Eric S. Turer
Running for: NH House Rockingham County District 06
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?
"This is a terrible policy that undermines the premise of public education and the unity of the community to continually improve our school system. It diverts public funds to private and religious schools with little oversight or accountability. Most of the recipients to date were already in private/home school settings before the program was enacted, demonstrating that it is not providing greater 'educational freedom' as implied. Vouchers lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure in public education systems, as those with the means use public resources as a supplement to support their private decision, and leave the schools with the fixed costs and little ability to adjust staffing in a predictable way. This option was inserted into the budget, rather than being passed by legislators, and has opened the existing education system to costs that have already greatly exceeded the programs' budget. Proposals to expand the family income caps and other eligibility limits, further deepen the problem and further remove any pretense of providing needed options that are not otherwise possible. "
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the first trimester (e.g. after 6 weeks gestation)?
"Any decisions that a woman and her family makes in this area are deeply personal and difficult. They should be made by the woman her health care providers, and those she wishes to involve - not by the state. Nothing is gained by state intervention in these private family matters. I am firmly Pro Choice, from both a practical and philosophical perspective. Under the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, a woman's/family's right to make private medical decisions has been abandoned and opened to state legislatures, with disastrous consequences. It has never been more important to have representative in Concord that will honor the rights of privacy and personal choice that women have held for decades. I was honored to present two bills (CACRs) to enshrine reproductive choice in our state constitution and I will continue to fight for this as a right in NH, as it has been federally for the past 50 years. With respect to the 24 week threshold - this is a ban on something that is literally not done in our state. This law only exists to open the door to further restrictions by allowing the legislature to lower the threshold in increments - which has been attempted repeatedly with severe restrictions proposed each year. Serving on the Judiciary Committee, I was able to speak directly against such bills and help prevent their passage, but that is small comfort in an ever-changing legislature. More could be said here, but I will also add that this is more than an abstract argument to me. My wife is an Ob/Gyn physician who has cared for women in our community for decades, and she has seen the many permutations of these difficult decisions play out in real, not theoretical, terms. "
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the second trimester (e.g. after 15 weeks gestation)?
"Any decisions that a woman and her family makes in this area are deeply personal and difficult. They should be made by the woman her health care providers, and those she wishes to involve - not by the state. Nothing is gained by state intervention in these private family matters. I am firmly Pro Choice, from both a practical and philosophical perspective. Under the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, a woman's/family's right to make private medical decisions has been abandoned and opened to state legislatures, with disastrous consequences. It has never been more important to have representative in Concord that will honor the rights of privacy and personal choice that women have held for decades. I was honored to present two bills (CACRs) to enshrine reproductive choice in our state constitution and I will continue to fight for this as a right in NH, as it has been federally for the past 50 years. With respect to the 24 week threshold - this is a ban on something that is literally not done in our state. This law only exists to open the door to further restrictions by allowing the legislature to lower the threshold in increments - which has been attempted repeatedly with severe restrictions proposed each year. Serving on the Judiciary Committee, I was able to speak directly against such bills and help prevent their passage, but that is small comfort in an ever-changing legislature. More could be said here, but I will also add that this is more than an abstract argument to me. My wife is an Ob/Gyn physician who has cared for women in our community for decades, and she has seen the many permutations of these difficult decisions play out in real, not theoretical, terms. "
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH add an income tax on earned income?
"I do not support an income tax, but I also do not support our current property tax system that forces the elderly, others on low and/or fixed income, or those that live in rapidly changing communities, to leave their homes due to rising taxes. Tax relief should be targeted at those that need it. I would support expanding and re-targeting of tax relief programs such as the means-based protections on statewide property taxes for those at the lower-end and middle of the income scale, as well as similar programs such as those in place for veterans, the elderly, and the disabled. The basic structure for this is already in place in NH law, but it is crude, narrowly defined, and doesn't provide meaningful assistance at current levels or support to towns to offset the cost. Expanding these types of options could provide key protections to those at risk of being forced from their homes for no fault of their own, without an income tax."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH add a broad-based sales tax?
"Sales taxes are highly regressive, as those with the lowest income spend all of what they earn and would be effectively taxed on every dollar. They are also difficult to administer logistically, placing an additional burden on small and retail businesses."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire lower business taxes?
