Matthew S. Hicks

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

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?

"As an educator who has worked in public, independent, and religious schools, I do not support vouchers. I choose to send my students to a New Hampshire boarding/day school. My family made that decision knowing the extreme sacrifices we were making to do so. It is unfair to take money away from local public schools, especially as they are grossly underfunded as it is. Allocating more state money to schools instead of relying on local property taxes is the answer, not stealing more money from public schools."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the first trimester (e.g. after 6 weeks gestation)?

"People, particularly women whom this impacts, should decide with their partners, doctors, religious leaders, etc. how to proceed on this issue. The overturning of Roe v. Wade was unnecessary and dangerous as precedent. We need to educate people about being responsible, but problems result in many pregnancies that require abortion for the safety of the mother and perhaps other viable children (i.e. twins, etc.). This right should not be taken from women."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the second trimester (e.g. after 15 weeks gestation)?

"People, particularly women whom this impacts, should decide with their partners, doctors, religious leaders, etc. how to proceed on this issue. The overturning of Roe v. Wade was unnecessary and dangerous as precedent. We need to educate people about being responsible, but problems result in many pregnancies that require abortion for the safety of the mother and perhaps other viable children (i.e. twins, etc.). This right should not be taken from women."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should NH add an income tax on earned income?

"We don't need to overtax our citizens. People can control their spending more easily than property taxes. We want people to have higher salaries without taxation. Then, let people decide how they will pay their taxes through a consumption tax."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should NH add a broad-based sales tax?

"New Hampshire is a tourist state, and as such we should be capitalizing more on tourist dollars. I don't believe that some broad-based sales tax would harm our tourism industry, especially if we cap a sales tax lower than the neighboring states. Additionally, reliance on property taxes is driving people out their homes, especially those with generational properties, including farms. I would support a sales tax only if property taxes could be lowered significantly and if certain items (like groceries and clothing) were exempt from the tax."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire lower business taxes?

"I need to look more closely at this issue. Generally, we need to support our businesses, but as most business are small and often family owned, increasing business taxes too much could cripple our economy. There is certainly balance needed here."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024

Should New Hampshire add a tax on capital gains?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire government do more to address climate change?

"If we don't do this now, we may lose our winter tourism industry. As an avid winter enthusiast, I have experienced first hand a steady deterioration of winter weather. Couple this with more extreme storms, including devastating winter rains, and we are headed in entirely the wrong direction. We need to take climate change action now."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

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?

"This is just another way to restrict the vote. Nothing has been proven to show that the current system in New Hampshire is not working."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should the state do more to encourage municipalities to remove zoning barriers to housing development?

"This is especially important to provide more workforce housing. It is unfair that some municipalities zone out new construction, especially of crucially needed workforce housing, which puts the burden on other towns and the cities that are more housing friendly. A caveat here, we must be smart about our housing developments. Zoning must protect New Hampshire's natural beauty and environment. Once we destroy the forests, we cannot get them back. Fortunately, we have many excellent planners in our cities and towns and regional planning commissions, as well as conservation commissions and other such groups to be part of the solution."

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?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire guarantee the right to access abortion before 24 weeks?

"People, particularly women whom this impacts, should decide with their partners, doctors, religious leaders, etc. how to proceed on this issue. The overturning of Roe v. Wade was unnecessary and dangerous as precedent. We need to educate people about being responsible, but problems result in many pregnancies that require abortion for the safety of the mother and perhaps other viable children (i.e. twins, etc.). This right should not be taken from women."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024

Should the state increase funding for child care providers?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Do you support New Hampshire’s current system of public school funding, with about two-thirds of total funding coming from local property taxes?

"Local property taxes are forcing people out of their homes. It is tragic when grandchildren, or great grandchildren, cannot afford to keep generational properties in the family. There has to be another way to fully fund our public schools without 'bankrupting' our citizens in the process."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by allowing home-growing and private use without sales?

"Let's examine what works well in other states and model our system after that but in a New Hampshire way. We are losing tremendous amounts of revenue every year we don't support legalization of marijuana. If we rely so heavily on our state liquor stores for revenue, recreational marijuana sales make sense. Likely alcohol is more dangerous anyway."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by licensing growers and private retail locations?

"Let's examine what works well in other states and model our system after that but in a New Hampshire way. We are losing tremendous amounts of revenue every year we don't support legalization of marijuana. If we rely so heavily on our state liquor stores for revenue, recreational marijuana sales make sense. Likely alcohol is more dangerous anyway."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by establishing state-run cannabis stores?

"Let's examine what works well in other states and model our system after that but in a New Hampshire way. We are losing tremendous amounts of revenue every year we don't support legalization of marijuana. If we rely so heavily on our state liquor stores for revenue, recreational marijuana sales make sense. Likely alcohol is more dangerous anyway."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire raise the minimum wage?

"Always a tricky issue, as increasing a minimum wage too high may negatively impact hiring and/or drive up prices. This was an issue when I was working minimum wage jobs in child care (summer camp counselor) and food service at the mall. Of course people should receive a living wage, but what that wage is will be a tricky balance."

Voting Record, 2024

Voted for HB 368, a bill that would provide various legal protections for persons receiving gender-related health care. For example, HB 368 would prohibit New Hampshire from enforcing an order from another state to remove a child from a home based on a parent allowing their child to receive gender-affirming health care.

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire repeal the ban on abortion after 24 weeks gestation?

"People, particularly women whom this impacts, should decide with their partners, doctors, religious leaders, etc. how to proceed on this issue. The overturning of Roe v. Wade was unnecessary and dangerous as precedent. We need to educate people about being responsible, but problems result in many pregnancies that require abortion for the safety of the mother and perhaps other viable children (i.e. twins, etc.). This right should not be taken from women."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024

Should NH require local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should NH pass stricter gun control laws?

"First, let's close the gun show loophole. Then, we can proceed to common sense gun legislation."