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State issues - with some national issues, too - highlight Hassan’s Portsmouth speech

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By Paul Briand
Maggie Hassan mixed in the state issues important to a sitting governor with the national issues of a candidate running for the U.S. Senate in an address Wednesday morning to the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce.

Hassan, New Hampshire’s Democratic second-term governor, is also seeking to unseat incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte. She told a crowd of about 65 people during a state-of-the-state speech at the the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel that she is “focused on being the best governor I can possibly be.”

Asked during a Q&A about the Senate campaign,  she cited two examples as reasons why she is seeking to unseat the GOP incumbent Ayotte -- the Affordable Care Act and higher education affordability. On health care, she said as she is working to expand Medicaid in New Hampshire, the Republican Congress takes several votes to repeal Obamacare. On college affordability, as she works to reduce the cost of attending state-run colleges and universities, she said, “Congress has voted to make deep cuts into Pell Grants.”

Here’s what she said:
 

Her speech touched on several trending state issues, among them the heroin and opioid addiction crisis, the expansion of Medicaid made allowable by Obamacare, education and job growth.

She acknowledged the bipartisan work so far between her and the Republican-controlled House and Senate to pass and sign into law legislation that addresses the drug crisis with policies and funding for programs. Measures harshen fentanyl penalties, ease access to drug addiction treatment and to Narcan (an overdose antidote), provide drug education in public schools, expand drug courts statewide, and step up law enforcement.

But she said there is more for lawmakers to do and there’s money to do it, with Hassan citing the the current $80 million surplus in the state budget, which she believes should be used in part to give more funding for prevention, treatment and recovery programs. She said the Senate has indicated its support, but she repeated a call on the House “to also vote in favor of providing new resources to help combat this horrible epidemic.”

Here’s what he said:
 

Last week she signed the bill that expands the eligibility for low-income Granite Staters to get health insurance, the so-called Medicaid expansion program that is officially called the New Hampshire Health Protection. So far, about 50,000 state residents are enrolled in the program that was created as a state option by the Affordable Care Act.

Here’s what the governor had to say about the program’s extension for another two years:
 

Her speech also leaned toward some national issues, such as security, gun violence, and the fight against terrorism, subjects that will surely be addressed more directly as the Senate campaign marches on toward the November election.

In talking about the threat of the heroin crisis, Hassan made note of what she called “other threats to the safety and well-being of our people. “

She said: “From the evolving and unique threats posed by the likes of ISIS and other terrorist organizations, to the increasing acts of gun violence and mass shootings across the country, we must continue to be vigilant in our efforts to keep our communities safe and secure.

“This includes our ongoing work to expand our Information and Analysis Center, enhance safety plans at our public schools, institute active shooter trainings for police departments across the state, and strengthen cyber security.”

The subjects of jobs and education were intertwined in the governor’s address.“When I visit businesses across the state, you continue to tell me that a strong, highly educated workforce remains their number-one need,” she said. “A strong workforce begins with a strong education at all levels – from early childhood, to our K-12 system, to higher education.”

She spoke of efforts to expand public school classes and business partnerships involving Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs.

Hassan discussed a new program – called Gateway to Work – to use federal funds to strengthen job training and create new apprenticeships.

“We will establish more partnerships between the community college system and the business community to create apprenticeship programs in high-need areas such as advanced manufacturing, information technology networking, and health care,” said Hassan. “These are solid, good-paying career pathways that will help expand our middle class.”

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