NH Gov. Sununu delivers final State of the State address

• Republican New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu delivered his final State of the Union address on Thursday.
• “For the past seven years, New Hampshire has stood out as a beacon of success and a safe haven of freedom and opportunity,” Sununu told lawmakers. “We’ve all worked hard. This has always been a true team effort.”
• Sununu, who was first elected in 2016, announced last year that he would not run for re-election for a fifth term.

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu gave his final State of the State address Thursday, urging lawmakers to continue on the path of fiscal consolidation and limited government that he said has made New Hampshire a “beacon of success.” Stated.

“Continued success is not inevitable. We must continue to put individuals over systems, be better stewards of our taxpayers, and strive to be more accountable to the people of our state.” said. “For the past seven years, New Hampshire has stood out as a beacon of success and a safe haven of freedom and opportunity. We have all worked hard, and this has always been a true team effort. ”

Sununu is the second governor in New Hampshire history to serve four terms, but he has just under a year left in his corner office. He announced in July that he would not seek re-election as governor after hinting at a run for the Senate and the presidential race, but joked about that decision on Thursday.

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“I don’t know because the re-application period is until June,” he said, quickly adding, “You’re kidding!”

Sununu, the son of a former governor, was the country’s youngest top official when he took office in 2017 at age 42. Now 49, he has seen control of Congress shift from Republicans to Democrats and back again. During his fourth term he split the 400-member House of Representatives. He sometimes had shaky relationships with members of his own party because of the growing influence of libertarian-leaning members who sought to severely limit state government. But on Thursday, he gave lawmakers credit for what he considered one of the state’s greatest accomplishments during that period: the bipartisan budget passed by the Legislature last year.

“This was without any gimmicks or promises. It was achieved through a lot of hard work,” he said.

Democratic Senate Minority Whip Donna Soucy of Manchester said she was pleased to hear Sununu’s praise, noting one topic he didn’t bring up.

“I think the governor’s greatest accomplishment is most notably the Legislature,” she said. “What I thought was an omission on his part was the fact that he was the first governor in New Hampshire history to sign an abortion ban. Obviously that’s something he’s not very proud of.”

Sununu signed a 2021 state budget that included a ban on abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy, saying the alternative was a veto that would have shut down the state government during the coronavirus pandemic. The current Legislature is considering at least six bills aimed at further restricting abortion procedures or enshrining the right to abortion in state law.

His speech on Thursday lasted less than 30 minutes, the most during his term in office for just about four minutes. He emphasized investments in affordable housing, education and mental health, using the latter as a springboard to discuss the state’s opioid crisis. Mr. Sununu described successful programs that connect people suffering from addiction with services and recovery-friendly workplaces.

Sununu then moved on with his recent plan to join other states in sending the National Guard to Texas to crack down on illegal border crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border.

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“The supply of fentanyl crossing the southern border of the United States is increasing every day,” Sununu said, adding that on Friday he told the state House Finance Committee that he would receive $850,000 to send 15 Guardsmen to Texas. He said he plans to ask for dollars. “This is not a Texas problem. This is a national crisis, and New Hampshire has an opportunity to provide professional assistance, follow the laws of the land, and keep our people safe.”