Debra Altschiller
Running for: NH Senate District 24
Completed our 2024 State Candidate Survey
Position on Issues
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support the “Education Freedom Account” program, which gives students access to the per-pupil share of state school funding to spend on private school or home school expenses?
"New Hampshire subsidizes participation in parochial, private and homeschool programs. Taxpayers send up to $5K per child in public assistance to schools that can pick and choose their student body. These schools can and do exclude students that have disabilities, learning differences, have different religious backgrounds or family structures not supported by their religion. One school that is on the 'approved vendor' list is run by what the Southern Poverty Law Center has identified as a hate group. I do not support sending taxpayer money to private or religious schools or homeschool parents. NH has public and charter schools and the Virtual Learning Academy offering 3 different ways parents can access education for their children. We have long had school choice. The voucher program now bankrolls a subsidy, mostly used by families who never had their children in public school in the first place and cannot say if it would have been a good match for their children. Even as I serve on the Oversight Committee for this program, I am in the minority in asking for accountability for the state tax dollars being spent. The commissioner of education entered the state into a no-bid contract with a NY based voucher administrator to prop up a NH chapter that is, by design, unaccountable to citizens."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the first trimester (e.g. after 6 weeks gestation)?
"Our current law says this: Chapter 329:41 'Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed as creating or recognizing a right to abortion.' There is NO affirmative right to abortion healthcare in NH state law, period. Granite State women should be trusted to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions. We deserve the right to bodily autonomy. There are a total of zero laws in NH governing men's reproductive health choices and entire chapters devoted to controlling women. The NH GOP continues to bring forward bans (note this past session's 15 day ban & 6 week ban) and proposals for government tracking of women's pregnancy information. They continue to defund NH Family Planning contracts for healthcare providers who serve those who are uninsured, underinsured and in danger. They have blocked our efforts to remove the severe criminal penalties for doctors who provide care. I have sponsored an abortion shield law to protect providers in NH who perform abortions for out-of-state residents whose home states ban abortion. It was defeated by the GOP. I have worked for years to bring a constitutional amendment to the voters making reproductive healthcare decisions inviolate for all Granite Staters."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the second trimester (e.g. after 15 weeks gestation)?
"Our current law says this: Chapter 329:41 'Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed as creating or recognizing a right to abortion.' There is NO affirmative right to abortion healthcare in NH state law, period. Granite State women should be trusted to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions. We deserve the right to bodily autonomy. There are a total of zero laws in NH governing men's reproductive health choices and entire chapters devoted to controlling women. The NH GOP continues to bring forward bans (note this past session's 15 day ban & 6 week ban) and proposals for government tracking of women's pregnancy information. They continue to defund NH Family Planning contracts for healthcare providers who serve those who are uninsured, underinsured and in danger. They have blocked our efforts to remove the severe criminal penalties for doctors who provide care. I have sponsored an abortion shield law to protect providers in NH who perform abortions for out-of-state residents whose home states ban abortion. It was defeated by the GOP. I have worked for years to bring a constitutional amendment to the voters making reproductive healthcare decisions inviolate for all Granite Staters."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH add an income tax on earned income?
"Against"
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH add a broad-based sales tax?
"Against"
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire lower business taxes?
"There are two kinds, the Business Profits Tax (BPT) and Business Enterprise Tax (BET). The nonpartisan, independent research nonprofi,t New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute, examines issues related to the State budget, the economy, policy decisions, and the financial security of Granite Staters. Their analysis showed that multi-national entities that pay the majority of BPT revenues and their ownership may be anywhere, the benefits of a BPT reduction may flow to out-of-state shareholders, rather than being reinvested here. Other research suggests that New Hampshire's economy could be more effectively stimulated by services or tax reductions targeted at residents with lower incomes, who would use more of those resources locally. For example, evaluating U.S. policy choices in 2021, Moody's Analytics estimated that each public dollar spent on food assistance for low-income households would have generated $1.61 in economic growth that year, while a corporate tax rate reduction would have generated only $0.32 for every dollar. Reducing business taxes that primarily benefit out of state shareholders and shifting the cost burdens of necessary government programs to local property tax payers is irresponsible."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire add a tax on capital gains?
"Against"
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire government do more to address climate change?
"For"
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support giving voters who register without ID on Election Day a ballot that only counts if they return identifying documents to the state before a deadline?
"Against"
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should the state do more to encourage municipalities to remove zoning barriers to housing development?
