New Hampshire’s Republican Governor Vetoes Her Own Party’s Anti-LGBTQ Bills
Governor Kelly Ayotte defied GOP lawmakers by rejecting legislation targeting transgender rights, LGBTQ books, and student privacy.
New Hampshire’s Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte vetoed several high-profile bills this week that would have negatively affected LGBTQ residents, especially transgender people and students. The move is a departure from legislation being advanced in other GOP-led states, and a rare example of a GOP governor stepping outside party orthodoxy on LGBTQ issues.
The bills Ayotte rejected include measures that would have limited access to school library materials, allowed public and private facilities to bar transgender people from using bathrooms aligned with their gender identity, and placed new restrictions on classroom activities and student surveys. It’s worth noting that Ayotte is no longtime LGBTQ ally. She once opposed marriage equality and same-sex adoption.
In a statement explaining her decision to veto House Bill 148, which would have allowed businesses, correctional facilities, and other institutions to disregard gender identity in determining bathroom or housing access, Ayotte acknowledged privacy concerns but ultimately called the bill “overly broad and impractical to enforce, potentially creating an exclusionary environment for some of our citizens.”
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Ayotte also vetoed House Bill 324, which would have expanded parents’ authority to challenge and potentially remove school library books considered “harmful to minors.” The proposal was framed as a tool for protecting children from sexually explicit material, but opponents warned it could be used to target LGBTQ-themed books.
“Current state law appears to provide a mechanism for parents through their local school district to exercise their rights to ensure their children are not exposed to inappropriate materials,” Ayotte wrote in her veto message. She added that the proposed system would have introduced “subjective standards” and monetary penalties for educators, and could lead to inconsistent enforcement across districts.
The National Education Association of New Hampshire, which opposed the bill, praised the veto. “Every student deserves to see themselves reflected in the pages of their books,” said NEA-NH President Megan Tuttle. The union had called the legislation a “classroom censorship effort.”
Ayotte also blocked House Bill 446, which would have required schools to obtain parental consent before students could participate in non-academic surveys, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey. She cited concerns about decreased participation in the survey, which helps monitor trends in student mental health, substance use, and other health indicators.
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House Democratic Leader Alexis Simpson issued a statement supporting the vetoes. “We’re grateful that today New Hampshire chose to protect the rights and dignity of our transgender neighbors — and House Democrats will keep fighting until every Granite Stater can live freely, openly, and safely, no matter who they are,” Simpson said.
In total, Ayotte vetoed seven bills this week, including other far-right proposals on vaccines, abortion education, and school curriculum requirements. She signed 101 other bills into law.
Although Republicans control both chambers of the New Hampshire Legislature, they do not hold the two-thirds majorities needed to override a veto in either chamber. That makes Ayotte’s decisions final unless a significant number of Democrats cross the aisle.
