New Hampshire Voters Reject HB324: A Call for Local Control, Not Criminalization
HB324, a bill that would allow criminal and civil penalties against educators and school board members over approved books and instructional materials, has passed the New Hampshire House and is now under consideration in the Senate. EveryLibrary and MomsRising commissioned the University of New Hampshire Survey Center to include a series of questions about HB324, its implications for education, and its potential impact in its March 2025 Granite State Poll, a monthly tracking poll of voter sentiments.
The March 2025 Granite State Poll results are clear: the people of New Hampshire reject HB324's extreme approach to regulating books and educational materials in schools. Only 33% of voters believe the state should set policies in Concord about reading materials for all K-12 schools. A solid majority (56%) want to see those decisions made locally. While most voters support a process for parents or guardians to challenge content in their child’s school, they strongly oppose HB324’s threat of criminal penalties against educators and school board members.
The bill’s most troubling provision opens the door to spurious criminal prosecution of educators, school librarians, and school boards under New Hampshire’s obscenity law. It faces broad public opposition. Only 36% of voters support allowing County Attorneys or Sheriffs to prosecute educators or school board members over board-approved textbooks or school library books. New Hampshire voters do not want art teachers arrested for showing classical paintings, AP English teachers investigated for assigning Toni Morrison’s books, or local boards prosecuted for the textbooks and library books in local schools.
The bill is politically risky. Over half of voters believe that HB324 would make it harder for schools to attract and retain qualified teachers. At a time when Governor Ayotte and the legislature are working to strengthen New Hampshire schools, HB324 is out of step with those efforts and undermines local decision-making. Forty-one percent of voters, including 43% of undecided voters, say they would be less likely to vote for Governor Ayotte if she signs HB324 into law. Only 30% say it would make them more likely to support her. Even among her 2024 voters, one in twelve say they’d be less likely to back her again.
Read the story in the Union Leader
Poll: Most in NH oppose prosecuting educators over school materials
by Kevin Landrigan, April 8, 2025 (PDF)
Reasonable education policies have strong public backing, like requiring local complaint processes for parents, providing an appeals process to local school boards, and disciplining educators who knowingly provide harmful materials. But HB324 goes well beyond reasonable. It threatens educators with prosecution, empowers state officials to file lawsuits over curriculum decisions, and erodes the local control that Granite Staters deeply value.
We urge the Senate to let HB324 die in committee. But if it reaches her desk, we respectfully call on Governor Ayotte to veto this misguided bill. New Hampshire doesn’t need to follow the path of states like Indiana, Oklahoma, and Montana. Instead, we should continue building on our tradition of local control, trust in educators, and respect for parents' rights—without criminalizing public education.
Questions and Top-Line Results
The margin of sampling error for the March 20 - 24, 2025 Granite State Poll is +/-2.6 percent.
In general, do you believe the state government of New Hampshire should make laws regarding students' access to books and instructional materials in public schools in the state or should the issue be left to local school districts?
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If this legislation were to pass, one possible consequence would be that K-12 educators and school board members could be criminally prosecuted under the state's obscenity statute over board-approved books and instructional materials in public schools. Generally speaking, would you support or oppose K-12 educators and school boards members being able to be criminally prosecuted under the state obscenity statute over board-approved books and instructional materials?
Strongly Support and Somewhat Support: 36%
Strongly Oppose and Somewhat Oppose: 52%
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Generally speaking, would you support or oppose the following provisions of the "obscene or harmful sexual materials in schools" bill?
- Requiring school boards to develop a complaint process allowing parents/guardians to challenge potentially inappropriate content
- Providing for disciplinary action against educators who knowingly provide harmful materials to students
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If Governor Ayotte decided to sign a bill like this, would you be more likely or less likely to vote for her in a future election, or would it make little or no difference to your vote?
*Among those who voted for another candidate for governor in 2024, did not vote in that election, or don't remember or are unsure who they voted for, 43% say it would make them less likely to vote for her. Only 11% say Ayotte signing a bill like this would make them more likely to vote for her in the future. 26% say it will make little or no difference, and 20% don't know or are unsure. 8% of 2024 Ayotte voters say they will be less likely to vote for her if she signs such a bill.
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In general, do you support or oppose the following groups being allowed to challenge books and instructional materials in a public school in New Hampshire?
- Parents or guardians of students enrolled in that school
- Residents of the local school district who do not have a student in that school
- Any resident of New Hampshire
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If a bill such as this went into effect do you think it would be easier or harder for New Hampshire to attract and keep teachers and other educators in public schools in the state?
Much harder and somewhat harder: 55%
Much easier and somewhat easier: 9%
Survey Methodology
The March 2025 Granite State Poll was conducted online using the Granite State Panel, a research panel of New Hampshire residents developed by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. Panel members were recruited through random sampling methods, including calls, texts, and mailings, and screened to ensure they are adult, registered New Hampshire voters. Participants receive incentives such as gift card drawings.
The survey was fielded from March 20–24, 2025. Invitations were sent via email or text, with two follow-up reminders. A total of 1,372 panel members completed the survey (33% response rate), along with 62 additional respondents recruited via text message.
Survey results were weighted by sex, age, education, and region based on the latest U.S. Census American Community Survey data, New Hampshire party registration data, and the 2024 election results. As with all surveys, results may be subject to sources of non-sampling error such as question wording and non-response.
To learn more about the Granite State Panel and the States of Opinion Project, please visit their website https://cola.unh.edu/unhsurvey-center/projects/states-opinion-project. For more information about the methodology used in the Granite State Poll, contact Dr. Andrew Smith at (603) 862-2226 or by email at [email protected].
About EveryLibrary
EveryLibrary is the national political action committee for libraries. Since 2012, EveryLibrary has supported over 140 local library ballot initiatives winning over $2.8 billion in stable funding for libraries. It’s FightForTheFirst.org and National Library Alliance initiatives have answered censorship and book bans in schools and libraries, restoring books to the shelves and helping readers access constitutionally protected materials. https://everylibrary.org
About MomsRising
MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, stop discrimination against women and moms, and build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. htttps://www.momsrising.org