Steve Marchand

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018

Should New Hampshire ban abortion after 20 weeks gestation, with exceptions for cases of rape/incest and health complications?

"While most agree that Roe v. Wade is settled law, the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, coupled with past public comments and actions of President Donald Trump, put the future of Roe in serious question. I join millions of Americans in calling on the President and the United States Senate to hold paramount the precedence of Roe during this process.

"However, we have an obligation at the state level to assert in the clearest, strongest manner possible New Hampshire's commitment to protect and maximize the right of women to make their own health care decisions about their own bodies, including reproductive decisions. In that spirit, I am proposing New Hampshire join other states in explicitly and expansively codifying the right to safely have an abortion."

Concord Monitor Candidate Profile, 2018

"Being near Boston is an enormous asset if we take advantage of it. We should use commuter rail as the straw to stick into the juicy orange that is the Greater Boston economy"

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018

Should NH increase funding for heroin treatment programs?

"On the other hand, with New Hampshire having dramatically insufficient recovery resources, the chances are high that the individual will be placed on a waiting list for recovery services. We have examples in our state over the last few years of individuals on waiting lists who died of an overdose while awaiting treatment. Increasingly, there is bipartisan agreement that increasing our recovery infrastructure, and treating addiction as a medical - rather than a criminal - situation, is necessary to reversing this crisis. Dedicating the resources needed to provide a full suite of services, including mental health and wellness expertise, is where the rubber meets the road.

"From drug courts to divert individuals out of the criminal justice system and into long-term recovery plans; to increased resources to allow recovery centers to provide sustainable, holistic services to all who need it; to additional personnel and equipment to our local public safety departments who face moments of crisis on a daily basis; we will identify what is needed, and we will transparently provide the necessary resources in a sustainable way. Period."

Other, 2016

"The reason I oppose an income or sales tax is not because of a 40-year-old pledge, but because I've evaluated public policy and feel we can fund our highest priorities without them."

Other, 2016

"The reason I oppose an income or sales tax is not because of a 40-year-old pledge, but because I've evaluated public policy and feel we can fund our highest priorities without them."

Other, 2016

"Marchand ... said he is opposed to implementing a sales and income tax, along with expanded gambling."

Other, 2016

"Marchand stressed that while he 'embraces the goals of Common Core,' he believes it's important to 'make sure that we are sensitive to the idea of not over testing.' He wants to strike a balance between measuring student outcomes while making sure teachers have time to focus on teaching."

Candidate's Website, 2018

On his 2018 campaign website, Steve marchand proposes a public campaign financing system and states, "Let's get PAC money, corporate contributions, out-of-state contributions, and big-dollar donors out of candidate's campaigns, and let's instead reward candidates for building a wide base of low-dollar, in-state donors."

Candidate's Website, 2018

"Only 15% of New Hampshire's energy comes from renewable sources, highlighting the enormous opportunity for growth. On solar, Gov. Sununu's veto of SB446, which would expand NH's net metering program, is an example of old thinking: Solar makes up one-half one percent of New Hampshire's electricity; in Massachusetts and Vermont, it is approaching 10%. We should eliminate the cap on net metering."

Candidate's Website, 2018

"I am the only candidate for Governor in either party actively campaigning to move us towards the front of the pack nationally in expanding non-discrimination laws related to gender identity and expression to the private sector. We currently have such non-discrimination laws for New Hampshire residents based on sexual orientation, but are one of only two states (Scott Walker's Wisconsin being the other) that offer such legal protections based on sexual orientation - but not gender identity or expression.

"We must prioritize seeking equivalent non-discrimination protection for such areas as:

• "Employment non-discrimination
• "Housing non-discrimination
• "Public accommodations non-discrimination
• "Credit and lending non-discrimination (in this case, this is also needed for cases of sexual orientation, as well - this specific protection does not currently exist for NH)
• "Adoption and foster care non-discrimination (also needed for both gender identity and expression, as well as for sexual orientation, in New Hampshire)"

Candidate's Website, 2018

"Although Gov. Sununu said full funding of Kindergarten was a top priority, he was unable to find the money in a nearly $6 billion annual budget to make it so - instead relying on Keno to fund some of the gap. We should honestly fund full-day K...and then aggressively move to provide state support for pre-K. Only six states provide no state funding for pre-K, and we're the only one east of South Dakota. We know it improves long-term outcomes in everything from high school graduation rates, to crime rates, to average adult earnings. And professional intervention for learning disabilities and language disorders is done earlier, improving outcomes and saving money."

Candidate's Website, 2018

"I favor the legalization, regulation, and taxation of cannabis for adult recreational use"

Other, 2016

"[Marchand] also said he supports Medicaid expansion, 'and I appreciate the bipartisan efforts that have been made to find ways to get to 'yes' on that. When people on both sides of the aisle are working in good faith to get to 'yes' on important issues, we need to be able to give credit where it is due.'"

Other, 2016

"I do favor reinstatement of a state minimum wage, and the figure should be higher than the current minimum wage. It should reflect that New Hampshire has a higher cost of living than in many parts of the country."

Candidate's Website, 2018

"I've developed a specific plan that provides challenge grants that fund half the cost of a year of education in the trades, community college system, or university system, challenging the private sector to provide the other half of the match. It can be renewed annually, and the student builds skills and a relationship with participating employers along the way. If the student is hired by a participating in-state employer and remains for at least a set number of years, there is no debt to repay. This is a cost-effective, targeted way to retain high school students upon graduation, bring together the emerging workforce with employers with greatest need, and address high levels of student debt."

Candidate's Website, 2018

"Minimize the use of local law enforcement resources for federal immigration enforcement purposes."

