WELCOME BACK TO CLOSE UP. LAST WEEK, KELLY AYOTTE TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE AS THE 83RD GOVERNOR OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. SHE FOLLOWED THAT UP WITH AN INAUGURAL ADDRESS THAT LAID OUT A ROADMAP FOR THE TWO YEARS AHEAD. HERE THIS MORNING TO DISCUSS THAT SPEECH IS NEIL LEVESQUE FROM THE NEW HAMPSHIRE INSTITUTE OF POLITICS. NEIL, THANKS FOR COMING IN. WELL, THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON. SO YOU’VE SEEN A LOT OF THESE INAUGURAL ADDRESSES IN YOUR DAY. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THIS ONE FROM GOVERNOR AYOTTE? I THINK THE MAIN TAKEAWAY IS SHE WANTS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. AND I THINK SHE LAID OUT A WHOLE BUNCH OF SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS THAT I THINK NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT. SHE WASN’T TOO, TOO FIERY AS FAR AS CREATING AN OPPOSITION TO THE DEMOCRATS. SHE WAS VERY BIPARTISAN IN NATURE. AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY CONGENIAL SPEECH. IT WAS ALMOST A SPEECH YOU’D GIVE IN A LIVING ROOM RATHER THAN A PREACHY SPEECH FROM A PODIUM. YEAH, IT WAS WELL RECEIVED IN THE ROOM. OBVIOUSLY, A LOT OF BIG ISSUES THERE. LET’S TALK AND LISTEN TO A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT GOVERNOR HAD TO SAY. IMMIGRATION IS A BIG ISSUE. BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE. SHE SAYS SHE WANTS A BAN ON SANCTUARY CITY POLICIES HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. I’M COUNTING ON OUR LEGISLATURE TO DO THAT. THIS TERM. WE’VE GOT MASSACHUSETTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRISIS RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD. AND IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT THESE DANGEROUS POLICIES DO, NOT JUST TO COMMUNITIES, BUT TO A BUDGET, THEY’VE SPENT $1 BILLION HOUSING MIGRANTS RATHER THAN SPENDING IT, INVESTING IT ON THEIR LAW ABIDING CITIZENS. WE CANNOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. NEIL, THIS ENDED UP BEING A TOP ISSUE FOR VOTERS, A BIG MOTIVATOR, AND PERHAPS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY DEMOCRATS LOST SO MUCH NATIONWIDE. IT IS CERTAINLY ON THE MINDS OF VOTERS. AND I THINK IT’S REALLY ABOUT THE RULE OF LAW. AND IF YOU LOOK AT GOVERNOR YESTERDAY, A LOT OF WHAT SHE SAYS IS SHE’S ON THE SIDE OF SORT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE SIDE OF THE VICTIM. AND I THINK THIS ISSUE BLENDS RIGHT INTO IT. SHE SHE LAID IT DOWN FOR THE LEGISLATURE. THEY’VE GOT TO ACT IN ORDER FOR HER TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. BUT I THINK SHE WAS CLEARLY CREATING A DEFINITION BETWEEN HER BEING THE GOVERNOR OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND THE PROBLEMS THEY HAVE IN MASSACHUSETTS. HOW LINKED IS THIS ISSUE BETWEEN FEDERAL AND STATE IN TERMS OF GOVERNOR AYOTTE’S FORTUNES BEING HOOKED TO THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND WHAT GETS DONE IN WASHINGTON, LIKE EVERY OTHER BIG ISSUE? THIS IS ALL TIED IN TOGETHER. EVERYTHING IS TIED TOGETHER. IT’S NOT JUST A STATE PROBLEM OR A FEDERAL ONE. IF THE FEDS COME IN AND DO WHAT THEY HAVE SAID THEY’RE GOING TO DO AND REALLY CRACK DOWN, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SORT OF COOPERATION WITH NOT ONLY STATE OFFICIALS, BUT WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS. AND THAT COULD BE SOMETIMES DIFFICULT. AND THERE’S BEEN RED FLAGS ABOUT THIS FROM LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE REGARDING SANCTUARY CITY. YEAH. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THAT PLAYS OUT FOR SURE. YOU KNOW IT AND HOW FAR THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL GO. I THINK THERE’S PROBABLY A REASON WHY NO ONE HAS ATTEMPTED A COMPLETE DEPORTATION OF ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. WE’LL SEE HOW THAT WORKS OUT, IF THAT’S EVEN THE GOAL FOR THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ON IMMIGRATION AND OTHER ISSUES. YOU KNOW, GOVERNOR AYOTTE HAD A VERY ANTI MASSACHUSETTS MESSAGE DURING THE CAMPAIGN. SHE DID A CALLBACK TO THAT. YOU KNOW, IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A HEY, I WAS RIGHT IN SOME WAYS