This is a production of Citizen in a Republic, which covers New Hampshire legislative politics.

Committee Members: Let me be clear that I support school choice, but there’s a hierarchy to the things I support and I give priority to preventing higher taxes and higher spending. I have signed in as NEUTRAL on this bill because it’s my hope that there will be very well defined guardrails on eligible expenses. According the Amanda Weeden in her recent article found here: https://granitegrok.com/new-england/nh/2025/01/universal-efas-will-lead-to-less-education-freedom-higher-taxes I am troubled by the gaps in oversight, such as the Amazon orders mentioned, to name one example. Another concern is EFAs paying for expensive goods and services that are above and beyond what is included in the most exclusive private schools. Sports equipment, instruments, audio/visual equipment and pottery wheels come to mind as they are usually capital items and property of the school. I also encourage all members to read this short and easy statement from the Underwoods out of Ian’s book Stop Lying about Education Savings Accounts: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/63374c5cd520dc788360e55f/t/678687c3deb7df67198fef2d/1736869828477/ESAs+Funding+version.pdf Again, I support school choice, but I am gravely concerned about unintended consequences, such as higher taxes and increased spending in addition to potential failure to reform public schools. Please read the Weeden and Underwood positions and amend this bill to properly address the concerns mentioned.

—Julie Smith of Nashua, NH

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