Above, Gov. Kelly Ayotte is greeted with applause from the joint session of the House and Senate entering Representatives Hall Thursday. PAULA TRACY photo

Above, protesters held signs in the State House hall. PAULA TRACY photo

By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD – Gov. Kelly Ayotte focused her State of the State address on public safety and affordability Thursday and said that together we can protect what sets the state apart.

She announced new initiatives on childcare, touted a federally-funded new program for expanding rural healthcare and said the state needs a moratorium on new landfills. She also said she wants a new direction for the Public Utilities Commission to bring down consumer costs.

“New Hampshire has a lot going for it – but what makes our state so special is our people,” she said. “I stand before you today, convinced that the State of our State is strong, that our shared prospects for tomorrow are bright, and proud that our work is making New Hampshire even stronger, safer, and more prosperous than ever before,” the first term Republican said.

Speaking to a joint session of the House and Senate, she summarized some of the successes in her first year in office including bail reform, a bell-to-bell ban on cellphones in schools, expanded education freedom accounts for all families regardless of income, overhauling state permitting reform for improved housing options, and cutting red tape to speed up construction.

After comparing New Hampshire’s successes to other New England states, Ayotte said, “The number one area we need to succeed to keep our state on a strong track is housing. Doing so will help us grow our workforce, attract more businesses, and bring more families to New Hampshire. We want our seniors to be able to afford to stay in their homes, or choose a home that suits them better as they age. We want businesses to be able to recruit and retain the best and the brightest to come work here. And as parents we want our children to stick around and build their future here.”

She vowed to oppose any sales or income tax.

Democrats were quick to react to the address which was interrupted by repeated applause. There were no “boos” or jeers.

New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley said in a statement:  “If Kelly Ayotte wants to take immediate action to tackle her affordability crisis, she should use this morning to announce that she isn’t running for another term.

“What you won’t hear in Kelly Ayotte’s victory lap is how she imposed new excessive Medicaid premiums, jacked up 90+ fees on families and small businesses, cut child care workforce grants, and slashed affordable housing programs — just to pay for an expensive, property tax-hiking private school vouchers scheme. When she isn’t glossing over her disastrous record, she’s hiding from Donald Trump in the corner office, too scared to challenge him in court, where it matters the most.

“Ayotte can try all she wants, but there’s no amount of spin that can hide just how abysmal her record really is,” Buckley said.

Half way into her term, Ayotte’s address focused on the future and things she sees that can be achieved to improve education, rural health and childcare and she listed a few initiatives she plans to undertake.

“We must continue to prioritize our workforce training programs to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our businesses today and into the future,” she said “…we need to make sure it’s as easy as possible to transfer credits between community colleges and to our universities so students can get the training they need without unnecessary roadblocks.”

Childcare was another area that the governor said the state could improve on.

“As a state we are looking at ways to ease this burden. The budget we passed last year fully funded childcare scholarships and lessened the administrative burden of receiving that funding. We’re looking at ways to make the program run better and reduce barriers to new providers to increase supply,” Ayotte said.

One area to explore is within the private sector.

“I’d also like to see a tax credit for companies investing in childcare for their workforce to incentivize more businesses to consider helping meet this need for their employees,” she said.

In terms of public safety, the governor mentioned the horrific murder of Berlin’s 25-year-old Sandra Marisol Fuentes-Huaracha at the hands of her husband who was out on bail and facing charges he raped her.

Ayotte said the state established a Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee “that is already working to ensure we learn from past tragedies.”

As for natural resources and tourism, Ayotte said. “I’m hellbent on protecting the look and feel of our state because that’s one of the things that really sets us apart.

“When I took office, I promised we would uphold the conservation easement negotiated for the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters in 2002, and we delivered that and then some. Our agreement reached last month not only protects but advances the interests of our communities that depend upon this vital resource for timber, as well as for recreation,” Ayotte said.

“Furthermore, I’m renewing my call to the Legislature to send me a moratorium on new landfills and a process that takes into account community input when siting these projects. We can’t let places like Forest Lake in Dalton become a dumping ground for out-of-state trash.”

She said she is looking to see changes that help reduce utility costs and boost nuclear and “homegrown” power supplies.

“Our Public Utilities Commission has been too willing to go along with the wishes of the big utilities boosting their bottom line instead of being focused on keeping rates as low as possible for the residents of our state,” she said.

“Looking toward the future of energy in New Hampshire, we can build on the successes of our homegrown power. There are numerous groups, lawmakers and stakeholders looking into the next steps of Nuclear. Today, I am directing our Department of Energy to build pathways to foster the next generation of nuclear power generation here in New Hampshire,” Ayotte said.

“I have asked the Department to bring together stakeholders, lawmakers and organizations focused on nuclear generation to ensure our state is at the forefront of this pivotal technology.”

She said in schools “our math and reading scores need to be much higher. We owe it to our kids.”

She said she is instructing the Commissioner of Education to undertake a new reading initiative. In terms of improving rural healthcare she pointed to the creation of the GO-NORTH initiative with federal funding to provide hundreds of millions in funding for rural healthcare initiatives.

“We funded one of the strongest Medicaid programs in the country despite a difficult budget environment, protecting services and maintaining New Hampshire’s eligibility levels, which are tops in New England. We ensured no waitlist for disability services, and we are strengthening our mental health system, a lifeline for people in every corner of our state.”

“In conclusion… I love this state. I love its people, its communities; its small towns,
its natural beauty; its safe streets and strong spirit. Together we are protecting what
sets us apart, what beckons others to visit,” Ayotte said.