New Hampshire has protected residents from discrimination based on gender identity for eight years. That protection reflects something most of us here agree on: people deserve to go about their lives — go to work, go to school, go to the doctor — without being singled out or turned away. Governor Ayotte just vetoed SB 552 for the fourth time, and I think that took real courage. But a veto only holds if the legislature doesn't override it.
This bill wasn't protecting anyone from harm. It was creating a new legal opening to treat transgender Granite Staters as second-class citizens in public spaces. We've had these protections since 2018 and I haven't heard of businesses shutting down or schools falling apart because of them. What I have heard is that transgender kids and adults in this state are already living with more fear and uncertainty than they should. Passing this bill would have told them directly that the legislature thinks they deserve less. Beyond the human cost, bills like this hurt New Hampshire's ability to attract workers, businesses, and young people who want to live somewhere that treats everyone fairly.
The veto is in. Now I need you to hold the line and vote against any attempt to override it — and to speak up loudly among your colleagues about why.
Please vote no on any veto override of SB 552 and help make sure New Hampshire's anti-discrimination protections stay in place.
