About 170 Legislative Service Requests, precursors to actual bills, have been filed in advance of next year’s session of the N.H. Legislature, covering everything from marijuana to guns to school vouchers.

The House and Senate will convene in early January, but lawmakers submit their ideas for legislation months in advance with titles describing subjects but without actual legislative wording.

There is a partisan split on many issues before the Legislature, so the fate of many of these measures will likely depend on whether the political makeup of each chamber changes much in the Nov. 5 general election.

Currently, Republicans hold a 14-10 advantage in the Senate and control the House, 197-191, where there are 11 vacancies.

Last session, some bills advanced or were sidetracked depending on how many members of each party were present for a given vote.

LSRs have been filed about Education Freedom Accounts, which use taxpayer money to help parents send their kids to private, religious or home schools.

Republican lawmakers generally support expansion of the program, saying it offers important educational choices for families not well served by public schools. Democrats often say the program siphons badly needed money away from public schools, and lacks financial and academic accountability.

To qualify for the program, family income can’t exceed 350 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $109,000 for a family of four.

Last February, Democratic lawmakers narrowly voted down a Republican-backed bill to remove these financial standards and create universal eligibility.

One of the pending LSRs for next year comes from Rep. Valerie McDonnell, R-Salem, and again concerns universal eligibility.

Last session, the N.H. Senate passed but the House defeated, 178-173, a marijuana legalization measure in a vote in which no roll call was taken to show how individual representatives voted.

Rep. Kevin Verville, R-Deerfield, has filed an LSR to legalize cannabis for people under 21. And Rep. Jonah Wheeler, D-Peterborough, has filed a proposal to help people clear their record of marijuana possession offenses.

On the gun issue, Democrats have generally favored firearm safety measures, while Republicans have backed easing regulations.

Last session, N.H. Senate Republicans tabled, or removed from consideration, a proposal for the state to share information with the federal background check system when courts determine a person poses a danger to themselves or others. Such people are prohibited under federal law from acquiring or possessing a gun.

State Rep. David Meuse, D-Portsmouth, has an LSR for next session aimed at tightening the background check system.

Legislators will return to the Statehouse in Concord at 10 a.m. on Oct. 10 to consider overriding vetoes by Gov. Chris Sununu. A two-thirds vote of the House and Senate is required to override a veto.

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