's Department of Safety. No further information is currently available. Dover is located in New Hampshire's Strafford County. According to 2023 Census data, Dover has a population of just over 33,000 people. Located in the Seacoast region, Dover has the six-highest population among New Hampshire cities.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NH drivers warned about new E-ZPass text scam
CONCORD — New Hampshire officials are warning residents about a new scam targeting E-ZPass users, which, like another recent scam, involves fraudulent text messages. The new scam includes a false claim that unpaid tolls will be reported to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), adding pressure on individuals to pay quickly. The phony text messages appear to be from "E-ZPass" stating the recipient's vehicle has an 'unpaid toll bill.' The message includes a link to make a payment and warns that if the invoice isn't paid within 12 hours, late fees will be added, and the toll will be reported to the DMV, potentially affecting vehicle registration. 'This scam is a reminder for New Hampshire residents to be suspicious when receiving unsolicited text messages seeking payment of any kind,' said state Attorney General John Formella in a prepared statement. 'If you receive an unsolicited text message seeking payment, assume that it is a scam, do not respond, and do not click any links contained within the message.' More local news: Warren's Lobster House on verge of sale: Buyers vow to keep it 'just the way it is' Formella issued the warning in coordination with state Transportation Commissioner William J. Cass, and Division of Motor Vehicles Director John Marasco. They said E-ZPass will never send text messages seeking payments or late fees and urged recipients not to click the link in the phony text messages. Drivers can see correct information by logging into their accounts at If drivers are in default on their accounts, they will be noticed of a hold on their license plate registration by mail. Anyone who has questions can call the DMV's customer service line at (603) 227-4000. Targets of the scam can report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center or the New Hampshire attorney general's Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-888-468-4454. For information, visit the attorney general's Consumer Protection Bureau website. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH drivers warned about new E-ZPass text scam
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PowerSchool warns state officials more than 9,000 NH residents affected by data breach
Jan. 29—Education technology giant PowerSchool has begun notifying individuals affected by a data breach late last year that may impact millions of students and teachers across North America, including more than 9,000 in New Hampshire. PowerSchool provided an update Monday saying it had begun filing legally required regulatory notifications following the breach, which involved attackers using a stolen account credential to access the company's customer support portal — home to sensitive student and teacher data. In a letter to New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella dated Jan. 27, Edward McNicholas of the D.C. law firm Ropes and Gray LLP says PowerSchool estimates the security incident occurred between Dec. 19 and 28, and involved the personal information of approximately 9,384 Granite State residents. "This was not a ransomware event," the letter reads. "No systems were encrypted and PowerSchool's operations and support for school districts in your state have continued uninterrupted." McNicholas says the personal information involved varies by individual (students, former students and teachers) but includes some combination of the following for any given person: the individual's name, contact information, Social Security number, date of birth, limited medical alert information and other related information. "As soon as PowerSchool learned of the incident, it engaged cybersecurity response protocols and mobilized senior leadership and third-party cybersecurity experts to conduct a forensic investigation of the scope of the incident and to monitor for signs of information misuse," the letter reads. "PowerSchool has also reported the incident to law enforcement. We are not aware at this time of any identity theft attributable to this incident." PowerSchool says on its website that its technology is used by more than 60 million students. The California-based company said it provided this week's update "for broad awareness, and no further action is required from our customers at this time." "In the coming days, PowerSchool will begin to provide notification of the cybersecurity incident to current and former students (or their parents/guardians as applicable) and educators whose information was determined to be involved," the company said in an online post. "Importantly, these notices will include instructions for involved individuals on how to enroll in the credit monitoring and identity protection services that are being offered by PowerSchool." In the letter to Formella, PowerSchool says it has engaged Experian to offer two years of complimentary identity protection and/or credit monitoring services to all students and educators whose information was involved. In a statement issued earlier this month, the New Hampshire Department of Education said it's aware of the cybersecurity breach and will continue to monitor the situation. "There are many school districts statewide that contract with PowerSchool, a student information system, and it is our understanding that they have been notified about the cybersecurity incident," the statement says. "All cybersecurity incidents are taken very seriously, especially those that could potentially involve student data." pfeely@