"There are two taxes on business in NH, the Business Profits Tax and the Business Enterprise Tax. Most small and in-state businesses do not pay the Business Profits Tax, so recent cuts to this tax simply allow large out of state corporations, which will do business here regardless, to take these needed funds out of our state with no benefit to keeping jobs in NH. The Business Enterprise tax is more relevant as it is paid on the total scope of each NH businesses. The tax rate is less than 1% on businesses over $281K in value, which is a reasonable contribution level, and provides a vehicle for state cuts to support business in the event of future downturns."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire add a tax on capital gains?
"I would consider a capital gains tax as a means of diversifying the state's revenue sources without an income tax. The capital gains tax rate was significantly reduced at the federal level in 2003 and these cuts were supposed to expire in 2008, but were not due to the Great Recession. Such a tax should protect those living off of invested savings from paying this tax with a minimum threshold. The wealth disparity in our country is at historic levels, with many having little to no capital savings to tax the gains on, while some have seen great growth in the value of invested funds. It would be reasonable for those benefiting from these gains, not tied to their jobs or labor, to contribute to the state through taxation when they 'cash in' these gains. This can be done without reducing the incentive to invest or causing capital flight from the state. On a related front, the repeal of our state's Interest and Dividends Tax, the state's 5th largest source of revenue, is a misguided move that will reduce our state's funding base while providing tax breaks primarily to those with the greatest new worth. "
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire government do more to address climate change?
"Reducing and mitigating carbon emissions is critically important. The impacts of inaction are becoming increasingly evident and time for effective action is running out. The technology to reduce reliance on carbon-based energy sources is becoming increasingly accessible and affordable, while technology to increase efficiency, such as electric vehicles and geothermal heating, are seeing a similar trend. I have personally moved to both of these technologies and have seen nothing but positive results, particularly when energy prices spiked. Both transitions were made more practical through government incentives, which lower the transition cost and make these technologies more attractive until widely adopted. Regional solutions, such as RGGI, are also important as they assure that no one area is bearing the burden while others continue outmoded practices. Carbon offsets are an effective approach to limiting our climate. Two recent reports have shown that RGGI has also protected children's health through reduced particulate emissions, while helping the environment and lowering family energy costs."
For| 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?
"Providing a process for a newly registering voter to cast a valid ballot on election day, even if they don’t bring the needed documentation, is important to assure that their effort to participate in the process is not thwarted by a technicality. Failing to obtain or bring proper documentation can happen for a variety of reasons. As long as eligibility is ultimately verified, and the confidentiality of the voter’s ballot is assured throughout the process, this option assures that the will of the voter is recorded. Efforts to restrict such options are a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist in our voting system."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should the state do more to encourage municipalities to remove zoning barriers to housing development?
"Affordable housing is a huge challenge for our state. Housing prices in our region are very high and rental availability is very limited. This makes it difficult to attract and retain our retail and service workforce, and for young residents to live in our communities. This is unsustainable. There are a range of effective strategies to incentivize increased affordable housing and avoid gentrification. That said, our community has recently seen the unintended impacts of changes to zoning and building ordinances that threaten the rural character of our town while failing to produce more affordable options. Encouraging municipalities to adopt changes that promote the development of affordable housing is different than imposing statewide changes that override town planning and zoning boards and remove local control. "
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?
"I believe the transformation of our energy infrastructure to clean, carbon neutral, and locally produced sources should be supported in every way possible - both for the good of our environment and to foster the jobs and innovation that being a leader in this area brings to our economy. Limits on the expansion of solar energy are shortsighted and will hurt our state in the long run. The need for restrictive caps on net metering may have been a reasonable approach to assuring a manageable transition to alternatives but the need for these is no longer justified."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire guarantee the right to access abortion before 24 weeks?
"Any decisions that a woman and her family makes in this area are deeply personal and difficult. They should be made by the woman her health care providers, and those she wishes to involve - not by the state. Nothing is gained by state intervention in these private family matters. I am firmly Pro Choice, from both a practical and philosophical perspective. Under the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, a woman's/family's right to make private medical decisions has been abandoned and opened to state legislatures, with disastrous consequences. It has never been more important to have representative in Concord that will honor the rights of privacy and personal choice that women have held for decades. I was honored to present two bills (CACRs) to enshrine reproductive choice in our state constitution and I will continue to fight for this as a right in NH, as it has been federally for the past 50 years. With respect to the 24 week threshold - this is a ban on something that is literally not done in our state. This law only exists to open the door to further restrictions by allowing the legislature to lower the threshold in increments - which has been attempted repeatedly with severe restrictions proposed each year. Serving on the Judiciary Committee, I was able to speak directly against such bills and help prevent their passage, but that is small comfort in an ever-changing legislature. More could be said here, but I will also add that this is more than an abstract argument to me. My wife is an Ob/Gyn physician who has cared for women in our community for decades, and she has seen the many permutations of these difficult decisions play out in real, not theoretical, terms. "
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should the state increase funding for child care providers?
