New Hampshire
- Federal court rejects Trump administration bid for NH voter files. A U.S. District Court judge ruled the federal government hadn’t shown sufficient legal grounds to force NH’s Secretary of State to hand over the statewide voter database, marking one of several state-level losses for the administration on this front nationally. (New Hampshire Bulletin — link)
- New UNH poll shows tight NH governor and Senate races. Rep. Chris Pappas holds a shrinking edge over Karishma Manzur in the Senate Democratic primary, while John E. Sununu leads the GOP field; in the governor’s race, Gov. Kelly Ayotte holds a small lead over Democrat Cinde Warmington. (NHPR — link)
- GOP-connected lobbyist hired by NH’s Judicial Branch draws scrutiny. Concord lobbyist Periklis Karoutas, who has deep Republican Party ties and campaign work, is now working for the state’s court system, raising concerns from a former NH Supreme Court justice about the appearance of partisanship. (NHPR — link)
Maine
- Pingree holds commanding lead in Maine governor’s race, new poll finds. A NYT/Portland Press Herald/Siena poll of likely voters shows Democrat Hannah Pingree at 50% support, well ahead of Republican Bobby Charles (36%) and independent Rick Bennett (8%), in the first survey since the June primary. (Portland Press Herald — link)
- Lewiston leaders leave meeting without a plan as youth gun violence crisis deepens. More than three hours of testimony from police, prosecutors, and school officials described a sharp rise in shootings involving young offenders, but the city council adjourned without adopting any concrete measures. (The Maine Wire — link)
- State employees press Mills administration for bigger raises as contract stays expired. Maine’s MSEA-SEIU union, representing about 9,000 workers, says a nearly year-long stalemate has kept promised raises from taking effect, citing pay gaps with contractors and other state unions that have already settled. (WABI-TV — link)
Vermont
- Extreme heat pushes Vermont toward embracing air conditioning. With a heat index expected to hit 105 degrees through Friday, demand for AC and heat pumps is surging in a state that has long treated cooling as optional, prompting new attention to heat action plans and cooling centers. (VTDigger — link)
- Vermont to receive nearly a million eggs in national price-fixing settlement. Attorney General Charity Clark announced Vermont will get roughly 915,000 eggs and $56,000 from three major producers accused of illegally coordinating to inflate egg prices; the eggs go to the Vermont Foodbank. (Vermont Public — link)
- New Vermont laws take effect July 1. A fresh batch of laws kicked in this week, including harsher penalties for voyeurism crimes, a new law easing installation of plug-in “balcony solar” panels, and steeper fines for oversize trucks illegally driving through Smugglers’ Notch. (Vermont Public — link)
