Soldati is challenging Kenney on education, health care, and fiscal policy

LACONIA – Executive Councilman Joe Kenney (R), a five-term District 1 incumbent, met with business owner Emmett Soldati (D), who is seeking to unseat Kenney in the Nov. 5 General Election, at a panel on before voters at Belknap Mill Thursday night.

The pair took questions from an audience gathered for a non-partisan candidate forum hosted by Sue Nastasi of the League of Women Voters. The event, organized primarily by the Unitarian Universalist Society of Laconia, drew about 80 voters and community members, and prompted a candid discussion between Kenney and Soldati.

“One of the things I really enjoy about New Hampshire is the quality of life, that’s why we live here, that’s why people are attracted to New Hampshire,” Kenney said. “While I have been on the council, I have always tried to represent the values ​​that are important to New Hampshire.”

The Governor’s Executive Council fulfills three primary roles within the executive branch of state government: approves all large-dollar state contracts; they approve of political and judicial nominations and appointments; and they vote on all boards and commissions.

“Fourteen years ago, I did three things: I got sober, I moved back to my hometown of Somersworth, and I opened a small business. From there I saw how New Hampshire has changed,” said Soldati. “A lot of people, especially in my generation, are facing new problems. the increase in drug abuse that seems to be outstripping effort, the education crisis that is binding many homeowners with property taxes they can no longer afford, and the health care crisis. access to prenatal health care and even access to health care in general.”

In lengthy discussions, Kenney and Soldati touched on education, health care and financial issues, among others, generally disagreeing on solutions and root causes.

Soldati noted that Frank Edelblut, the commissioner of the Department of Education, will end his tenure in March, and the executive council will vote on whoever is appointed after that. There will also be two Supreme Court justices facing resignation in the future, and councilors will be called to approve their replacements.

“I am concerned about the types of judicial names that will be placed on the Supreme Court, and we will be reviewing to ensure that we do not have the same, biased, extreme view of the independence of the body that sits on the Court and our Highness,” Soldati. that said.

Kenney said Soldati’s claim that he voted against family planning contracts is not entirely accurate.

In fact, I supported all of the family planning contracts while I was in the Executive Council, except for the three that my opponent just mentioned. Because in our state law, under HB 2 about two or three years ago, it prohibits us from funding family service health care clinics that provide abortions – it’s legal ,” Kenney said. “So my opponent would be breaking the law by voting for these contracts. I believe what we need to do is put more money into health care plans around the state. of New Hampshire.”

Soldati said there is an important difference between school choice advocates and Education Freedom Account vouchers given Kenney’s support for the EFA program.

“We keep hearing this idea that it improves school choice for working families,” Soldati said. “Most of those who received the vouchers were already sending their children to private or religious schools, so it did not improve the choice. No. 2, we have already seen efforts to increase the income ceiling so that, eventually, anyone will qualify for it. “Now we see that many of the schools that have received vouchers require parents to apply before they can receive tuition or scholarship aid at that school—which means that private institutions are funded with your tax dollars.”

Kenney said the $200 million shortfall in the state budget can be fixed through responsible fiscal measures.

“We’re going into the next cycle, and the governor has funded all the agencies. And we know we’re going to have a very conservative budget process for the next several years,” Kenney said. The good news is that we have two sets of our bond notes. I believe it’s 4% of our total spending on debt. Look at what’s happening in Washington, the product of the entire country, paying the interest on our national debt. So New Hampshire is financially sound, we have low debt, we have very good credit.

“We are well positioned, I believe, in the next cycle to meet our financial obligations and run the country the way it should be run.”

Ms. Soldati said New Hampshire should increase education funding on a per-student basis.

“The number of $21,000 that you heard now and from the last meeting is the total amount of money that each student receives. It is not the amount that the state gives and it is an average,” said Soldati. “Nationwide, the public the poor have a maximum burden of up to $21,000, while the government provides only $4,100, so the government provision is the lowest in the country. $21,000 is generated by taxpayers, up to 70% of our local tax bill goes to schools. If you’ve seen your tax bill, you know that – my concern is why are we taking out millions of dollars and sending them to private and religious schools?

The meeting was broadcast live by Lakes Region Public Access and a video of the event will be available at lrpa.org.