Policy likely will take on an even harsher partisan edge than usual as a new legislative session gets underway today in Concord, New Hampshire.
Democrats are in charge of the Legislature, but Republicans want to take back their historical role of calling the shots. Look for sharp divisions especially over health insurance, abortion and school funding as the two parties highlight their philosophical differences in advance of the November election.
In their first year in charge, Democrats pushed through the first increase in the minimum wage in a decade, a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants and a law allowing gay couples to form civil unions.
Now Republicans want control back and to undo many of the changes put in place by Democrats.