"Raising our children should be our top priority, yet affordable quality child care is very difficult to find in our state. This leaves young families in difficult positions balancing their work and family obligations. Young families are forced to decide between raising their children in a positive environment and working to support their needs. I support efforts to address both the affordability of child care for lower income families and to increase the supply of child care providers in the workforce. Our state relies heavily on federal child care support, some of which requires state matching, and the one-time funds related to the pandemic are expiring soon, meaning that state funding will be more important going forward. "
Against| 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 flaws in the current education funding system are more than fully documented, and have been the subject of multiple state Supreme Court cases which have refuted the system as not just flawed, but unconstitutional. Another pair of NH Supreme Court decisions on a case filed in 2022 further found that the state has failed to address the underlying problems. Our town pays a much higher tax rate for our schools as a direct result of this flawed formula. The non-partisan NH School Funding Fairness Project has done a great deal to outline the issues and potential solutions, but fundamentally it requires a greater ability for the state to address the inequalities that result from a local property-tax based system by providing a true 'adequate education' base for all students. "
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?
"I believe that citizens should be able to grow, purchase, and possess marijuana with appropriate age and product controls, but I am opposed to policies that lead to organizations that have an interest in actively promoting initiation or increased use of THC products. The only difference between the marijuana industry and big tobacco is the federal ban on moving the proceeds though the banking system. This federal law will likely be repealed in the near future, which could open the door to a new profit-driven public health crisis. I believe sales and distribution should be accomplished through strategies that use the connection with consumers to educate them on the risks, hold use to a minimum, and target revenues first to the associated costs to the state. Marijuana sales should not be viewed as a new general-revenue stream, as this undermines the government's role in oversight and control of the product. The state has not lived up to its role in similar areas, where funds collected through alcohol, tobacco, and legal gambling are not used to address the known and predictable consequences of these 'products', ignore the related costs of these products to our state, and use the funds derived to mask expenses rightfully borne more broadly. "
Undecided| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by licensing growers and private retail locations?
"I believe that citizens should be able to grow, purchase, and possess marijuana with appropriate age and product controls, but I am opposed to policies that lead to organizations that have an interest in actively promoting initiation or increased use of THC products. The only difference between the marijuana industry and big tobacco is the federal ban on moving the proceeds though the banking system. This federal law will likely be repealed in the near future, which could open the door to a new profit-driven public health crisis. I believe sales and distribution should be accomplished through strategies that use the connection with consumers to educate them on the risks, hold use to a minimum, and target revenues first to the associated costs to the state. Marijuana sales should not be viewed as a new general-revenue stream, as this undermines the government's role in oversight and control of the product. The state has not lived up to its role in similar areas, where funds collected through alcohol, tobacco, and legal gambling are not used to address the known and predictable consequences of these 'products', ignore the related costs of these products to our state, and use the funds derived to mask expenses rightfully borne more broadly. "
Undecided| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by establishing state-run cannabis stores?
"I believe that citizens should be able to grow, purchase, and possess marijuana with appropriate age and product controls, but I am opposed to policies that lead to organizations that have an interest in actively promoting initiation or increased use of THC products. The only difference between the marijuana industry and big tobacco is the federal ban on moving the proceeds though the banking system. This federal law will likely be repealed in the near future, which could open the door to a new profit-driven public health crisis. I believe sales and distribution should be accomplished through strategies that use the connection with consumers to educate them on the risks, hold use to a minimum, and target revenues first to the associated costs to the state. Marijuana sales should not be viewed as a new general-revenue stream, as this undermines the government's role in oversight and control of the product. The state has not lived up to its role in similar areas, where funds collected through alcohol, tobacco, and legal gambling are not used to address the known and predictable consequences of these 'products', ignore the related costs of these products to our state, and use the funds derived to mask expenses rightfully borne more broadly. "
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire raise the minimum wage?