Other, 2016

"State law gives the governor, with advice of the executive council, power to commute a death sentence. Marchand says he'd prefer legislative repeal but would be open to reducing Addison's sentence to life in prison without parole through executive means. He called Addison's crime 'heinous' and said there is 'no question' of his guilt, but Marchand says his rivals are morally inconsistent if they want repeal to only apply to future crimes."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018

Should NH allow the Northern Pass to proceed with some (not all) of the lines buried?

"I am the only candidate for Governor who is 100% opposed to either Northern Pass or Granite Bridge. Why? Across party lines, powerful corporate forces have made it politically very uncomfortable for elected officials in 'Planet Concord' to oppose either project, because of the amount of money they have injected into campaigns. I'm the only candidate for Governor who has never taken a dime from PSNH/Eversource, and I never will. On policy, both projects are a loser for New Hampshire. Both projects would deliver little ratepayer benefit, and the impact of the construction of either project would be detrimental to towns along the paths. And both projects will stall interest and demand for renewables and investments in efficiency for a generation. These projects are bridges to the past of energy and environmental policy - and I am running for Governor to help define our future."

Other, 2016

"The reason I oppose an income or sales tax is not because of a 40-year-old pledge, but because I've evaluated public policy and feel we can fund our highest priorities without them."

Candidate's Website, 2018

"Set a new Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) goal of 50% by 2030. If New Hampshire is going to be a leader on energy policy, and enjoy the economic and environmental benefits that come along with it, public policy must send a long-term, stable, and clear message to the private sector that investments in infrastructure, renewable generation, and energy efficiency will be economically beneficial. This new timeline and goal will have the effect of rewarding investments in solar, wind, biomass, storage technology, and energy efficiency; it will increase demand for such investments; it will lower peak demand; it will accelerate job creation in this dynamic part of the national economy; and it will meaningfully lower electric bills over the next 10-15 years. All of our neighbors are on track to reach between 50% and 58% during the 2030s. If we are going to be the party of the future, we must see where energy policy is clearly going, and lead in that direction."

Candidate's Facebook Page, 2017

"My mission is to make NH the best state in America to start a family, and start a business. One major barrier to meeting this mission: A lack of affordable housing. Local zoning laws that discourage density and housing stock diversity are a big part of it, but this is largely a response to long-standing state policy. In the way we both raise and spend state dollars, we tell local communities that they are largely on their own. Their response, often, is to "zone out" young families and children (because education is expensive in the short term), as well as density and rental units. NH provides fewer incentives for local governments to think big and work together than any state government in America. It is capping our future prosperity and economic growth, and it is raising our property taxes. That's why I've spent so much time, professionally and in civic life, figuring out how we can reintroduce these "carrots" back in NH public policy, and meet our economic and demographic challenges head on."

Candidate's Website, 2018

"Currently, Medicaid dollars may only be used for abortion services in the cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment of the mother. This has the effect of creating more choice for those with greater means, and less choice for those without such means. Abortion is an emotional and difficult topic, but within the context of state policy, it is a medical procedure and should be treated as such. Therefore, New Hampshire should join the 17 states which currently cover abortion as part of Medicaid (in effect, eliminating the Hyde Amendment at the state level). This was most recently passed in Illinois and signed into law by Republican Governor Bruce Rauner. An example of the language (based again, in part, on the State of Washington) could look like this:

"If the state provides, directly or by contract, maternity care benefits, services, or information to women through any program administered or funded in whole or in part by the state, the state shall also provide women otherwise eligible for any such program with substantially equivalent benefits, services, or information to permit them to voluntarily terminate their pregnancies."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2018

Should NH create a paid family and medical leave insurance plan, paid for with a percentage of employee wages?

"A rapidly-growing number of American business leaders appreciate the need for paid family leave, and New Hampshire should reflect this modern reality, as well."

"My plan provides a benefit of up to three months of paid leave, which can be used for the birth of a child, a long-term family illness, or an end-of-life situation for a close family member. I pay for it with a standard employee payroll deduction of less than one-tenth of one percent (.009%), which equates to about $29/year for the median income in New Hampshire. The money would go into a shared risk pool not unlike long-term disability. We can do this, and send a powerful message to young people across the country that New Hampshire is an outstanding place to start a family and start a business.

Other, 2016

"Marchand stressed that while he 'embraces the goals of Common Core,' he believes it's important to 'make sure that we are sensitive to the idea of not over testing.' He wants to strike a balance between measuring student outcomes while making sure teachers have time to focus on teaching."

Candidate's Website, 2018

On his 2018 campaign website, Steve Marchand pledges support for universal background checks, red flag laws, a 48-hour waiting period before gun purchases, a ban on military-style semi-automatic weapons, a ban on bump-stocks, empowering local communities to disallow firearms on school grounds, and re-instating the license for concealed carry.

Candidate's Website, 2018

"SB193 has the effect of turning thousands of dollars per student into a voucher, usable for private and parochial schools, and homeschooling. As it is, New Hampshire's shrinking student population is more thinly spreading public education dollars over more SAUs. SB193 will increase local property taxes, and threaten the quality of education in your local public schools. HB1686, which would aggressively expand the Interest & Dividends tax credit to be used for private and parochial schools, seeks to reduce general fund revenues by shifting them directly to private schools. Gov. Sununu and Commissioner Edelblut support these bills. I will advocate against them as a candidate, and if they are the law in 2019, I will swiftly seek their repeal."

Candidate's Facebook Page, 2018

"The State Supreme Court said in '74 students could not be blocked from voting because they might leave the state sometime in the future - but this bill seeks to get around this by forcing students to pay to get a new drivers license, register their car in NH, etc., if they want to vote in NH. I've never thought the problem in NH was civic overparticipation by young people - we should be making it easier to engage in civic life, not more difficult."