Merryl Gibbs

Votes by issue

Their recorded votes on bills that divided the chamber (unanimous votes left out), grouped by topic. A bill can sit under more than one topic. "With" and "against" compare each vote with how most Democrats voted. How topics are assigned

• ›Education & families82 with · 1 against83 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    (New Title) modifying the procedures for withdrawal from a cooperative school district and the discontinuance of elementary and high schools and requiring the review of school district operating documents by school boards.

    Lets a withdrawing district's voters alone decide, by a 3/5 vote, to leave a cooperative school district, requires voters in all towns a school serves to approve closing it unless the host town keeps it open by agreement, and has boards review governing documents every three years.

    Jun 4, 2026 · Passed 179–161 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    repealing the child care grant program administered by the department of health and human services.

    Repeals a 2025 requirement that the Department of Health and Human Services include full funding for certain child care workforce programs in its two-year budget request.

    Mar 11, 2026 · Passed 170–153 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    (New Title) establishing a commission to study transitioning all public schools to public charter schools.

    On the version voted Aug 19, 2026: Creates an eight-member commission of legislators, the education commissioner and school representatives to study the feasibility and effects of converting all New Hampshire public schools into public charter schools, including funding less reliant on local property taxes, with a report due November 1, 2026.

    May 21, 2026 · Passed 184–164 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All education & families votes
• ›Rights & public safety81 with · 0 against81 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    repealing the refugee resettlement program in the department of health and human services and prohibiting expenditure of state funds on refugee resettlement.

    Ends the state refugee resettlement program in the health and human services department, requires its contracts to be terminated, and bars state agencies from accepting or spending money on refugee resettlement, including payments to towns or nonprofit groups.

    Mar 11, 2026 · Passed 170–164 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • Yes

    permitting classification of individuals based on biological sex under certain limited circumstances and establishing that certain biological sex distinctions do not qualify as discrimination.

    Lets public and private entities separate people by biological sex in shared bathrooms and locker rooms, certain sports, and prisons and similar secure facilities without it counting as discrimination; government buildings that do so must also offer a single-occupancy bathroom open to all.

    Mar 11, 2026 · Failed 156–171 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    relative to the right to marry. Providing that the right to marry is a fundamental civil right and that the state shall protect the right of every individual, regardless of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or race, to marry and to have their ma

    As introduced, proposes a state constitutional amendment making marriage a fundamental civil right and barring the state from denying or limiting marriage based on sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or race, for voters to decide in November 2026.

    Mar 12, 2026 · Passed 176–162 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All rights & public safety votes
• ›Jobs & cost of living72 with · 2 against74 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    relative to eligibility for public assistance, including the New Hampshire employment program, family assistance program, and SNAP.

    Bars the health department from seeking SNAP work-requirement waivers without legislative approval or loosening eligibility standards unless federal law requires, mandates regular data checks of recipients' income, incarceration, lottery winnings, and citizenship, and removes out-of-state-only users found nonresident or unresponsive.

    Mar 11, 2026 · Passed 172–161 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    enabling counties to change the dates of their biennial budgets.

    Lets counties, if commissioners agree and a majority of county voters approve, move their two-year budget to years without a state election, and revises how towns adopt, rescind and elect budget committees and how first cooperative school budget committee members are appointed.

    May 14, 2026 · Passed 164–145 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    (New Title) requiring municipalities to hold a public hearing and conduct a roll call vote when seeking to override a tax or spending cap.

    Requires cities and council-run towns to hold a public hearing and roll-call vote before overriding a tax or spending cap and to print the vote on tax bills, and has the state revenue department check and enforce local budget caps.

    May 14, 2026 · Passed 164–150 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All jobs & cost of living votes
• ›Health & care54 with · 0 against54 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    prohibits certain government regulations regarding pregnancy resource centers in connection with abortion and contraception service offerings.

    Mar 12, 2026 · Passed 179–161 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    limiting times vaccine clinics may operate at schools and requiring parents or legal guardians to be present with their child during the administration of vaccinations at such a clinic.

    As introduced, bars public and charter schools from holding vaccination clinics during school hours and requires a parent or guardian to be present whenever a child is vaccinated at a school clinic; school nurses' existing duties are unaffected.

