Fred Kocher, NH Business Anchor
NH Business: Key results of the NH legislature for economy and business: Housing, childcare, energy and data
Updated: 7:04 amEDT June 16, 2024
BUSINESS. I’m FRED KOCHER. HERE YOU HAVE OUR MENU FOR THE NEXT MINUTES. LEGISLATION ON THESE ARTICLES IN THE STATE HOUSE IN CONCORD THAT SURVIVED THE LAST FIVE AND A HALF MONTHS OF DEBATE AND VOTES, LEGISLATION THAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE NEW Hampshire ECONOMY AND TO NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY HOUSING AND CHILD CARE, WHICH CURRENTLY THEY ARE A BREAK IN THE NEW HAMPSHIRE ECONOMY. GOING FORWARD. SO, TO REVIEW THIS LIST IN MORE DETAIL, WITH ME IS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, MICHAEL SKELTON. WELCOME, MIKE. HOW GOOD TO HAVE YOU. THANK YOU FRED. Let’s start with housing. IF THERE IS ONE ITEM ON THIS LIST THAT IS A BREAKOUT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE’S ECONOMY, RIGHT NOW, AS YOU KNOW, IT’S HOUSING. Um, a bill you followed the updates. PREFABRICATED HOUSING LAWS. THE OTHER ALLOWS OWNERS TO BUILD ACCESSORY HOUSING UNITS. WHAT HKeynoteUSAPENED? Well, this session there was a bit of a mix on housing. WE TOOK SOME STEPS FORWARD. AS YOU MENTIONED, HOUSING MANUFACTURERS ALSO A BILL THAT WOULD REDUCE THE DEFINITION OF BUTTER SHOULD HELP THE ABILITY TO ADD MORE HOUSING SUPPLY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. BUT THERE WERE SEVERAL KEY HOUSING LAWS THAT IN THE END DID NOT ADVANCE. And it’s a little disappointing that while policymakers recognize that housing is a big issue affecting our economy, there’s a lot more to be done besides housing as a brake on the economy, like child care, as you know, with costs. WHICH PARENTS OF BABIES AND SMALL CHILDREN CANNOT AFFORD. IT HAS THE SCHOLARSHIP LAW FOR NEEDY FAMILIES. THAT HKeynoteUSAPENS? YEAH. AND THERE ARE SOME SMALL STEPS FORWARD. A REALLY ENCOURAGING SIGN IS THE CREATION OF A SPECIAL COMMITTEE IN THE HOUSE TO ENFORCE CHILD CARE. AND THERE IS SOME BIPARTISAN COOPERATION THERE. BUT THERE IS A LONG WAY TO GO. AND THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM, AS YOU MENTIONED, IT DEEPLY IMPACTS OUR WORKFORCE. AND I THINK WE ARE STILL TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPACT SOLUTIONS THAT WILL HAVE A SUSTAINABLE IMPACT ON THE CHILD CARE INDUSTRY, ENERGY, ENERGY, INCLUDING ONE THAT CREATES A NEW PROCEDURE TO REGULATE THE LOCATION OF ENERGY FACILITIES, WHICH HAS BEEN SLOW. YEAH. YEAH. AND THIS I THINK IS A GREAT WIN FOR THE NEW HAMPSHIRE ECONOMY AND SOMETHING THAT THE BIA AND MANY OTHERS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS, ACCELERATING THE PROCESS BY WHICH NEW ENERGY PROJECTS ARE ALLOWED. AND BUILT. THAT WILL HELP US REDUCE ENERGY COSTS. DATA PRIVACY. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU. YOU SAID THE VALUE AND IMPACT OF THIS ISSUE FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESSES IS HUGE, THEY NEED TO PAY ATTENTION. ABSOLUTELY. WHAT HKeynoteUSAPENED, SO WE HAVE PASSED A COMPREHENSIVE DATA PRIVACY LAW IN NEW HAMPSHIRE IN COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE INDUSTRY AND THE LEGISLATURE, FINDING A SENSIBLE SOLUTION, SENSITIVE REGULATIONS THAT WORK FOR CUSTOMERS AND PROTECTING THEIR PRIVACY AS WELL AS BUSINESS. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THIS WORKS AND THAT BUSINESSES CAN ADOPT IT EFFECTIVELY. THE BILLS TO THE LANDFILLS TO GO TO THE STATE GARBAGE. THE LANDFILL ALLOWS IT. BOTH DID NOT PASS. AND WE HAVE A PROBLEM BECAUSE SOME OF THESE LANDFILLS ARE FILLING UP. SURE. YEAH. THEREFORE, SLIDDEN WASTE IS A HIDDEN COST WITHIN THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. AND IMPACTS ALL CITIZENS. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF FOCUS ON THIS TOPIC. I THINK THE LEGISLATURE IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO WATCH THIS, BUT WE NEED SENSITIVE REGULATION SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO MANAGE OUR SOLID WASTE IN A THOUGHTFUL WAY. HIGHER EDUCATION. THE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM AND THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM ALIGNMENT, NOT MERGER. AS MY GUEST MADE CLEAR LAST WEEK. YES ABSOLUTELY. CAREER PATHS ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. I think that our community school system and our university system are excellent partners for the business community, so it is positive that we continue to observe how we can strengthen the connection between education and companies, attract and retend more young people, more students and enter directly INTO THE WORKFORCE WHEN THEY GRADUATE? SO I THINK THIS IS A POSITIVE STEP FORWARD. MIKE SKELTON, PRESIDENT OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, THANK YOU. IF YOU MISSED ANY OF THIS INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT’S HKeynoteUSAPENING IN THE LEGISLATURE THIS SESSION, ESPECIALLY FOR THE ECONOMY AND BUSINESSES, YOU CAN GO TO
NH Business: Key results of the NH legislature for economy and business: Housing, childcare, energy and data
Updated: 7:04 amEDT June 16, 2024
Fred Kocher, NH Business Anchor
Michael Skelton, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Business and Industry Association, joins Fred Kocher for a discussion on the results of the NH Legislature for the economy and business.
Michael Skelton, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Business and Industry Association, joins Fred Kocher for a discussion on the results of the NH Legislature for the economy and business.
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