The House Finance Committee approved its version of the next state budget last week, which will go to a vote before the full House of Representatives on Thursday. Their proposal cuts more than 320 state jobs and slashes more than $271 million from the draft presented by Gov. Kelly Ayotte in February.

Here’s what you need to know.

This past week

■The 25-member House Finance Committee approved their budget proposal on a party-line vote, with Democrats opposing it. Mary Jane Wallner, a Concord Democrat, said her party couldn’t support the budget because it cut too many necessary programs. Republicans voted to abolish the Human Rights Commission, the Council on the Arts and other small state agencies, and they reduced funding for developmental disability and community mental health services, among others. Republicans argued those cuts were necessary to deal with the reality of the state’s financial situation.

■This version of the budget would also slash upward of 320 jobs, mostly in the Department of Corrections. It’d reduce the agency’s staff by about 20%, cutting 191 jobs, about half of which are currently filled. The state’s liquor commission and the Department of Education could also stand to lose dozens of positions.

■Republicans tacked on a sweeping policy change to the budget, too: a ban on all activities and spending related to diversity, equity and inclusion. That would include the state government, as well as local towns and school districts. The House Finance Committee approved it on a party-line vote, reversing a decision from hours earlier to shoot it down. Two Republicans, who’d initially opposed adopting such a policy without the regular public hearing or committee process, changed their votes.

The week ahead

■On Tuesday, April 8 at 10 a.m., the Senate will hold a public hearing on House Bill 649. The House of Representatives passed this bill, which eliminates annual vehicle inspections, on a 212-143 vote.

■Also on Tuesday at 10 a.m., the House Finance Committee will present budget details to the full House of Representatives. You can stream it on YouTube.

■On Wednesday, April 9 at 10 a.m., the House will hold public hearings on Senate Bill 14 and Senate Bill 15. They’d establish mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl-related crimes.

■Thursday, April 10 is Crossover Day – the last day for both the House and Senate to vote on bills before they cross over to the other legislative chamber. At 10 a.m., the House will meet for a voting session. After a few other bills, they’ll debate and vote on the next state budget. You can find their agenda on the General Court website.

To answer the most frequently asked questions from readers, the Monitor created a brand new 2025 Legislative Guide.

Visit our website to learn how the budget process works, how a bill becomes a law and other inner workings of the State House. We’ve also got explainers for all the top issues in the New Hampshire Legislature this year.

And, for a more detailed unpacking of weekly news from the State House, subscribe to my newsletter, Capital Beat. If you have questions or tips about anything going on in the Legislature – or anything you’d like us to add to our new Legislative Guide – 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 email her at cmatherly@cmonitor.com.