Governor Ayotte’s State of the State Address As-Prepared

CONCORD, NH - Please find below the full text of Governor Kelly Ayotte's State of the State Address as-prepared.

Mr. Speaker, Madame President, Mr. Chief Justice, honorable members of the House, Senate, Councilors, my fellow citizens: Thank you for being here today. It's great to be back before you.
I want you to know how much I have appreciated working with all of you throughout this past year.

From the Legislature, to the council, to our commissioners. I have seen firsthand how all of you are united by the same passion to protect what makes our state so special and how you strive to make it even better for our fellow citizens and our future generations. Thank you for the job you are doing for our state, for our neighbors, for our kids, and thank you for continuing to serve.

As you've heard me say many times before, I think service is pretty important. NH depends on those who step up to serve their neighbors, their communities, and our state. We don't have public safety - if not for our law enforcement, fire fighters, EMTs, corrections officers, and first responders. We don't have education - if not for our teachers and support staff. We don't have healthcare - without our nurses and doctors. And we don't have a country - without our veterans, guard and active duty military. Not to mention our state, county, and municipal employees, social workers, community volunteers, the list goes on and on.

New Hampshire has a lot going for it - but what makes our state so special is our people. People like Lieutenant Bill Shea, and Firefighters Jonathan Moore, Cory Poissant, and Nate Keller, from Engine Company Five of the Nashua Fire Department who bravely responded to a dangerous gas leak at Greater Nashua Mental Health on Monday initiating rescue operations under extremely hazardous conditions, facing an explosion and fire, subjecting 3 of these heroic firefighters to significant injuries. Or Ajla Mustafic and Katie Tewksbury, Manchester nursing students, whose quick thinking, teamwork, and courage saved the life of a stranger. Or Edward Parker and Hubert Buchanan who endured captivity as prisoners of war while serving in the Armed Forces during World War II and in Vietnam.

It's easy to take them for granted, but we owe so much of what we have to those who serve. So thank you - to those in this room that serve your fellow citizens - to those at home who serve the public in a litany of different ways - you are making a tremendous difference for all of us.

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.

We're proud of our New Hampshire tradition of being first. From being the first to rebel against British tyranny with the Pine Tree Riot, and the first colony to adopt its own Constitution, to our First In The Nation primary - which, by the way, we are never going to give up.

It's only fitting that today, 250 years since that first Constitution was adopted, New Hampshire continues to lead the nation in so many ways… We are:

• #1 for public safety
• #1 for taxpayer return on investment
• #1 for economic opportunity
• #1 for economic freedom
• #1 for child wellbeing
• #1 for home internet connectivity
• #1 for healthcare
• #1 for Medicaid mental health services

We have the lowest tax burden in the country. And just this past year we passed Vermont to become the #1 state to raise a family. Last month we were named the healthiest state in the country. In total, U.S. News ranks us the #2 state in the nation. Now, I'm not sure what they're doing out in Utah.. But Utah we are coming for you because we can make a great case for #1!

Getting here was no accident. Leading is in our blood. It's who we are. And over the past year we have worked to deliver on the promises we made to make our state even stronger.

We came together to get cell phones out of the classroom and give our kids the chance to be kids and focus on learning during the school day. We expanded education freedom, so every family can choose the best learning environment for their kids. We took the housing crisis head on, passing more than a dozen pieces of legislation, overhauling state permitting reform, and cutting red tape to speed up construction. We ended our state's disastrous bail reform experiment, and we banned sanctuary cities from taking hold here like they have in neighboring states.

We balanced our budget, while protecting those that depend on us. We fully funded the developmental disability waitlist, protected Medicaid eligibility, and funded schools at higher levels than ever before. We implemented changes to modernize our operations, increase efficiencies, and welcomed new suggestions from our state's Commission on Governmental Efficiency. And we kept our promise to protect the state's largest tract of land, the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Forest, by negotiating a new, strong, agreement that puts the North Country first, and ensures continued logging and access for recreation.

It's also important to take a minute and remember what we didn't do: And what we didn't do was raise 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.