"The state needs approximately 60K housing units in the next six years, to meet our projected population growth. Incentivizing development is more in line with the New Hampshire way of doing business, the Housing Champions program passed by the legislature last year incentivizes & rewards municipalities for bringing affordable & workforce housing to the market. While the originally proposed $25 million to get the program started was reduced to $5 million we were able to avoid housing mandates, instead incentivizing municipalities to build. Cities & towns who apply to be 'Housing Champions' can receive funding from both the Housing Infrastructure Municipal Grant & Loan Program & the Housing Production Municipal Grant Program. Municipalities can get grants for board member trainings to update master plans & revise land use regulations. Housing Champion towns can qualify for infrastructure funding like water, sewer, accessible sidewalks & public transportation (often a barrier to building workforce & affordable housing) plus per-unit production grants. Adding Workforce housing: households making between 60% and 120% of the local median income & affordable housing: rent that is no more than 30% of a household's gross income, are two critical parts of the housing market. We can see that market rates for renters and home buyers are unreachable for many people in our communities who provide the services that keep our cities & towns running. Meeting our housing needs is paramount to enticing younger people to make NH their forever home and keeping seniors in their communities."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support legislation to expand the net energy metering system capacity cap from 1 MW to 5 MW for all residential and commercial customers in New Hampshire?
"Increasing the cap will incentivize larger organizations to introduce solar energy production into their operational plans and further decrease our dependency on fossil fuels. The 1MW cap is an unnecessary limitation on growing renewable energy production in New Hampshire."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire guarantee the right to access abortion before 24 weeks?
"Our current law says this: Chapter 329:41 'Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed as creating or recognizing a right to abortion.' There is NO affirmative right to abortion healthcare in NH state law, period. Granite State women should be trusted to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions. We deserve the right to bodily autonomy. There are a total of zero laws in NH governing men's reproductive health choices and entire chapters devoted to controlling women. The NH GOP continues to bring forward bans (note this past session's 15 day ban & 6 week ban) and proposals for government tracking of women's pregnancy information. They continue to defund NH Family Planning contracts for healthcare providers who serve those who are uninsured, underinsured and in danger. They have blocked our efforts to remove the severe criminal penalties for doctors who provide care. I have sponsored an abortion shield law to protect providers in NH who perform abortions for out-of-state residents whose home states ban abortion. It was defeated by the GOP. I have worked for years to bring a constitutional amendment to the voters making reproductive healthcare decisions inviolate for all Granite Staters."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should the state increase funding for child care providers?
"For"
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support New Hampshire’s current system of public school funding, with about two-thirds of total funding coming from local property taxes?
"The current system fosters gross inequity in educational offerings and results, both the Claremont and ConVal cases proved that. The entire funding approach needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. In order to do that though, all municipalities have to realize benefits and have buy in from citizens."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by allowing home-growing and private use without sales?
"For"
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by licensing growers and private retail locations?
"Against"
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by establishing state-run cannabis stores?
"Against"
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire raise the minimum wage?
"NH has opted not to set a minimum wage and thus we must defer to the federal minimum of $7.25 p/h which has not changed in almost 15 years. It's purchasing power has diminished exponentially since it was set. We have the lowest minimum wage in the entire Northeast. Connecticut $15.69 p/h Maine $14.15 p/h Massachusetts $15 p/h New Hampshire $7.25 p/h Rhode Island $14 p/h Vermont $13.67 p/h. If we were to set an average living wage for New Hampshire it would be $23.58 p/h. In State Senate District 24 a single person needing to pay rent and living expenses would need to earn $42.34 p/h (working full time, 52 weeks a year, 2080 hours p/year) to make the $49,045.00 needed to just barely keep your head above water. The federal minimum wage, which NH defers to, was established by Congress under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938. The first federally set wage was $0.25 p/h. The stated intention of the series of government regulations, including the minimum wage was to eliminate conditions 'detrimental to the maintenance of the minimum standard of living necessary for health, efficiency and general well-being of workers.' The minimum wage in recent times has been conflated with a 'starting wage' a designation often used to justify underpaying new workers while they learn the skills of a job. Labor is labor and should be compensated."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire add legal protections for residents of other states who travel here for health care related to abortion or gender transition?
