In the State House this past week, cannabis legislation advanced through the House of Representatives while other legislative attempts by Democrats were shot down. Gov. Kelly Ayotte also had a direct message for the state’s prison system. Here’s what you need to know about New Hampshire government last week.

This past week

■Several bills that would advance the state’s medical marijuana program passed in the House.

On Thursday, state representatives passed House Bill 53 in a 328-42 vote to allow registered patients to cultivate their own cannabis at home. They also easily passed bills to annul some cannabis possession offenses and allow medical cannabis companies to purchase some non-intoxicating cannabinoids, which companies currently have to produce themselves. This legislation could easily run into a brick wall, however, as Ayotte has signaled she won’t budge on her opposition to marijuana legalization.

■Lawmakers shot down an attempt by Democrats to establish mandatory waiting periods and universal background checks on firearm sales. They also voted to dismantle New Hampshire’s Office of Offshore Wind Industry Development and repeal commissions that deal with port development and offshore wind workforce training. President Donald Trump has also halted offshore wind projects on the federal level.

■The House held public hearings on a potential parental bill of rights as well as bills that would restrict transgender rights. Both are Republican priorities and backed by party leaders. Some parents supported them, while many people from the LGBTQ community showed up to oppose the bills.

■Lastly, Ayotte sent a letter to Helen Hanks, the commissioner of the Department of Corrections, this week urging the department to use statutorily mandated language to refer to incarcerated people. It’s “inmates,” the letter read, not Hanks’ preferred term, “residents.” Ayotte argued that label “obscures the joint goals of deterrence, rehabilitation and punishment.”

The week ahead

It’s looking like a calmer week in the State House. There will be no voting sessions, and committees were urged to take it easy, as most New Hampshire schools are on break this week.

With that said, here are a few things to watch for.

■Budget work sessions will continue this week, starting on Monday, Feb. 24. The legislative finance committees will hear from various state agencies as they begin to make their own changes to the next state budget.

■On Tuesday, Feb. 26, the House Election Law Committee will hold public hearings on a number of bills, including House Bill 356 (10 a.m.), which would enable partisan school district elections, and HB 481 and HB 408 (11 a.m.), which would move the state primary election date.

For a more detailed unpacking of weekly news from the State House, subscribe to my newsletter, Capital Beat. If you have questions or ideas about anything going on in the Legislature, please contact me.

Charlotte Matherly is the statehouse reporter for the Concord Monitor and Monadnock Ledger-Transcript in partnership with Report for America. Follow her on X at @charmatherly and send her an email at cmatherly@cmonitor.com.