Kenneth F. Peterson
Historical Details
Position on Issues
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Should New Hampshire ban abortion after 20 weeks gestation, with exceptions for cases of rape/incest and health complications?
"These decisions are very personal and difficult. They should be made by the woman, not the state. I am firmly Pro Choice, from both a practical and philosophical perspective. First, a woman should have the right to make decisions about her health and reproduction. Unintended pregnancies, unknown health risks, and even rape/incest are things that do happen. We can't ban abortion - only safely and medically appropriate them. Our society is also strengthened by family planning and parents that are ready and able to care for their children to the degree they feel is appropriate. There is also seemingly little appetite for providing greater resources to support more children born to families that cannot support them. Nobody is forced to have an abortion - it is a choice and often a difficult one, as it should be. Abortion should be rare, safe, and legal."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Should NH pursue expanded commuter rail?
"Continued widening of our highways is a massively wasteful way to improve our connectivity to Boston and other major hubs. Rail is far more efficient - both in terms of energy and people's time.
"Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Should NH limit terms for elected officials?
"We are a citizen led society and leadership should not be a permanent job. Term limits can have an important role in keeping leaders connected and accountable. I do, however, favor term limits but long enough to provide time to 'learn' the job. Understandably, there is value in continuity as long as the voters still support the official."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Should NH increase funding for heroin treatment programs?
"Treatment of addiction is in the interest of everyone in the state. Resources are badly lacking. However, we must target the underlying causes of addiction and the market driven incentives, both legal and illegal, that promote initiation and addiction."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Should NH add an income tax on earned income?
"I don't support an income tax, and I also do not support our current property tax system that forces the elderly, others on low and/or fixed income, and others that feel they must leave their homes due to rising taxes. I would support a means-based protection on the property tax system for those at the lower and middle-end of the scale. The basic structure for this is already in place but it is too narrowly defined, not providing meaningful assistance. This could provide protections and progressivity to our tax system without an income tax."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Should NH add a broad-based sales tax?
"Sales taxes are regressive. Those with the lowest income spend all of what they earn and would be effectively taxes on every dollar. They are also difficult to administer from a logistical standpoint, thus placing an additional burden on small and retail businesses."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Should NH legalize the recreational use of marijuana?
"I support marijuana legalization as long as it carries with it the same legislative restrictions associated with alcohol sales."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Was New Hampshire right to continue expanded Medicaid eligibility, using the traditional Medicaid system of managed care instead of private insurance?
"Continued Medicaid expansion was of primary importance for assuring access to care for our most vulnerable citizens. Turning away $400M per year in federal funds at a 90:10 match with no reduction in federal taxes for NH residents should be considered legislative malpractice. The move towards private insurance was largely political from the outset... it was always destined to be more costly and administratively difficult than traditional Medicaid."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Should NH do more to enforce federal immigration laws?
"Federal immigration laws should be enforced by the federal government. We should strive for immigration reform, and not drive states into enforcing a federal obligation."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Should New Hampshire increase subsidies and tax credits for business investment?
"I support limited government subsidies/credits for business investments that might not otherwise be in the short term financial interest of the organization, but which serves a societal goal (hiring/training veterans lacking skills, move to more energy efficient production, etc). Most investments should yield benefits that are their own incentives. The key is that it needs to be an 'investment'. I was opposed to the recent cut in the Business Profits Tax, which simply rewarded large corporations for taking money out of the state."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Is police brutality an issue in NH?
"I support the use of body and dash cameras as a means of monitoring and reviewing police interactions. We should be mindful of how law enforcement officials interact with the public as an overall principal, and police brutality is a real issue. Every incident of it hurts the reputation of the vast majority of officers that seek to limit violence, even in dangerous and tense situations. We have seen less overt police violence in our state, and I believe the police in my community and state do an excellent job overall."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Should New Hampshire continue to participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which requires utilities to purchase allowances for every ton of carbon they emit?
"Reducing and mitigating carbon emissions is critically important. Regional solutions assure that no one area is bearing the burden while others continue outmoded practices. Carbon offsets are an effective approach to limiting our climate impact."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Should New Hampshire maintain the renewable portfolio standard, which requires public utilities in New Hampshire to obtain a certain percentage of electricity from renewable energy sources (25% by 2025)?
"The move to renewable energy sources will help our state in the long run - both in terms of environment and cost, so incentivizing the rapid adoption of locally sourced and renewable energy sources is in our best interest. Implementing such incentives should be set based on technological advancement."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Should New Hampshire government do more to increase the supply of affordable housing?
"Housing prices in our region are high and rental availability is very limited. This makes it difficult to attract and retain our retail and service workforce as well as young/new residents to our communities."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Should NH continue to administer statewide standards-based student assessments?
"There is no perfect process to monitor educational outcomes, but not monitoring them is irresponsible. The process should be minimally intrusive."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Should NH pass stricter gun control laws?
"If you own a weapon, you keep it. If you want a weapon, I support universal background checks; including sales from gun shows."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Should New Hampshire allocate tax revenues for private and home schooling costs?
"I support limited government subsidies/credits for business investments that might not otherwise be in the short term financial interest of the organization, but which serves a societal goal (hiring/training veterans lacking skills, move to more energy efficient production, etc). Most investments should yield benefits that are their own incentives. The key is that it needs to be an 'investment'. I was opposed to the recent cut in the Business Profits Tax, which simply rewarded large corporations for taking money out of the state."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018
Should NH impose strict residency requirements on registering to vote?
"I was very disappointed in Gov. Sununu's signing of HB 1264 after his initial statement that this was a terrible bill that he promised to veto. The bill adds unnecessary cost and burden to the process of voting, which should be encouraged more than ever. We hope to keep college students in our state. This bill solves a non-existent problem with a heavy-handed fix. Other states' residency do not impose these burdens, so this is not just NH catching up."
