Candidates for governor, Maggie Hassan and Ovide Lamontagne, met in Manchester to debate business and economic development in the Granite State.
A key part of the debate centered on improving infrastructure. Both Ovide Lamontagne and Maggie Hassan agree that the state needs to improve its infrastructure and complete the widening of I-93. But they clashed over how to fund it.
Lamontagne ruled out tax increases, instead suggesting the use of federal government-backed bonds. He criticized Hassan for not doing the same:
"I am not here standing before saying we should raise a gas tax, like my opponent has said. She wants to have a conversation about taxation. I don't."
Hassan said raising gas taxes isn't her first choice. But she said only relying on federal government-backed bonds, or GARVEE bonds, wouldn't work.
"GARVEE bonds are borrowing from the federal government. Just using GARVEE bonds means that we will be dedicating a portion of that 10-year transportation money to just repaying the federal government."
The candidates' next debate, their fourteenth so far, is scheduled for November first.