"Last session I introduced a shield bill, It contained several key provisions aimed at safeguarding the rights of individuals. It would have prohibited extraditing individuals for legally protected health care activity performed in New Hampshire, prohibited government officials or law enforcement agencies from cooperating with out-of-state investigations into legally protected health care activity without court-issued subpoenas or warrants, it would have prohibited adverse actions or discipline by the board of medicine, board of registered nursing, or pharmacy board based on legally protected health care activity. And it would have prohibited health care providers or other entities in New Hampshire from sharing confidential communications or information regarding reproductive health care services with out-of-state agencies or individuals without a valid, court-issued warrant. This is about the rights and privacy of our citizens. As a state we deeply value the privacy of our residents, to the point that we placed it in our constitution in article 2-b. A Right of Privacy. Our constitution reads 'An individual's right to live free from governmental intrusion in private or personal information is natural, essential, and inherent'. My bill (SB 575) would have protected our residents privacy from government intrusion in what it the most private of decisions. Unfortunately the anti-choice majority favored more surveillance of pregnant women by voting this down and introducing an abortion/medical tracking bill for pregnant Granite Stators and their healthcare providers. We need to ensure protection for patients and providers, by providing legal protections, preventing extradition, and safeguarding confidentiality. The landscape for reproductive healthcare, particularly abortion healthcare, is shifting under Americans feet daily. The fragmented patchwork of laws with total bans in one state and partial bans in others shows us how needed Senate Bill 575 was. It addressed crucial aspects of legal protection and cooperation in the realm of reproductive health care, and could have ensured the constitutional rights of individuals are respected and upheld in our state."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire repeal the ban on abortion after 24 weeks gestation?
"Our current law says this: Chapter 329:41 'Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed as creating or recognizing a right to abortion.' There is NO affirmative right to abortion healthcare in NH state law, period. Granite State women should be trusted to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions. We deserve the right to bodily autonomy. There are a total of zero laws in NH governing men's reproductive health choices and entire chapters devoted to controlling women. The NH GOP continues to bring forward bans (note this past session's 15 day ban & 6 week ban) and proposals for government tracking of women's pregnancy information. They continue to defund NH Family Planning contracts for healthcare providers who serve those who are uninsured, underinsured and in danger. They have blocked our efforts to remove the severe criminal penalties for doctors who provide care. I have sponsored an abortion shield law to protect providers in NH who perform abortions for out-of-state residents whose home states ban abortion. It was defeated by the GOP. I have worked for years to bring a constitutional amendment to the voters making reproductive healthcare decisions inviolate for all Granite Staters."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH require local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement?
"To be clear, immigration and border security are the purview of the federal government. NH's longest border is to the south with Massachusetts, then to the west with Vermont and then to the East with Maine. Which leaves the 18 miles of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean and 58 miles of north country next to Canada, the smallest part of the Swanton Sector. The NH GOP has spent $1.4 million to prop up a 'Northern Border Alliance Program' that has had only 21 encounters in a 15 month time frame. The United States has a broken immigration system that needs serious people to make structural changes. Our federal tax dollars pay for that. When the GOP led legislature chooses to sink a program to feed NH's school children breakfast & lunch and instead spends $1.4 million plus to patrol 58 miles of woods and send our National Guard to Texas at a cost of $850K for a political stunt, it highlights the upside down priorities."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH pass stricter gun control laws?
"For all practical purposes there is only a veneer of gun violence prevention laws in New Hampshire. Granite Staters deserve the freedom to work, go to school, play in parks, get medical treatments and enjoy their communities without the constant threat of gun violence. The unfettered access to firearms has created an environment where our children know when they practice a active shooter drill and a fire drill at school, the active shooter is more likely to become a reality. The US Supreme Court affirmed in the Heller decision that 'Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited.' With rights come responsibilities and our state has a responsibility to public safety and good public health policy. With those goals in mind I support the following policies: *Extreme Risk Protection Orders that allow for family members, intimate partners and law enforcement to petition the courts for a temporary removal of firearms from people who are demonstrating through their words and actions that they are a danger to themselves or others. I was the prime sponsor of the Extreme Risk Protection Order (aka Red Flag) bill that passed both the House and Senate after a 2 year vetting process, but was vetoed by the Governor. * Comprehensive Background checks, every firearm sale in our state should include a background check. The loophole of allowing private sales to be exempt from background checks potentially puts guns in the hands of people who would not pass a legal background check for a commercial sale. This loophole must be closed. * Waiting periods between purchase and delivery of a firearm. NH has had exponential growth of the rate of suicide in our state, 50% of the deaths by suicide are with a firearm. We can slow that down with a short waiting period between the purchase and delivery. * NH must begin First: in cases involving involuntary mental health commitment Two in cases where a person accused of a crime has been found not competent to stand trial and the court has found that their illness could make them a danger to themselves or others. * We must authorize the state to report mental health data for firearms background check purposes to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. We are one of only 3 states in the nation that withhold this information and we now know (according to the Attorney Generals investigation) after the murder at Concord Hospital these are deadly omissions. The three circumstances we must add to our NICS reporting are: involuntary mental health commitments, when a person on trial has been found not guilty by reason of insanity and judicial decisions of incompetent to stand trial due to mental health."
