Above, Gov. Kelly Ayotte is pictured Thursday with her husband, Joe Daley. PAULA TRACY photo
By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD – Gov. Kelly Ayotte was sworn in as the 83rd governor of New Hampshire Thursday saying she will be a governor for all citizens.
The 56-year-old Republican thanked now former Gov. Chris Sununu for helping make the state number one in the country for freedom, opportunity, taxpayer return on investment, public safety and child well-being, but she acknowledged that tough financial times are ahead for the state and there is a housing crisis.
She announced she is creating a Commission on Government Efficiency which will be led by former Gov. Craig Benson and Andy Crews to “put proposals on my desk to streamline government, cut spending, and ensure that we’re doing everything we can to create value for our taxpayers.”
She said she will also meet with Commissioners and Department heads to see what can be done to do more to stretch budgets and find ways to be more efficient.
Ayotte said there will be no new landfill in Dalton as has been proposed near Forest Lake State Park by Casella, that she would protect logging and the way of life as part of the massive Connecticut Lakes Headwaters tract, which has been purchased by Aurora Sustainables, a company that sells carbon credits as its primary area of business rather than logging, but the state holds an easement which calls for logging and recreation.
She said she will not support either a sales or income tax, nor entertain any new provisions to restrict abortion.
The governor also said she will push for more funding for the Group II retirement benefit group, ban sanctuary cities, complete bail reform and strengthen mental health care and access.
The ceremony, about an hour and a half long, was held in Representatives Hall and was attended by the governor’s husband, Joe Daley, calling him her “wingman,” her children Kate and Jake, her parents, all leaders of branches of government and military along with members of the House and Senate.
Sununu also attended and was greeted with a standing ovation for his eight years in office.
During her speech, Ayotte received 14 standing ovations for a number of provisions including expansion of the Education Freedom Accounts, working to eliminate the use of cellphones in the classroom, and improving and advancing career technical education opportunities.
She also said she wants New Hampshire to be the best state for veterans to live, and said she will have an open-door policy for them in her office.
“One of the things I am most looking forward to as Governor is when the fourth graders come to the State House, and I get to talk to them. I want to talk to them about what service feels like helping others and being a part of something bigger than yourself. I want them to know that there are as many ways to serve as you can imagine and to understand the fulfillment that comes with giving what you can to help others.
“That’s how Joe and I raised our kids, and it’s what I will carry in my heart as your Governor,” Ayotte said.
Ayotte is a Nashua native, a product of a public education there, who went to law school, became a homicide prosecutor, rose to state Attorney General and then was a U.S. Senator.
She extended a hand to both Republicans and Democrats to work together “to deliver on the promises we made to keep our state moving in the right direction.”
“I am going to be a Governor for you, whether you’re a Republican, Democrat, Independent, you name it. Our state is so much bigger than a party or an ideology,” Ayotte said.
“Minority Leaders (Rebecca) Perkins Kwoka and (House Minority Leader Alexis) Simpson (D-Exeter), I want you to know that my door is always open. Good government knows no party, so let’s show folks that even when partisanship is at a fever pitch, we can set a different example,” Ayotte said.
After the inauguration speech, Perkins Kwoka, when interviewed in her office said, “I agree with the governor on a few things. I agree that the people of New Hampshire are very hard-working, are very independent. You know, and I think the flip side of that is that what we hear today is that there are also a lot of people out there who are struggling.
“They are struggling under higher property taxes and higher costs. And I think we didn’t hear anything from the governor today that showed leadership on lowering utility costs for people, lowering health-care costs for people. And we know they are opening property tax bills and they are higher,” Perkins Kwoka said.
“So we need to clearly work hard to make sure that we are lowering costs for the average Granite Stater and making sure that we can continue to make New Hampshire a great place to live.
“What I hear from my constituents is housing is an issue, workforce is an issue, small businesses are struggling. So, we have got to be there to deliver solutions for them,” Perkins Kwoka said.
The Portsmouth Democrat said housing is a huge issue and heard some from the governor on that issue, but she also said she really wants to focus on lowering costs for Granite Staters.
New Hampshire has fewer than 1 percent of all two-bedroom apartments available and that is impacting businesses who cannot find workers.
Senate President Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry, welcomed Ayotte after her speech.
“I look forward to working with Governor Ayotte to keep the New Hampshire Advantage of low taxes and prosperity. Governor Ayotte and I have known each other for many years and that relationship will help us work together to reduce costs and prevent government overreach. Our goal is to steer our state in the right direction and not go down the path of reckless spending or becoming a sanctuary state. I, along with the whole New Hampshire Senate, welcome you to the State House and look forward to delivering results to Granite Staters,” Carson said.