"NH has no state minimum wage - relying on the federal minimum only, placing it among the states with the lowest minimum wages in the country. We are one of the 'wealthier' states overall, and NH has a relatively high cost of living compared to other parts of the country. Recent price increases in some key sectors has only further reduced the value of our fixed minimum wage with no means to adjust it to match. Wages are rising but not at a pace to match costs. Other states in New England have minimum wages more than 50% higher than ours. Establishing a phased in increase to the minimum wage in the state is needed, and can be accomplished without impacting the job market."
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?
"As I have stated regarding abortion and reproduction in general, issues such as gender identity are likewise deeply personal matters in which the intervention by the legislature serves no purpose. If any needed procedure is legal in the state of NH, we must defend the rights of individuals to see that care here, as we would with any other type of care. Furthermore, the restrictions being passed in other states have produced stark examples of the flaws in these policies, endangering the life and health of women with treatable medical conditions. Those seeking gender transition services are often highly vulnerable individuals that must be protected from discriminatory policies if they choose to come to the 'Live Free or Die' state for help. We must not help other states to impose regressive policies. "
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire repeal the ban on abortion after 24 weeks gestation?
"Any decisions that a woman and her family makes in this area are deeply personal and difficult. They should be made by the woman her health care providers, and those she wishes to involve - not by the state. Nothing is gained by state intervention in these private family matters. I am firmly Pro Choice, from both a practical and philosophical perspective. Under the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, a woman's/family's right to make private medical decisions has been abandoned and opened to state legislatures, with disastrous consequences. It has never been more important to have representative in Concord that will honor the rights of privacy and personal choice that women have held for decades. I was honored to present two bills (CACRs) to enshrine reproductive choice in our state constitution and I will continue to fight for this as a right in NH, as it has been federally for the past 50 years. With respect to the 24 week threshold - this is a ban on something that is literally not done in our state. This law only exists to open the door to further restrictions by allowing the legislature to lower the threshold in increments - which has been attempted repeatedly with severe restrictions proposed each year. Serving on the Judiciary Committee, I was able to speak directly against such bills and help prevent their passage, but that is small comfort in an ever-changing legislature. More could be said here, but I will also add that this is more than an abstract argument to me. My wife is an Ob/Gyn physician who has cared for women in our community for decades, and she has seen the many permutations of these difficult decisions play out in real, not theoretical, terms. "
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH require local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement?
"It is not our state's role to enforce federal immigration laws and our current federal environment is particularly at odds with NH values. We should pursue immigration reform nationally, and not draw our state and local communities into the enforcement of the federal obligations. It is widely agreed that our federal immigration policies are badly in need of reform to expand legal immigration, yet changes to our existing immigration policies have only resulted in worker shortages in key NH industries. "
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH pass stricter gun control laws?
"I do support a range of reasonable changes to our gun control laws to address the disproportionate issues with gun violence in our society compare to others. We will not solve all issues with gun violence, but we can do much better without impinging on anyone's rights. I believe the second amendment does provide for the individual right to own firearms, and as a practical matter that will always be the case as well. The second amendment does, however, start with the phrase, 'A well regulated militia...' so I don't feel it precludes sensible regulations, which should not interfere with a responsible individual's gun ownership, but which would prevent issues stemming from those that should not have had access to a weapon, or the availability of weapons that have no place in civil society. I view it similarly to how cars and driving are regulated in terms of registration and licensing, but also to include universal background checks. Even the first amendment has limits. Classically, you can't shout 'Fire' in a crowded theater.... because it would endanger public safety, and the same is true for this right. I further believe - as affirmed by the Supreme Court in the Heller ruling - that the second amendment is '-not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever.' In particular, I would like to assure that our police and military are always the best armed members of our society, and that there is a clear line between what is civilian vs not. Our communities have seen firearm tragedies directly, including the loss of a good man, officer, and father of my son's friend, which I believe everyone should want to find ways to prevent. I have been disappointed to see the adoption of laws weakening firearm regulations in our state, including the repeal of the concealed carry permit and the adoption of 'stand your ground' legislation eliminating the requirement to diffuse potentially deadly conflicts. None of these is a responsible reaction to the rising issue of gun violence. I do support 'Red Flag' laws, which allow the removal of weapons from individuals at risk of violence or self harm, and also the ability for individuals to voluntarily place themselves on the 'no sell' list if they know that they have the potential for such actions due to mental health conditions. "