    Mar 11, 2026 · Passed 172–154 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    repealing the New Hampshire vaccine association.

    Repeals the state law that establishes the New Hampshire Vaccine Association, eliminating the association's chapter of state law entirely.

    Mar 6, 2025 · Passed 189–181 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All health & care votes
• ›Climate & energy21 with · 0 against21 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    relative to the phasing out of the minimum electric renewable portfolio standard.

    Mar 13, 2025 · Passed 189–173 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    (New Title) relative to relative to the participation of large customer-generators in net metering and relative to energy storage in connection with net metering.

    Requires electric utilities to offer alternative net metering tariffs under a 2017 utility commission order, sets terms for industrial customer-generators between 1 and 5 megawatts, and allows energy storage with net metering under Department of Energy installation rules.

    Apr 23, 2026 · Passed 181–158 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    increasing penalties for violations of the shoreland and water quality protection act.

    As introduced, raises the maximum court penalty and administrative fine for violating the state's shoreland water quality protection law from $5,000 to $15,000 for violators who don't restore a site within a year of notice; existing doubling of fines for repeat violations still applies.

    Feb 13, 2025 · Passed 196–175 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All climate & energy votes
• ›Housing & rent17 with · 1 against18 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    relative to expanding the housing finance authority's community heroes program and makes an appropriation therefor.

    As introduced, requires the housing finance authority to run a homebuying assistance program for essential workers such as health care workers, first responders, educators, and service members, appropriating $750,000 for fiscal 2027 and $1.5 million a year starting July 2028.

    Feb 5, 2026 · Passed 179–166 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    repealing the state housing champion designation and grant program.

    As introduced, repeals the state's housing champion designation and grant program, along with its dedicated fund and related reporting requirements.

    Feb 5, 2026 · Passed 185–166 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    (New Title) relative to regulated conditional deposits.

    On the version voted Aug 19, 2026: Lets landlords accept an extra deposit of up to one month's rent from applicants who fail disclosed screening criteria such as credit score, income, prior evictions, unpaid judgments or references, with written notice and a right to re-screening; also says advance rent need not be escrowed.

    May 21, 2026 · Passed 180–162 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All housing & rent votes
• ›Transportation16 with · 2 against18 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    relative to department of safety and department of motor vehicle training and testing materials.

    Requires driver's license exams and related materials to be in English only, with American Sign Language allowed, bars translators and translation devices during exams, and stops the motor vehicle division from acquiring or distributing other-language materials, starting January 1, 2026.

    Mar 26, 2025 · Passed 187–159 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    relative to electric-vehicle charging station funding.

    Lets towns use revolving funds to install and maintain electric-vehicle charging stations, and bars parking in signed charging spaces unless the vehicle is charging, with a minimum $62 fine.

    May 22, 2025 · Passed 195–163 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    relative to the issuance of drivers' licenses for aliens temporarily residing in New Hampshire.

    Tightens rules for driver's licenses issued to noncitizens living in the state temporarily, bars renewals for noncitizens without proof of permanent residency, bars licenses for asylees until permanent residency is granted, and requires a distinct marking on such licenses.

    Mar 13, 2025 · Passed 198–162 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All transportation votes
• ›Foreign affairs & defense2 with · 0 against2 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    urging the United States to reject compliance with the European Union's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.

    Urges the federal government to reject compliance with the European Union's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and asks other state legislatures to join in that request.

    Feb 13, 2025 · Passed 204–163 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • No

    prohibiting nationals of the People's Republic of China from attending state institutions of higher education.

    Bars nationals of the People's Republic of China from enrolling in master's or doctoral programs, taking part in research, or holding full-time jobs at New Hampshire's public colleges and universities, with penalties for individuals and institutions that violate the ban.

    Mar 11, 2026 · Failed 157–173 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All foreign affairs & defense votes
• ›Technology & privacy2 with · 0 against2 votes

  Most contested

  • No

    preventing the dissemination of deepfake materials of political candidates before an election.