We have succeeded because we have held the line AGAINST an income tax, AGAINST a sales tax, AGAINST an interest and dividends tax, AGAINST a death tax, and instead we have relied on the ingenuity and thoughtfulness of our people to meet the needs we have and provide for those that depend on us.

We are the Live Free or Die state…but when you look at the states around us, we also show them what it looks like to Live Free and Prosper. But make no mistake-- we are never more than one election from giving it up, from going the way of our neighbors, from MASSING up our Granite State.

Just look at what they are doing down in Rhode Island as we speak… They have a big budget deficit to fill as the Biden-era spending spree winds down. Rather than do what we did and take a hard look at spending and recalibrate, they are pushing a new Millionaire's Tax instead, to cover their 50% growth in spending since the start of the pandemic.

The last state in the country to enact an income tax just so happens to also be one of our neighbors, and we're going to pick on our friends in Connecticut to make a quick point… Since Connecticut enacted an income tax, they've raised it four times. And where does Connecticut rank today in property taxes? Third highest in the country.

Let this be a cautionary tale for New Hampshire's future. There is no getting around the fact that our property taxes in New Hampshire are unsustainable. In my budget address last year I challenged our local officials to take our lead and take a hard look at spending, and stop relying on tax increases. Our towns and municipalities need to get serious about fiscal responsibility.

But even more misguided, are those in this room who argue that the solution to high property taxes is to raise other taxes. Let me be clear about this… If your solution to high property taxes is to institute new taxes -- new taxes that punish families and businesses, you can kiss the New Hampshire Advantage goodbye.

The simple fact of government, is that government loves to spend your money, and raising taxes only ensures that the government gets more of your hard-earned money. That's it.

If we ever accept that argument in New Hampshire, it will be the end of our distinct advantage over all the other states in New England. An advantage that just in the last year brought six companies up from Massachusetts, and 500 jobs with them.

You may have seen the news, but Little New Hampshire has Massachusetts bragging about retaining a single company… imagine that conversation ten, even 20 years ago. Massachusetts is handing out millions in taxpayer dollars to stop companies from fleeing north, and we welcome them with open arms, not big giveaways like the Bay State doles out.

But, even with this success, I know that we can do better.

Something I've come to realize more over this past year is that our unique New Hampshire strengths could be more well known outside of our state. And as we begin this new year, I am focused on showcasing all our state has to offer in a much bigger way.

Our Department of Business and Economic Affairs has an incredible story to tell about why life in New Hampshire is about as good as it gets anywhere, and why you should come here to raise your family and start your business and build your life. We need to do a better job telling that story and think differently about marketing ourselves.

To that point, a quick aside about the Hampton rest area on 95 that I sent back to the drawing board. When I sat down and saw the building plans were modeled off what you would see along the New Jersey Turnpike and that it was going to be all national brands, instead of New Hampshire businesses… I said, are you crazy? We have a golden opportunity here to put a flag in the ground and show the incredible number of people that drive by daily what we are all about. This is the kind of thinking I mean when I say we have to think differently.

Another way I want us to think differently is about how we drive economic development. Economic development is more than marketing ourselves and attracting others here, it's aligning the critical structures of workforce, housing, and childcare, to create the most advantageous environment for businesses to start, grow, and succeed. These structures are important individually, but together they form the basis of what it means to be a good place to locate your company.

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.

Last year was the most ambitious year for new housing laws in state history, and I was glad to work with all of you to make that happen. We passed new laws to speed up construction, including a new lean, 60-day permitting process to make sure the State isn't a barrier to progress on this issue; we cut outdated red tape that was standing in the way of building more. We improved a system to help finance energy efficient housing developments.

And we expanded opportunities for new types of housing, like accessory dwelling units that: keep families together, or allow a loved one with a developmental disability, or an aging parent to live close but with their independence, or give a young person fresh out of college a place to start while they save for a down payment.

We enabled businesses to convert empty offices into much-needed housing: which helps more people live in the community where they work; revitalizes our downtowns; and gives us a new tool in our toolbox to tackle the housing crisis.

Just last week we got our first look at how we are doing when the Bureau of Economic Affairs released housing production data for the past year. And guess what - it was the highest total in 20 years. This is an early sign that momentum continues to build and we are increasing our much needed housing supply. I know there's an appetite to do even more - and we will keep thinking creatively to keep New Hampshire growing.

