Newport
State Rep. Virginia Irwin, D-Newport, the incumbent in the Sullivan 9 floterial district, is now running for the seat she held from 2012-14 and is joined by Newport Democrat John Lunn, who served on the Selectboard in the 1990s and is the chairman of the Richards Library Trustees. On the Republican side are state Rep. Skip Rollins, of Newport, running for his third House term, and Bill Schroeter, a Unity Selectboard member, who is making his first run for state office.
State Rep. Ernie Bridge, an 81-year-old Unity Republican, opted not to run again.
“I’m just getting tired of all that is going on so I decided I’ll give it a shot and see if I can help,” said Schroeter, 71, a retired business owner.
If elected, Schroeter would place a priority on developing more trades related education in area high schools such as tool and die programs. “We are not teaching it and there is a need for it,” Schroeter said. “It will help keep kids employed and cut down on state assistance.”
Schroeter opposes Medicaid expansion, worried that the federal government will decrease funding below its promised 94 percent eventually and it will cost state taxpayers.”
“The state will get screwed and therefore we will,” Schroeter said.
The expansion that passed does not require state money but it expires in two years.
Rollins, 63, works for LaValley’s Building Supply in Newport. He voted against Medicaid expansion because he also thinks it will end up like special education funding, which he said started with a promise from the federal government to pay 95 percent but that has dropped over the years.
Over the next two years, the federal government will pay $1 billion to insure 50,000 people and Rollins said while more will be insured, the long-term cost will hurt the state’s taxpayers.
“The government can’t afford to pay but makes it a mandate. I think it hurts many who are still working for a living and is a one-way road to income or sales tax,” Rollins said. “New Hampshire can’t take the hit.”
Irwin and Lunn both strongly back Medicaid expansion.
“The revenue issues are tough one,” Lunn said about covering any cost for New Hampshire if the expansion continues after 2018. “But the coverage is necessary for many residents.”
Lunn, 58, a flutemaker and silversmith who has also written novels, said he would consider a broadbased tax to raise more revenue but is open to other options for new revenue.
Irwin, 71, a retired educator, also understands New Hampshire may have to pay some portion of Medicaid, but insists medical coverage for the working poor has to be maintained.
“I don’t think we can afford to lose those health benefits,” Irwin said. “It would be a tremendous cost to the hospitals (in uncompensated care.) We need to have that coverage.”
If she wins the seat, Irwin said she wants legislators to get serious about new revenues and stop increasing fees on items such as cigarettes, meals and lodging or liquor in hopes it will raise enough money.
“It is time to have a real conversation about (new) revenues.”
She is not committed to a broadbased tax but believes it should be part of that conversation. Irwin also wants to push for the return of state school building construction aid.
“It is hurting communities like Newport and Claremont. They can’t keep up their school buildings without burdening their taxpayers,” Irwin said.
On the issue of a concealed carry permit for guns, Lunn said he does not oppose gun ownership for hunting or shooting but questions the need to carry a firearm around in public.
“The whole idea of walking around in public with a gun is intimidating. I think we need to review the concealed carry permit law and the whole gun issue, whether open or concealed,” Lunn said.
Irwin supports the existing concealed carry law because it allows local police to know who owns firearms and that can be an important piece of information when police are called to a residence.
“I also favor expanded background checks and closing the gun show loophole (that allows firearms to be sold without a background check),” Irwin said. “This has nothing to do with (ending) the second amendment. If you want a gun, own a gun but you have to be responsible.”
Rollins voted for the bill to get rid of a requirement for a concealed carry permit and points to Vermont, which has no permit requirement to carry a concealed weapon, as an example why.
“They have no problem,” Rollins said. “The only thing it does is take guns out of honest people’s hands. Criminals won’t get permits. Just look at Chicago and its gun violence.”
Schroeter, an NRA member and certified gun safety instructor, supports the law.
“I think we should keep it. I don’t see it as a burden,” he said
Schroeter said he has gone back and forth in his support for state funding for Planned Parenthood and now comes down on the support side.
“I think they offer good services,” he said.
Lunn and Irwin also back state support for the organization because it provides health services to many low-income women who otherwise could not afford them. Abortion services through Planned Parenthood are a small piece of the services and state funds are not used for that purpose, they point out.
“I think Planned Parenthood is not essentially an organization devoted to abortion,” Lunn said. “It is a women’s health organization that so many rely on for standard health.”
Rollins agrees and said he always supported the organization. “I think the women’s health services are very important but I never support taxpayer money for abortions.”
What has troubled Rollins more recently is what he said is the organization’s involvement in the political process and its donations to help get people elected, mostly Democrats, and doesn’t believe if it takes tax dollars it should be supporting candidates.
“I am starting to rethink my support,” he said.
On education funding, Rollins opposes any new taxes to increase aid to the public school system. He said years ago Vermont politicians told taxpayers the state needed an income tax to lower property taxes that paid for education and then a sales tax for the same purpose.
“(Property) Taxes did go down for a few years and went right back up again,” Rollins said. “Once you send your money to Concord you are not getting it back. “
Rollins said he is “all for a good education” and toward that end wants to see more charter schools, where many students “thrive” and private school choice, which will bring down costs. “More and more money won’t do it.”
Schroeter , a former Unity School Board member, said changing the tax base is the only way to logically increase education funding.
“It (property tax) is breaking the backs of the homeowners,” Schroeter said. “What that is I don’t know but schools are not being funded properly with the property tax.”
If voters send him to Concord, Lunn said, a priority for him will be looking at increasing education funding, whether with a broad-based tax or redirecting other state funds. He has not committed to one source but is open to options because the end results will help local taxpayers.
“It will give us property tax relief on education costs,” Lunn said.
A priority for Rollins if elected is reducing the business profits tax as a way to spur the state’s economy and subsequently raise more revenues. “We need to do what is best for business and keep taxes down as much as we can,” Rollins said.
Irwin wants to look at how the state pays for adequacy aid for education and that gets back to discussing raising more revenue from another source instead of increasing by small amounts in existing taxes and fees.
“Without a new revenue stream we won’t be able to pay the bills we have or the ones we have coming,” Irwin said about adequacy aid.
A story about the race for the Sullivan 9 floterial House district, which represents 9 towns — Cornish, Croydon, Grantham, Newport, Plainfield, Springfield, Sunapee and Unity — will be published in an upcoming Valley News.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com
