Charlotte Matherly covers the New Hampshire statehouse for The Concord Monitor & Monadnock Ledger Transcript. Matherly previously reported on government and education in Virginia as a freelancer. She has interned at The Chronicle of Higher Education and at a business journal in Richmond, Virginia for the Dow Jones News Fund. Matherly pursued journalism on a whim when she joined her campus newspaper, The Breeze, at James Madison University. Immediately hooked, she became an award-winning features editor, then editor-in-chief. She holds a bachelor’s degree in media arts and design from JMU. When not poring over public records or holed up at a government meeting (which is rare), Matherly loves to roller skate, explore new cities and frequent local coffee shops.
Beat: New Hampshire state government, politics and democracy
New Hampshire has a citizen-driven legislature with 400 House members, 24 state senators, and a five-person Executive Council that works with the governor to approve major nominations and spending contracts. The state is unique with its "Live Free or Die" motto and tax structure that puts a tremendous burden on property owners. Several major policy decisions lay ahead to cover, including the legalization of recreational marijuana and efforts to protect abortion in the state Constitution.