During her inaugural address, Ayotte said if New Hampshire is to remain the economic beacon of New England, “we need to start by tackling our housing crisis. This is about our now and our future.
“Our state has so much opportunity to offer, but our lack of housing supply and sky-high costs are making it increasingly difficult for individuals to tap into it.
“It affects everyone, from the young family looking to buy their first home, to the business that is trying to hire more workers, to the retiree who wants to be able to stay where they are,” she said.
She said “we’re going to pursue an all-of-the-above strategy to address it.
“We have to bring everyone to the table, the state, the local communities, the private sector, so we figure out where the opportunities are and how we can clear the way to build and strengthen new and existing partnerships.”
Ayotte gave as examples of progress on that front a project in Rochester, The Rapids on Cocheco which will be a 52-unit workforce housing complex coming together because the the city, HUD, private sector, New Hampshire Housing, and state government worked together.
And she noted the project in Berlin to transform the former Brown Elementary School for new housing is another example.
“We need to look at state property like this and find opportunities to leverage underutilized assets on our books and make sure they are used in their highest and best use,” Ayotte said adding the state should lead by example by overhauling permitting processes to finish within 60 days.
“We need to make the process as frictionless as possible so projects that are great for our communities are not getting halted by unnecessary red tape,” she said.
And Ayotte said she has made it a priority to bring people from outside of government in to help make it better.
“I’m focused on tapping our deep well of talent so that our government has the best: the best people and the best ideas,” she said.
Ayotte said though she was a product of public schools, they are not always the best fit for everyone and she said she does “applaud everything that has been done to expand opportunities for families through education freedom accounts and look forward to strengthen and expand the program….”
Being married to a school teacher, Ayotte said she has learned that, “Teachers know uniquely what is working for our students and what isn’t. We need to listen to them.
“That’s why today I am announcing that we will be taking action to ban cell phones in our schools,” she said.
Challenges are ahead in the coming budget, she noted with the large amounts of federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act drying up and revenues are coming in lower than expected “and that means we have to tighten our belt in Concord.”
But some things she said the state cannot skimp on and that is support for the most vulnerable.
“We are going to have to look to find better ways to do things with fewer dollars,” she said.
One thing that appears to be a priority of the governor but was not on the list of priorities laid out by the Senate Republicans this week is “to make critical investments in the Group 2 retirement system…who do this critical work for our communities.”
One thing that Ayotte and the Senate Republicans definitely agree on is “we need to ban sanctuary policies in our state,” which received a standing ovation. She pointed to the difficulties faced in neighboring Massachusetts.
“They’ve spent over a billion dollars housing migrants rather than investing in their law-abiding citizens. We can’t allow that to happen here,” she said.
“We’re also not done on bail reform. I firmly believe that the legislature did more harm than good when they changed our bail law, and the recent reforms haven’t gone far enough,” Ayotte said.
She said the mental health system is a key component of strengthening communities and providing families the assistance they need to get help for their loved ones.
“As I’ve traveled across New Hampshire, I have heard firsthand about the urgent need to improve our mental health care system. There are not enough providers, and we’re going to find ways to partner with our community colleges and university system to expand educational opportunities for mental health providers,” she said.
She said all too often, substance use treatment and mental health care are siloed, when it would be better for them to be addressed together.
“In addition to strengthening the system itself, we also need to ensure anyone who is facing mental health challenges feels like they can reach out for help and that they can come forward.”
On North Country issues, Ayotte said the greatest resource our state has besides its people is our beautiful landscape.
“Our North Country is a gem that provides so much to our state. We need to make sure it stays that way, and we have to ensure it stays that way. My administration is going to enforce the state’s conservation easement on the Connecticut Headwaters tract negotiated under the bipartisan leadership of then-Governor Jeanne Shaheen and Senator Judd Gregg to ensure that this beautiful tract of land remains open for recreation and local timber harvesting for the people of New Hampshire,” Ayotte said to a standing ovation.
“Similarly, there will be no landfill at Forest Lake in Dalton. We will not allow that beautiful area of our state to become a dumping ground for out-of-state trash. It’s just not going to happen,” she stressed.
And, directing her remarks at the legislature, Ayotte said, “send me legislation that further restricts access to abortion beyond our current law: I will veto it.”
In conclusion, Ayotte said she wants to be “Governor for everyone. And please know this, even If there are times that we don’t see eye to eye, I will look to bring people together.
“I could not be more optimistic about our shared future. But all the same — we have real challenges that we have to take head-on if we are going to keep moving in the right direction.
“Voters are expecting us to find new ways to better….to grow our economy, and increase our quality of life. We need to be proactive in securing new victories…to make our communities safer, families more prosperous, and our daily lives more free.”
