Local Democratic candidates talk abortion, affordable housing at Keene forum

Sep. 8—With less than a week before New Hampshire voters head to the polls in the state primary election, issues such as abortion rights, affordable housing and support for public education took center stage Wednesday evening at a public forum for local Democratic candidates.

Roughly 30 people gathered at the former Cheshire County Courthouse in Keene for the event, hosted by the Cheshire County Democratic Committee, in which candidates in contested primaries for the state Legislature answered questions on a wide variety of economic and social issues.

State Rep. Donovan Fenton and City Councilor Bobby Williams, who are running for the Democratic nomination in N.H. Senate District 10, which covers Keene and 14 other Monadnock Region towns, spoke at the end of the event on topics including affordable housing and child care.

Fenton, who also voiced his support for protecting abortion care, stressed his desire to help provide affordable child care. He added that he thinks a lower price tag on day care services would attract young families to move to the state.

"Parents can't afford child care and so many are on waitlists," he said. "It's something you don't think about if you don't have children."

Williams said he thinks state funding should be allocated toward providing increased salaries for early childhood educators and public school educators.

Fenton also emphasized the need for a higher minimum wage.

"No one can live on $7.25 an hour," he said. "A $15 minimum wage is the bare minimum."

One of Williams' top issues heading into the primary has been making housing more affordable, which he said can be done by increasing the supply. He added that the state could look towards commercial lots or old strip malls to construct these dwellings.

"We need to build more housing and find places to build more housing," he said.

Candidates in two Cheshire County N.H. House districts spoke to begin the evening. Three Democrats — incumbent Paul Berch of Westmoreland, Renee Monteil of Keene and incumbent Amanda Elizabeth Toll of Keene — are running for for two seats in Cheshire District 15, covering Chesterfield, Hinsdale, Keene wards 1,3, 4, and 5, Surry, Walpole and Westmoreland. Two candidates — incumbent John Bordenet and Shaun Filiault — seeking the lone seat in Cheshire District 7, which covers Keene's Ward 2, also participated in the panel.

The Democratic House candidates spoke extensively about providing safe access to abortion in New Hampshire, following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in June to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Toll and Monteil both said one of their top priorities, if elected, would be to enshrine Roe v. Wade in New Hampshire's Constitution.

"It's not something we can waste time on anymore," Monteil said. "This should have been done a long time ago."

Toll added that she would also support Medicaid funding for abortion care.

"Because being pro-choice for everyone except poor people is absolutely unacceptable," she said.

Berch mentioned his 100 percent voting record in favor of Planned Parenthood, and said, if re-elected, he would continue working to protect abortion rights.

On the topic of the current shortage of affordable housing in New Hampshire, Berch said he would like to see the state mandate that municipalities allow the construction of multi-family housing units in residential zones

"These commonsense measures will make a real difference in our communities," he said.

Filiault agreed with Berch, and said one of the keys to alleviating the shortage is by increasing the housing stock.

"It is driving out people from areas because the cost of living is getting too high and this is becoming a civil rights issue," he said. "It affects racial minorities and it affects younger generations."

Also at the event, Bordenet stressed the need to direct more state funding to public education.

Filiault suggested using leftover monies from the New Hampshire's 2022 fiscal year budget to bolster Granite State public education.

"Right now, Gov. Sununu is on the campaign trail bragging about a $400 million budget surplus," he said. "How do we fund the schools? I have 400 million ideas."

Filiault added that another source of revenue for schools could come from legalizing marijuana.

On another educational topic, Monteil said one of her top priorities if elected would be overturning the state's so-called divisive concepts ban.

Under the law approved last year, educators are banned from telling students that some individuals by virtue of attributes such as of age, sex and gender identity are inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, consciously or unconsciously.

"It censors teachers and keeps students from learning the critical information they need to become fully formed citizens," Monteil said.

On the same issue, Toll said it's important to talk about race and gender "in an honest way."

"We cannot solve the problems of today if we don't understand how they came to fruition," she said.

New Hampshire's primary election is next Tuesday, Sept. 13. The general election is Nov. 8.

Hunter Oberst can be reached at 355-8585, or hoberst@keenesentinel.com.