The year of the veto

Good morning, New Hampshire, and welcome to Thursday. Today, Ethan DeWitt and William Skipworth report on Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s year of the veto, including the rejection of the latest version of the anti-transgender bathroom bill. In the Thursday commentary, a look at the throwback (and not in a good way) U.S. Senate campaign of John Sununu. And, from States Newsroom’s Ariana Figueroa, President Donald Trump directs ICE to resume traffic stops following a one-day pause. Thank you for reading, and enjoy the day. — Dana

By Ethan DeWitt and William Skipworth

Gov. Kelly Ayotte has again vetoed legislation to keep transgender people out of bathrooms, sports teams, and prisons that align with their gender identity. The veto came Wednesday as part of the final tranche of bills sent to the governor from this year’s legislative session. There are no more 2026 bills remaining to send to the governor’s desk, the Secretary of State’s Office said. Wednesday’s three vetoes cement the total count of bills vetoed by Ayotte at 29 — the most a governor has vetoed with their party in control of the Legislature since 1989, according to State House records.

By Dana Wormald

On energy policy, John E. Sununu has touted “just the kind of backward three-pronged approach that’s likely to get us all incinerated: more drilling, more pipelines, and more nuclear power. I listened to his pitch this week, as an apocalyptic sun painted the New Hampshire landscape an eerie yellow-green due to the wildfires raging in Canada.”

By Ariana Figueroa

President Donald Trump directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to resume traffic stops Wednesday, reversing a one-day pause on the policy after officers killed two immigrants who were in their vehicles in Texas and Maine.