Union Leader: Ayotte seeks ‘collaboration’ with neighbors while promoting N.H. first
Before a packed house of New England business leaders Thursday, Gov. Kelly Ayotte said while serving as the state’s top ambassador she remains “open to collaboration” with neighboring state governors on policies to strengthen the region’s economy.
Creating even more reciprocal licensing for workforce professionals who seek employment in any of the six New England states is one reform that would help all of them, she said.
“If you take one thing away from me today, we are going to continue to dare to be different,” Ayotte began in her remarks to the New England Council at the N.H. Institute of Politics.
“But we are always open to collaboration on how we can improve not only New Hampshire but the entire region.”
On child care, Ayotte said she intends to pursue a business tax credit for companies that offer direct access to services for their employees.
“We want to encourage the private sector to co-locate child care on their property,” Ayotte said, adding this could expand the number of child care providers operating in New Hampshire.
Appeals Trump cuts to federal education grants
A former U.S. senator, Ayotte said she’s already reached out to the Trump administration’s Department of Education and intends to personally speak with Secretary Linda McMahon to appeal cuts which affect nearly 5,000 high school students in federal TRIO and Gear Up programs that most benefit lower-income students.
“Pulling out that money at the last minute was very discouraging,” said former Manchester Mayor Bob Baines, who serves on the city’s school committee.
Ayotte said she’s seeking full restoration of the cuts, and it’s critical students in these programs get to complete their service through the current school year.
“At least let us go through the grant period — the uncertainty of being able to navigate whatever you had planned needs to be addressed,” Ayotte said.
(Late Thursday, U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander’s office announced that the Trump Administration and the Department of Education will release more than $1 million in delayed federal funding to New Hampshire through the TRIO Program. Goodlander said millions more in delayed grants were “still outstanding.”)
The early returns on Ayotte’s reform that requires all school districts adopt a “bell to bell” ban on cellphone use in public schools are promising, she said.
“The lunchroom was quiet, but now it’s really noisy again. We like that because we want to see kids communicating together rather than staring at their screens,” Ayotte said.
Ayotte said she’s determined to have New Hampshire lead the region when it comes to controlling the rising cost of energy for consumers and businesses.
Having removed Daniel Goldner of Manchester, the chairman of the Public Utilities Commission, she said she will look to replace him with someone who will bring more “transparency” and focus to lowering rates for customers.
“If anyone here wants to offer, wants to bring forward someone who might be appropriate, we are very open to receiving resumes,” Ayotte said.
Neil Levesque, director of the Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, said he believed it was the largest gathering the New England Council had ever drawn to the IOP.
“I couldn’t even get a seat. She’s obviously a hot property, and this was an opportune time for business leaders outside the state to come see her in person,” Levesque added.