Matthew Houde
For State Senate
Issues
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Accomplishments & Issues
We have addressed a number of difficult and important issues facing our great state, and I am hopeful about the progress we can continue to make in the years to come. I have listed here some of the issues that I am proud to have worked on, and that I see as the most pressing for the future. If you have questions or concerns please contact me through the form provided on the site.
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Commerce
As a member of the House Commerce Committee, I have been especially proud of two things we have accomplished in the past two years with our new Democratic Majority.
- We helped working men and women by raising the minimum wage, which had not been raised for 10 years.
- We helped fight the predatory lenders who profit from trapping New Hampshire citizens in prohibitive debt by capping the interest rates on so called "pay day" and car title loans to 36%.
- We helped working men and women by raising the minimum wage, which had not been raised for 10 years.
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Health care
The House Commerce Committee, upon which I serve, recommended passage of several bills that expanded access to health care, including:
- requiring coverage for dependent children up to the age of 26; and
- providing early childhood intervention therapy services.
I am proud that we have expanded healthcare coverage to over 10,000 more children in New Hampshire who were previously without. I absolutely believe that we have a long way to go to fix the healthcare system, not only in this state, but across the country.
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Education
The Legislature finally began to meet its constitutional duties by defining an adequate education (including kindergarten) as required by the state Supreme Court. We also determined the cost of that education.
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Individual liberties
We expanded civil rights protections by prohibiting New Hampshire from joining the federal Real ID program, which clearly violates privacy protections without providing a real improvement in our security.
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Environment
We took steps to protect and preserve our quality of life by finally providing funding for the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program, banning the burning of toxic construction and demolition debris, and requiring the state to rely on renewable energy sources for at least a quarter of its energy needs by 2025.