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. Our community college system ranks top ten in the nation and does a tremendous job of partnering with our businesses to ensure we are growing in critical fields. Last year, we invested in dual and concurrent enrollment programs to help put more individuals on the path to a good-paying career in the trades, health care, and beyond. Looking ahead, 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.

A downward pressure on our families and our workforce is the exploding cost of childcare. I know this is a burden for so many, and that it leads to tough conversations around the dinner table about the value of a parent working versus the associated childcare cost. 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. We're also getting the private sector and nonprofits at the table to talk about what else can be done.

Just yesterday, I was at a ribbon cutting for a renovation and expansion of childcare and early learning at the Merrimack YMCA. The largest of its kind in the country. Similarly, Boys and Girls Clubs are expanding their childcare offerings, and we need to empower other nonprofits to do the same. 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.

The quality of life we enjoy here in the Granite State is one of the intangibles that makes residents proud and leads curious visitors to ask what it is that makes life different here.

Last year, we did important work together to keep our state the safest in the nation. We finally ended the failed bail reform experiment that created a revolving door for violent criminals, hurt innocent people, and in some cases ended lives far too early, like that of Marisol Fuentes-Huaracha. We mourn, alongside so many in Berlin, Marisol's tragic murder.

This is a solemn reminder of the importance of advocating for and supporting those affected by domestic violence and the importance of the work we do here to protect all Granite Staters. We backed our first responders by restoring benefits that had been promised for their retirement. We increased penalties for human trafficking, improved protections for crime victims, and established a Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee that is already working to ensure we learn from past tragedies.

We renewed our commitment to delivering justice no matter how much time has passed by strengthening our Cold Case Unit and ensuring they have the resources necessary to pursue these cases with the urgency and care they deserve.

Keeping New Hampshire the safest state in the nation also means making our roads safer. I'm grateful to Councilor Stephen, Attorney General Formella, Commissioners Quinn and Cass, and everyone who served on my Highway Safety Task Force last year and the recommendations they put forward.

One of their top recommendations is to tackle the culture of impaired drivers refusing to submit to a breath alcohol test. Which is why I am calling on the House and Senate to double the administrative license suspension, from six months to one year, for drivers refusing to take a breath alcohol test.

We will keep working together to address the dangers of impaired driving, distracted driving, wrong-way driving, and other issues that put Granite Staters at risk.

The heart of our tourism and recreation industry is the beautiful land we are fortunate to call home. New Hampshire's outdoors anchor our Live Free or Die spirit. Some feel the call of the mountains, others the ocean, or our lakes, parks, ski mountains, hiking trails, rock faces, snowmobile and ATV trails, or just the plain old wilderness. You name it, we've got it, and 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.

I want to thank Councilor Kenney, the Coos County Commissioners and the North Country legislators for helping us obtain this important agreement. And we will use every tool at our disposal to make sure that it is followed.

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.

It's critically important that we protect the natural beauty that draws thousands of visitors to our state, provides ample recreation opportunities, and showcases who we are as a people.

Which brings me to an area of our lives here in New Hampshire that is not where we want it to be - and that is our electric rates. Let's understand why we are here: Our neighbors, that govern a lot differently than we do, are busy pushing up regional rates with their net zero religion, and lack of pragmatism and consideration for the consumer.

While at the same time they are battling to block new energy projects that would lower costs for all of us by delivering much-needed energy into our region, such as the Constitution pipeline.

Here at home, 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. The Commission must provide transparency to residents when it comes to their electric bills and put the needs of ratepayers first.

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. 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.

Our most critical duty as a state is to meet the needs of those that are entrusted to us. Our education and healthcare systems provide for the good of all people, from all walks of life, across the Granite State. They are strong, but my administration is working every day to make them stronger.

We are taking challenges on headfirst and doing the hard work to ensure we not only maintain, but improve, our performance. This starts with our kids. What we are doing to prepare our kids for life, and ensure they are ready to enter the world, is critical to our long-term success.

Today, we have one of the best education systems in the country. Our schools consistently rank in the top 10. We're seventh in the nation in funding per student.

