Politics

Gov. Kelly Ayotte promises not to let New Hampshire turn into Massachusetts

Gov. Ayotte, who ran on a “Don’t Mass it up” slogan, called the Bay State a “cautionary tale.”

Kelly Ayotte, right, was sworn in as New Hampshire governor on Thursday, Jan. 9. Jonathan Wiggs/ Boston Globe Staff

New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte may have been speaking to a Granite State crowd when she delivered her inaugural address Thursday, but she clearly had Massachusetts on her mind.

Never one to pass up the opportunity to bash the Bay State, the Republican former U.S. senator labeled Massachusetts a “cautionary tale” during her remarks. 

“Look at the out-of-control spending, tax hikes, illegal immigrant crisis, people and businesses leaving in droves — what is normal today in Massachusetts wasn’t always this way,” Ayotte said. 

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Lambasting Massachusetts’s model of “higher taxes and more government,” she vowed to woo businesses to New Hampshire with the state’s “commitment to taxpayers.” 

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“To the people of Massachusetts, our Bay State neighbors, I want you to know we love that you visit our communities, shop at our businesses, and enjoy our great outdoors,” Ayotte said. “To the businesses of Massachusetts, we’d love to have you bring your talents to the Granite State. Reach out to us — we’re happy to show you why it’s better here.”

She also called on New Hampshire lawmakers to ban communities from passing so-called “sanctuary” policies, which generally limit local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. 

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“We’ve got the Massachusetts illegal immigrant crisis right down the road if you want to see what these dangerous policies do not just to communities, but to the state budget,” Ayotte said. “They’ve spent over a billion dollars housing migrants rather than investing in their law-abiding residents. We can’t allow that to happen here.”

Elsewhere in her speech, Ayotte touched on tackling the housing crisis, strengthening New Hampshire’s mental health system, bolstering support for veterans, and expanding the state’s Education Freedom Account program, which allows families to use funds that would have gone toward a student’s public education for alternatives like private school or homeschooling. 

She also restated her vow to veto any legislation that would further restrict access to abortion in New Hampshire.

Ayotte won election to the corner office in November, running on a “Don’t Mass it up” slogan. She succeeds four-term Republican Gov. Chris Sununu.

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Abby Patkin

Staff Writer

Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between. She has been covering the Karen Read murder case.

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