The Issues
Education
Quality public schools where all students have equal opportunity to learn are the bedrock of a civilized society. The state is not meeting its constitutional and court-ordered obligation to fund an adequate education. NH continues to be last in the country for state funding of public education. A student’s zip code should not determine the quality of their education – and local taxpayers should not be burdened excessively to fund schools adequately. Hope is working vigorously to improve the state education funding formula. Hope values our credentialed public school teachers, respects their capacity to provide appropriate curriculum and works to improve teacher retention.
Hope believes that all taxpayer-funded education should assess student outcomes and have accountability for expenditures. Taxpayer-funded education should welcome all students without discrimination. We desperately need a Commissioner of Education who values public education, respects the need for performance audit of the voucher program, and works in a transparent manner on all issues. Increased attention to career technical schools is a cost-effective option for students to graduate ready for productive careers in the trades. We need to control the cost of our superb public university system. We are losing students to less expensive out-of-state options, which has adverse economic impact as many students leave for college and don’t return to live here.
Housing
New Hampshire, including Sullivan County, faces a critical shortage of housing. We need more homes of all shapes and sizes, for all of our neighbors - workers, seniors & young families. Sullivan County Granite Staters don’t have enough housing options to meet their varied needs and budgets. Employers can’t hire the staff they need if people do not have an affordable place to live. Hope serves on the Special Committee on Housing, which has worked in a very bipartisan manner to increase housing production.
Healthcare & Reproductive Rights
Hope believes everyone deserves comprehensive, affordable health care. After a rewarding career as a kind, no-judgment dietitian, diabetes educator and eating disorders specialist, she appreciates the opportunity to now address healthcare needs more systemically. She votes against restrictions on reproductive freedom, supports permanent Medicaid expansion, advocates for better and more available mental health care, and works to increase understanding of substance use disorder (addiction) as a disease, not a crime.
Abortion is healthcare - the ability to control one’s own body is a fundamental right. This is not a “women’s issue” or a “culture war” issue – it is an issue of equity and justice. It is about sovereignty over your own body – a fight for freedom itself! In the Live Free or Die state, there is no role for government or politicians in personal decisions about reproduction. The same extremists seeking to ban or restrict abortion are also intent on limiting access to birth control, IVF treatment, and gender-affirming health care.
The Economy
New Hampshire needs an economy that works for all of us. It is essential to increase state funding for community schools – for quality education, to reduce the unreasonable burden of property taxes and to make more municipal resources available for other needs such as roads and safety services. We must urgently address our critical shortage of housing of all kinds. Hope works hard on both the Education and Housing committees. She sponsored legislation to increase the number of units in an existing building that are exempt from fire sprinklers making conversions of large older homes into several apartments more affordable. Hope strongly supports a living wage and opposed the anti-union mis-named “right-to-work” legislation. Universal pre-K programs and increased access to affordable, quality child care is both essential to families and the broader economy. Businesses need employees who have reliable child care! Food insecurity is another economic issue – we simply have far too much hunger in our communities. The reliance on our wonderful local food banks and soup kitchens needs to be bolstered by more systemic approaches. Hope works hard to ensure that New Hampshire is an affordable place for people to raise their families, go to school & retire.
Democracy
As the granddaughter of a suffragette and the daughter of a social studies teacher, Hope has enormous respect for democracy and the privilege of voting. She will continue to promote voter participation, including convenient same-day voter registration and no-excuse absentee ballots. Hope is especially interested in engaging young people as voters. She listens thoughtfully and respectfully to constituent concerns, to ensure that everyone has a voice in the State House. Hope will work vigorously to defeat the Free State Movement’s efforts to dismantle democracy.
Environment & Energy
District 8 has many beautiful natural spaces, from the Connecticut River to Crescent Lake to Lake Sunapee to Pillsbury State Park. As a hiker, cyclist and gardener, Hope observes the changing climate and works for NH to be proactive to preserve our environment. She voted for environmental protections, including a pause on landfills, restrictions on PFAS and shoreline protection from wake boating. Hope strongly opposes creating a transfer station at the Claremont Junction that would bring heavy truck traffic of toxic waste to the city. She advocates for technology that supports clean renewable energy to lower our utility costs, protect the climate and our natural resources, and foster growth in tourism to support our economy.
Second Amendment Rights
Hope values Second Amendment rights and respects responsible gun ownership. We must take care of each other with reasonable, commonsense public safety laws to decrease the suicide rate & keep our children safe in schools. Background checks on every gun sale and reasonable waiting periods would improve NH public safety while maintaining individual freedoms. The vast majority of gun owners agree that these are responsible measures we can take to save lives. We must work together for safe and responsible gun ownership that is compatible with Second Amendment rights.