We have a lot to be proud of when it comes to the strength of our schools, and that is thanks to the teachers and staff from all the different learning environments across our state. As many of you know, my husband Joe is a math teacher, so teachers are particularly close to my heart… and I'd like to take a moment to thank our every teacher and staff member who is educating our next generation.

Last year we expanded opportunities for families with universal education freedom, giving more kids the opportunity to succeed in a classroom environment that fits their needs. And we made historic investments in special education with more funding for these important programs than ever before.

And one of the accomplishments I am most proud of … we got cellphones out of the classroom. I know this has been an adjustment for our students. Even in my house…my teenage son heard an earful from his friends - so I am definitely taking heat on it as well!

I've visited schools to see firsthand how the bell-to-bell ban is working. Teachers told me - and even skeptical students have admitted - the lunchroom is louder, kids are talking to each other in the hallways, cyberbullying is down, classroom focus is better, and most important - kids can just be kids. No screens, no snapchat, no Tik Tok.

At McCarthy Middle School in Nashua, I heard kids are checking out library books again and even requesting new titles from their favorite authors. Reading for fun… imagine that!

As good as our accomplishments and national rankings are, I think there are still challenges we need to be honest about if we're going to deliver on our promises to the next generation. Outcomes matter more than anything else. and our math and reading scores, need to be much higher. We owe it to our kids.

Low reading scores are a challenge here and across our country and I believe a smart first step for us in addressing this is to dig into our districts that are standouts and ask what are they doing differently? What can we learn and apply from their example? How can we help all our schools raise the bar for reading?

Which is why I am instructing Commissioner Davis to undertake a new reading initiative to discover what we can learn from our schools that have the highest number of students reading at grade level and apply these best practices statewide.

I am proud of the education we are providing for our kids, But the credit goes to all of the parents, and those of you who are on the frontlines in our schools doing it. We are going to make sure you have the support you need to keep doing it and doing it better, so that our kids have every opportunity to succeed in their lives.

When I took office, I promised that I would be a Governor for all of New Hampshire, and that we would protect our most vulnerable citizens who depend on the State to meet their needs. With our budget that protects our region leading Medicaid eligibility levels, provides full funding for developmental disability services, and with our creation of the GO-NORTH initiative to provide hundreds of millions in funding for rural healthcare initiatives, we are delivering on those promises.

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.

We also funded uncompensated care at our Community Mental Health Centers so no one is turned away when they need help, preserved funding for 988, and fully funded our Doorways and Recovery Friendly Workplace programs, which are giving a hand up to people in treatment and recovery from addiction.

Looking ahead, we're focused on making sure we can sustain these critical services, tackle challenges that arise, and take advantage of new opportunities to keep our state the healthiest in the nation.

I've made no secret about my disagreement with the back of the budget cuts that were made to the Department of Health and Human Services, but I am working closely with Commissioner Weaver on how we meet those budget targets responsibly, without affecting services.

The creation of the GO-NORTH initiative, and our New England leading funding levels, has the potential to be a gamechanger. I'm thrilled to have Donnalee Lozeau, who graciously put off her retirement, lead this effort to ensure health care access in our small towns and rural areas is equal to our more developed areas.

With this historic level of funding, we will invest in innovative technologies to make care easier to access and to improve patient outcomes. From expanding telehealth in primary care, specialties and obstetrics and emphasizing a prevention first model-we are going to leverage state of the art technology to overcome the barriers to healthcare delivery in every corner of New Hampshire.

By focusing on primary care and making investments in local infrastructure, we can transcend traditional clinic care by establishing community access points through schools, libraries, and mobile clinics. We are going to grow our rural health workforce by investing in recruitment, retention, and training to encourage skilled providers to stay in our rural communities.

Furthermore, I am asking Director Dee Jurius at the Office of Professional Licensing and Certification to ensure that outdated licensing rules do not get in the way of using new technologies and growing our providers in the North Country. I know that together, we can deliver an even healthier future for families, seniors, and everyone across 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, and ultimately, what uniquely makes us, The Granite State.

Thank you for your time this morning, God bless you, and God bless the great State of New Hampshire.