New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte used her State of the State address on Thursday to highlight accomplishments from her first year in office, and lay out a roadmap for what might come next.
Speaking in Representatives Hall to a room packed with lawmakers and other government officials, Ayotte touched on everything from housing policy to nuclear energy, landfills to student reading scores. She also praised the strength of New Hampshire’s economy, public safety, and natural beauty.
“Getting here was no accident. Leading is in our blood. It’s who we are,” she said. “And over the past year we have worked to deliver on the promises we made to make our state even stronger.”
Her 45-minute speech highlighted various rankings, including studies that place New Hampshire as the overall best state for child wellbeing and for having the lowest overall tax burden. It was the kind of bragging that became a fixture of her predecessor former Gov. Chris Sununu’s annual addresses. And like Sununu, Ayotte spent considerable time during her speech taking jabs at neighboring states, including Connecticut, Rhode Island and her favored target, Massachusetts.
“Massachusetts is handing out millions in taxpayer dollars to stop companies from fleeing north, and we are welcoming these companies with open arms,” she said.
Following her speech, Democratic leaders from the New Hampshire House and Senate criticized Ayotte for failing to directly address what they see as the most pressing issue facing residents: rising costs on everything from housing to childcare.
“We are hearing on the ground from people their real struggle with affordability,” said Rep. Alexis Simpson, the House’s top Democrat.
Sen. Rebecca Perkins Kwoka, the Senate Democratic leader, added that the governor bears responsibility for increasing energy costs, and that her backing of education freedom accounts are hurting public schools.
Here are some highlights from the governor’s remarks:
Economic development and housing
Ayotte used her address to highlight legislation passed last year that seeks to increase the rate of housing construction in New Hampshire, including a measure to streamline permitting. Fresh data from the state’s economic development agency show the state did see its highest rate of new building permits in 20 years, though real estate prices remain at record highs and first homes remain out of reach for many would-be buyers.
“As parents, we want our children to stick around and build their future here,” said Ayotte.
“I know there’s an appetite to do even more, and we will keep thinking creatively to keep New Hampshire growing.”
To increase tourism, Ayotte called for yet-to-be-designed new rest stops on Interstate 95 to highlight the state’s natural resources. She also praised a newly signed agreement that will support logging and access to the state’s largest tract of land in the North Country.
Ayotte didn’t mention a recent blow to the state’s economy: beermaker AB InBev’s decision to close its decades-old Budweiser brewery in Merrimack, a move expected to cost upwards of 125 jobs.
Energy, nuclear power, and the environment
Perhaps the loudest applause of the governor’s entire speech was in response to her calls to increase nuclear power in New Hampshire.
While the governor didn’t offer many specifics, she did direct her energy department to “build pathways to foster the next generation of nuclear power generation here in New Hampshire.”
She also took jabs at other states who have invested in clean energy, claiming that their “net zero religion” was pushing up rates for the entire region.
She called on New Hampshire’s Public Utilities Commission, which approves utility price increases, to “put the needs of ratepayers first.”
While she didn’t mention climate change, Ayotte did again bring up a policy position from her campaign: a moratorium on new landfills. “We can’t let places like Forest Lake in Dalton become a dumping ground for out-of-state trash,” she said, a reference to a long-running fight between trash company Casella and state and local officials over the construction of a new dump.
Ayotte also praised the state’s natural beauty, from ATV trails to “just the plain old wilderness.”
Education and child care
Ayotte earned a standing ovation when she highlighted the state’s teachers and frontline education workforce. It was a rare moment of unity on the topic of education, which otherwise remains a flashpoint in Concord.
The governor noted the continued expansion of education freedom accounts from last session, but didn’t touch one of this session’s biggest educational measures: a move to allow for open enrollment for public schools – a move school districts warn could devastate their budgets.
She did acknowledge that in many schools, kids are struggling to hit milestones.
“Outcomes matter more than anything else, and our math and reading scores need to be much higher,” she said. “We owe it to our kids.”
For the state’s youngest residents, Ayotte said the state should enact tax credits for businesses that create childcare options for their employees.
“What makes more sense than having childcare co-located with a business?” she said.
Ayotte said the state needed to continue funding childcare scholarships, and should look to cut red tape that may stand in the way of opening new facilities.
Public safety
Ayotte opened her remarks Thursday with a request for prayers for three Nashua firefighters injured Monday following an apparent gas line explosion at a medical office building.
She went on to praise public safety officials, who backed her push last session to tighten the state’s bail laws.
Ayotte also called on lawmakers this session to reform the state’s driving under the influence laws. She called for an increase in penalties for drivers who refuse to submit to a breath alcohol test, from six months to one year.
Taxes and spending
While the most recent state budget raised dozens of administrative fees, including motor vehicle and trailer registrations, the GOP-backed spending plan didn’t include any new taxes.
“We are the envy of New England and a beacon for good governance nationwide because we have not succumbed to the lie that more money for the government is better,” Ayotte said.
She also added to a now-common refrain coming from Concord Republicans \that local municipalities should be blamed for high property taxes, and not the state’s inability to adequately fund public education: “Our towns and municipalities need to get serious about fiscal responsibility,” she said.
“If your solution to high property taxes is to institute new taxes that punish families and businesses, you can kiss the New Hampshire Advantage goodbye,” Ayotte warned.