BECAUSE POINTING TO HOW MUCH COST HAS BEEN BURDENED BY THE COMMONWEALTH WITH PAYING FOR MIGRANTS, WELL, I THINK EVERYTHING IS A CONTRAST, RIGHT, IN POLITICS. AND WHEN YOU CAN HAVE A STATE LIKE NEW HAMPSHIRE, WHICH IS A REAL FREE STATE, LOW TAX STATE, AND THEN YOU HAVE THIS STATE WITH ALL THESE PROBLEMS IN MASSACHUSETTS JUST TO THE SOUTH OF US. IT’S A GREAT THING FOR FOR AN ELECTED OFFICIAL TO BE ABLE TO SAY WE DO IT RIGHT. WE DO IT THIS WAY. LET’S CONTINUE TO DO THAT. SHE’S MASTERED THAT. SHE MASTERED IT IN HER CAMPAIGN, AND SHE DID IT AGAIN YESTERDAY. HOUSING IS ALSO A TOP ISSUE AT SAINT ANSELM COLLEGE SURVEY CENTER OVER SEVERAL POLLS HAS PUT THAT AT OR NEAR THE TOP FOR VOTERS. YOU KNOW, GOVERNOR AYOTTE PUT THIS ISSUE FRONT AND CENTER IN HER ADDRESS, SAYING THE STATE WILL CONTINUE EFFORTS TO EXPAND HOUSING STOCK AND TO INCENTIVIZE LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO BUILD. TAKE A LISTEN. AS A STATE, WE NEED TO MODEL GOOD BEHAVIOR. IF WE’RE GOING TO ASK THE SAME OF OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES WHO MAKE THESE ZONING DECISIONS, THAT STARTS WITH OVERHAULING THE AGENCY PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT TAKES NO MORE THAN 60 DAYS TO GET APPROVAL FOR A PROJECT. THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE NEED TO MAKE THE PROCESS AS FRICTIONLESS AS POSSIBLE. SO PROJECTS THAT ARE GREAT FOR OUR COMMUNITIES ARE NOT GETTING HALTED BY UNNECESSARY RED TAPE. NEIL, YOU KNOW, IMMIGRATION HAS THE FEDERAL STATE INTERPLAY, HOUSING HAS THE STATE LOCAL INTERPLAY. DO YOU THINK WE’LL SEE THE STATE BE ABLE TO SORT OF UNLOCK SOME OF THESE TOWNS THAT ARE VERY RESISTANT TO DEVELOPMENT? WELL, I THINK ON THE STATE SIDE, THERE’S ONLY SO MUCH A GOVERNOR CAN DO. SHE DID CAUTION THAT. AND I THINK THIS IS, AGAIN, WHERE YOU SEE, IT’S NOT JUST A RHETORICAL SPEECH. IT’S A SPEECH WHERE SHE’S SAYING, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AT THE STATE LEVEL TO EASE THIS CRISIS. THESE ARE THE SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM. I’VE LAID THEM OUT. LET’S DO IT. LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE HAVE THEIR OWN WAY OF DOING THINGS. THEY’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT. BUT AT LEAST AT THE STATE LEVEL, SHE’S TRYING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. THIS IS SUCH A HIGH PRIORITY. YOU’VE HAD A NUMBER OF CONFERENCES AT THE NH IOP DEALING WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, WHERE DOES THIS RANK FOR VOTERS? THIS IS A TOP ISSUE, AND I THINK IT’S NOT JUST A TOP ISSUE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING TO BUY HOMES. BUT IF YOU’RE AN EMPLOYER AND YOU’RE TRYING TO FIND WORKERS TO FILL YOUR, YOUR, YOUR WORKFORCE, YOU CAN’T FIND THEM BECAUSE THEY CAN’T FIND A PLACE TO LIVE. IT’S A STATEWIDE PROBLEM. THERE’S NO EASY SOLUTION. SHE DID CAUTION ABOUT THAT IN HER SPEECH, BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE THINGS AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT THEY’RE GOING TO TRY TO DO TRY TO DO THEM QUICKLY. AND THEN I THINK IT’S AT SOME DEGREE IT’S GOING TO BE UP TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO DECIDE WHAT KIND OF SOLUTIONS THEY’RE GOING TO OFFER. BEFORE WE WRAP UP HERE, YOU’VE KNOWN KELLY AYOTTE FOR QUITE A LONG TIME IN YOUR LIFE. WHAT IS HER GOVERNING STYLE GOING TO BE, DO YOU THINK? WELL, I THINK THERE’S TWO THINGS THAT REALLY DEFINE HER. FIRST OF ALL IS THAT THERE’S NO ONE THAT WORKS HARDER, AND PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATE HER BECAUSE SHE’S VERY FRIENDLY, VERY NICE, AND PEOPLE UNDERESTIMATE HER. BUT ON THE OTHER THING IS, IS SHE’S GOT A LOT OF FRIENDS IN THE STATE. SHE’S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME, AND I THINK SHE’S GOING TO RELY ON THOSE PEOPLE FROM ALL DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE TO TRY TO ENHANCE WHAT SHE DOES AS THE GOVERNOR OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. A LOT OF PEOPLE SHOWED UP TO THAT INAUGURATION, AND NEIL LEVESQUE FROM THE NEW HAMPSHIRE INSTITUTE OF POLITICS, THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, ADAM, AND WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH GOVERNOR CHRIS SUNUNU ON WHAT H