{"id":26371,"date":"2026-06-06T07:00:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T11:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nhtalkradio.com\/?p=26371"},"modified":"2026-06-04T21:02:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T01:02:28","slug":"june-6-2026-new-england-news-roundup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nhtalkradio.com\/?p=26371","title":{"rendered":"June 6, 2026 New England News Roundup"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4 data-pm-slice=\"0 0 []\">NEW HAMPSHIRE<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Gun bill fails on final day of legislative session<\/strong> \u2014 The NH Legislature\u2019s last day ended with the defeat of House Bill 609, a sweeping Republican proposal that would have made gun and weapons regulation the exclusive domain of the Legislature, stripping state agencies of their ability to set their own firearms policies. The bill drew unexpected opposition from the state\u2019s own Attorney General, John Formella, who penned a letter warning of unintended consequences \u2014 including concerns it could amount to \u201ccampus carry\u201d by the back door. The Senate did not advance it.\n<ul>\n<li>Sources: <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/nhjournal.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">NH Journal<\/a> | <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/newhampshirebulletin.com\/2026\/06\/04\/attorney-general-pens-letter-opposing-firearms-bill-setting-up-latest-republican-clash\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">NH Bulletin<\/a> | <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhpr.org\/nh-news\/2026-06-04\/nh-legislature-gun-weapons-bill-local-policies-second-amendment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">NHPR<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Small businesses get tax break as legislature wraps up<\/strong> \u2014 In one of the final acts of the 2026 session, state lawmakers approved raising the filing threshold for the Business Enterprise Tax, a move GOP leaders say will exempt roughly 4,000 small businesses from having to pay it at all. The bill now heads to Governor Kelly Ayotte\u2019s desk for signature.\n<ul>\n<li>Source: <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhpr.org\/nh-news\/2026-06-04\/nh-businesses-exempt-tax-business-enterprise-tax-legislature\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">NHPR<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>AG investigates blocked Northern Rail Trail in Andover<\/strong> \u2014 A Andover landowner placed heavy concrete barriers across the Northern Rail Trail, claiming his own access to the property has been denied. The state Attorney General\u2019s office has opened an inquiry into the matter, and Governor Ayotte publicly weighed in, saying she hopes the trail will be reopened soon and that rail trail access matters to Granite Staters.\n<ul>\n<li>Sources: <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhpr.org\/nh-news\/2026-06-04\/nh-newhampshire-bike-biking-railtrail-andover-rail-trail-blocked\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">NHPR<\/a> | <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhpr.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Concord Monitor via NHPR<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>MAINE<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Maine\u2019s June 9 primary: Early voting strongly favors Democrats<\/strong> \u2014 With Maine\u2019s contested gubernatorial and Senate primaries just days away on June 9, early absentee data shows more than 35,000 Mainers have already cast ballots \u2014 with Democrats returning nearly three times as many as Republicans, accounting for roughly 72% of returned ballots. Five Democrats and seven Republicans are running in wide-open gubernatorial primaries.\n<ul>\n<li>Sources: <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bangordailynews.com\/2026\/06\/03\/politics\/elections\/maine-early-voting-data-june-2026-primaries\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Bangor Daily News<\/a> | <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pressherald.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Portland Press Herald<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Robbins Lumber fire investigation continues in Searsmont<\/strong> \u2014 The devastating fire and silo explosion at the historic Robbins Lumber mill on May 15 killed one volunteer firefighter and injured a dozen others. State and federal investigators from the Fire Marshal\u2019s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives continue to sift through hundreds of cubic yards of debris. The mill, family-owned since 1881, has pledged to rebuild.\n<ul>\n<li>Sources: <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bangordailynews.com\/2026\/05\/22\/midcoast\/midcoast-police-courts\/searsmont-maine-robbins-lumber-fire-explosion-first-responders-timeline\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Bangor Daily News<\/a> | <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pressherald.com\/2026\/05\/22\/inside-the-searsmont-lumber-mill-fire-and-explosion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Portland Press Herald<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Maine\u2019s Data Center Advisory Council holds first public meeting<\/strong> \u2014 The 17-member council established by Governor Janet Mills via executive order \u2014 created after she vetoed a data center construction moratorium \u2014 held its inaugural meeting Wednesday. The panel is charged with developing recommendations by January 2027 on how to protect ratepayers, grid reliability, and the environment from large-scale data center development.\n<ul>\n<li>Sources: <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/www.themainewire.com\/2026\/05\/data-center-advisory-council-to-hold-first-public-meeting-on-june-3rd\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">The Maine Wire<\/a> | <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mainepublic.org\/climate\/2026-06-03\/maine-advisory-council-starts-debating-possible-data-center-restrictions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Maine Public<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>VERMONT<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Vermont legislature adjourns after education-heavy 2026 session<\/strong> \u2014 The Vermont House and Senate gaveled out last week after a session dominated by education reform. The marquee legislation, H.955, creates a framework that encourages school district consolidation \u2014 though critics say financial penalties make it less voluntary than advertised. Governor Phil Scott told lawmakers: \u201cI didn\u2019t get everything I wanted, and neither did you. But that\u2019s the way compromise works.\u201d\n<ul>\n<li>Sources: <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/vtdigger.org\/2026\/05\/29\/vermont-legislature-adjourns-2026-session-that-centered-again-on-education-reform\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">VTDigger<\/a> | <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vermontpublic.org\/local-news\/2026-06-04\/vermont-lawmakers-have-adjourned-for-the-year-heres-what-they-did-and-didnt-do-in-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Vermont Public<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Burlington\u2019s South End set for major housing development<\/strong> \u2014 A long-awaited redevelopment project in Burlington\u2019s South End is moving forward with more than 200 apartments in its first phase. City officials and developers say the project \u2014 described as \u201ca new neighborhood being born out of a big parking lot\u201d \u2014 could eventually grow to over a thousand units, a meaningful dent in Burlington\u2019s ongoing housing shortage.\n<ul>\n<li>Source: <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/vtdigger.org\/2026\/06\/03\/hundreds-of-housing-units-in-the-works-at-closely-watched-project-in-burlingtons-south-end\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">VTDigger \/ Vermont Public<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hannaford faces renewed pressure over dairy worker conditions<\/strong> \u2014 Vermont immigrant advocacy group Migrant Justice is set to begin formal negotiations with Hannaford\u2019s Dutch parent company, Ahold Delhaize, after the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found merit in a complaint alleging serious labor violations in the grocery chain\u2019s dairy supply chain \u2014 including overcrowded housing, 72-hour work weeks, and wage withholding.\n<ul>\n<li>Source: <a class=\"underline underline underline-offset-2 decoration-1 decoration-current\/40 hover:decoration-current focus:decoration-current\" href=\"https:\/\/vtdigger.org\/2026\/06\/03\/international-trade-organization-adds-to-pressure-on-hannaford-to-join-milk-with-dignity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">VTDigger<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"captioned-image-container\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"image2-inset\"><picture><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!oyzu!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a6153c8-f5e4-4f48-b54d-ce51a05d7b04_1280x720.jpeg 424w, 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