Without a budget to fashion and an election on the horizon, the second legislative session has been seen as more political posturing rather than landmark legislation. Apart from supporting several promising initiatives to tackle the housing shortage and lighten business taxes, the business lobby found itself fending off proposals that threatened to increase the cost of doing business. Taxes Lawmakers gave short shrift to a bill that would reduce a handful of taxes, including both business taxes, over the next five years, following on the heels of a round of lowering business tax rates between ..read more

Many retirement plans are available to business owners. The number of options can be overwhelming. Stringent regulations and recordkeeping requirements introduce an added layer of complexity. Fortunately, a systematic approach makes the selection process more manageable. Plan adoption involves several interrelated steps. Goal setting is perhaps the most important action. This requires the company to decide who will participate, which party(ies) will contribute, and how much it would like to provide. By defining clear objectives, the owner can form a list of plan options. Next, businesses shou ..read more

Tara DeSisto Tara DeSisto appointed development director for the New England Legal Foundation The New England Legal Foundation (NELF) has appointed Tara DeSisto as the nonprofit’s new development director. Tara is a fourth-generation Bostonian who graduated from the University of Massachusetts – Boston where she was the elected student representative to the Board of Trustees. She comes to NELF after serving as the director of development for the Libertarian National Party based out of Alexandria, Va., as well as building up a strong client base around the country in her own consultancy High ..read more

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Thursday over former President Donald Trump’s pursuit of absolute immunity from criminal charges alleging that he schemed and knowingly fed lies to subvert the 2020 presidential election, eventually leading to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. In the final argument of this term, the justices must consider whether Trump can be tried on criminal charges, and depending on the timing of their decision, whether a trial can move forward before November’s presidential election. The former president and presumed 2024 Republican presidential nominee is seek ..read more

A state superior court judge is allowing the Democratic National Committee’s lawsuit against the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office to proceed, ruling that a newly implemented affidavit ballot system backed by Republicans could negatively impact some qualified voters. Two previous lawsuits brought by voter advocacy groups and the ACLU of New Hampshire challenging the constitutionality of the same law, SB 418, which took effect in January 2023, were dismissed on procedural grounds. Those cases are now on appeal to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Under the law, which was backed by Republ ..read more

A 48-year-old Grantham doctor has been indicted on charges that he engaged in illegal drug distribution and health care fraud through a network of treatment clinics he owns in northern New England. The charges link him with another former Grantham doctor who pleaded guilty to Medicare fraud last year and is awaiting sentencing. Federal prosecutors in Vermont allege that Dr. Adnan Khan distributed drugs “outside the usual course of professional practice” and “without a legitimate medical purpose,” the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release on Tuesday. Khan entered a plea of not guilt ..read more

As an Upper Valley nonprofit recovers from a fraud scheme in which a former executive spent the organization’s money for personal use, New Hampshire nonprofit-affiliated officials shared fundamental points to consider when it comes to charity finance. The case at hand involved past director Kyle Fisher stealing almost $240,000 of Lebanon-based Listen Community Services’ funds to use in a Massachusetts casino. The organization serves about 32 communities across New Hampshire and Vermont, offering resources like community dinners and payments to vulnerable residents. Fisher — a former Grantham r ..read more

This aerial view shows the northbound N.H. Liquor & Wine Outlet on Interstate 95 (foreground) and the southbound outlet (background). The New Hampshire Liquor Commission is in the process of seeking a buyer to redevelop two commission-owned properties to create 22,000 square foot state-of-the-art outlets on both sides, as well as highway-oriented services, including gas stations, electric vehicle charging stations, restaurants, informational and other travel-related amenities. (Courtesy photo) Selling liquor and wine along the state’s two interstate highways is such good business for th ..read more

The town of Madison is taking a short-term rental owner to court to get him to stop renting. The case, to be heard in Carroll County Superior Court, is titled “Town of Madison v. Nicholas Gage.” The lawsuit, filed March 26, states that Gage lives in Merrimack. It concerns Gage’s one-story house at 10 Barden Place in the Eidelweiss Residential District of Madison. In 2022, residents at annual town meeting voted to amend the definition of dwelling unit to include that dwelling units are used for non-transient residential purposes” and “non-transient occupancy” means greater than 30 days. “In 202 ..read more

Julia Stantic North Branch Construction’s Julia Stantic earns LEED Green Associate Certification North Branch Construction announced that Julia Stantic, assistant project manager, has recently received the LEED Green Associate credential from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED Green Associates are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote and implement green building practices within the workplace and community. “Julia obtaining the LEED Green Associate designation is just another example of her commitment to ensuring she has the skills and knowledge base to most effect ..read more