    As introduced, bars distributing deepfakes of candidates, election officials or parties within 90 days of an election unless labeled as manipulated, and lets depicted candidates and officials sue. Exempts news reports, satire, parody and platforms hosting others' content.

    Mar 20, 2025 · Passed 201–169 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  • Yes

    establishing consumer protections for digital access transaction kiosks.

    Apr 23, 2026 · Passed 214–140 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗

  All technology & privacy votes

Where they stood out

Voted against most of their party on 6 of 371 party-divided votes on file.

Most often on: Transportation (2), Health & care (1), Education & families (1)

• reducing the minimum allowable speed limit on locally controlled roads.

  Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 46–105, Republicans 171–5

  Apr 23, 2026Official record ↗

• making best interest placements within the same school district mandatory in the absence of a valid reason to deny the placement.

  What it does: Requires school superintendents to approve parents' requests to move a student to another school within the same district unless the request fails legal requirements, to give written reasons for denials within 10 days…

  Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 9–156, Republicans 207–0

  Mar 20, 2025Official record ↗

• establishing the speed enforcement and awareness fund and providing for grants to municipal law enforcement for speed enforcement and speed awareness traffic equipment.

  Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 19–146, Republicans 204–1

  Mar 6, 2025Official record ↗

• relative to the homestead right.

  What it does: Raises the homestead protection from creditors to $1,000,000, from $120,000 for a single person or $240,000 for a married couple, covers mobile homes, housing cooperatives and condominiums, and requires the home to ha…

  Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 20–140, Republicans 194–6

  Mar 6, 2025Official record ↗

• increasing the maximum benefits for first responders critically injured in the line of duty.

  What it does: On the version voted Jun 26, 2025: Doubles the two-year cap on total critical-injury benefits for first responders to $1 million, and also revises how state education adequacy grants are calculated and makes several c…

  Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 3–163, Republicans 171–31

  Feb 20, 2025Official record ↗

How this is counted

Their votes on the most contested roll calls

The votes in their chamber that came out closest and most divided by party, among those they voted on. How we rank

• No

  repealing the refugee resettlement program in the department of health and human services and prohibiting expenditure of state funds on refugee resettlement.

  With most of their party · Passed 170–164 · Yes 170–No 164 · Democrats 0–156, Republicans 169–8

  Mar 11, 2026Official record ↗

• Yes

  permitting classification of individuals based on biological sex under certain limited circumstances and establishing that certain biological sex distinctions do not qualify as discrimination.

  With most of their party · Failed 156–171 · Yes 156–No 171 · Democrats 154–1, Republicans 2–169

  Mar 11, 2026Official record ↗

• No

  relative to eligibility for public assistance, including the New Hampshire employment program, family assistance program, and SNAP.

  With most of their party · Passed 172–161 · Yes 172–No 161 · Democrats 0–155, Republicans 171–6

  Mar 11, 2026Official record ↗

• No

  enabling counties to change the dates of their biennial budgets.

  With most of their party · Passed 164–145 · Yes 164–No 145 · Democrats 0–144, Republicans 163–1

  May 14, 2026Official record ↗

• No

  relative to expanding the housing finance authority's community heroes program and makes an appropriation therefor.

  With most of their party · Passed 179–166 · Yes 179–No 166 · Democrats 0–160, Republicans 178–6

  Feb 5, 2026Official record ↗

• No

  (New Title) requiring municipalities to hold a public hearing and conduct a roll call vote when seeking to override a tax or spending cap.

  With most of their party · Passed 164–150 · Yes 164–No 150 · Democrats 0–145, Republicans 163–5

  May 14, 2026Official record ↗

• No

  relative to the right to marry. Providing that the right to marry is a fundamental civil right and that the state shall protect the right of every individual, regardless of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or race, to marry and to have their ma

  With most of their party · Passed 176–162 · Yes 176–No 162 · Democrats 0–156, Republicans 175–6

  Mar 12, 2026Official record ↗

• No

  (New Title) modifying the procedures for withdrawal from a cooperative school district and the discontinuance of elementary and high schools and requiring the review of school district operating documents by school boards.

  With most of their party · Passed 179–161 · Yes 179–No 161 · Democrats 0–156, Republicans 179–4

  Jun 4, 2026Official record ↗