Issues

HEATHER’S PRIORITIES FOR MANCHESTER

Heather is running for NH State Representative to fight for fully funded public schools, housing people can afford, lower costs, healthcare access, workers’ rights, and voting rights for every eligible voter.

Housing Education Healthcare Environment Where I Stand
Intro

We Deserve More

I’m running because Ward 5 deserves a state government that makes it easier for working people to live here, stay here, and build a future here.

That means homes people can afford, public schools that are actually funded, healthcare people can reach before things become a crisis, and clean air and water because I am a little old-fashioned and think we should be able to drink the water.

These are my top priorities.

Housing

Address The Housing Crisis

More affordable and publicly built housing for our friends and neighbors.

Here’s The Facts!

  • NH is 41st in Housing Affordability: With a Median Listing Price of $572,784 and Median Household Income of $94,929, only 15% of Granite State homeowners and 4% of renters can afford to move into a home that fits their needs.
  • NH Needs 23,500 Units to Stabilize the Housing Supply: The state needs 60,000 more housing units between 2020 and 2030, and nearly 90,000 units between 2020 and 2040.
  • NH has the 7th Highest Average Rent: Average rent for a Granite Stater is $2,138 a month, 62% higher than the average American renter at only $1,326 a month.

Here’s The Plan!

  • Remove permitting barriers that prevent Granite Staters from building accessory dwelling units in their own backyards
  • Develop inclusionary zoning ordinances for homes of all shapes and sizes, such as duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, townhomes, manufactured homes, and mixed-use development
  • Allow housing to be built and sold on smaller plots of land
  • Incentivize the conversion of commercial building and current empty lots to affordable residential properties
  • Support our local union workers and provide subsidized high-wage jobs for city built housing
Education

Fund Our Public Schools

Protect and promote public education for students of all levels.

Here’s The Facts!

  • NH enrolls 160,000 public school students across the state: This accounts for 90% of all students across the state and 494 school districts.
  • NH is 3rd in Local Funding Per Student: Granite State homeowners cover an average cost of $16,373 per student, 48% higher than what the state provides at only $7,321 per student.
  • NH’s sends 96.7% of its EFA dollars to private schooling: Only 343 of 10,510 Education Freedom Account recipients left a public school district last year, meaning the majority of taxpayers revenue is funneled from public to private and religious education.

Here’s The Plan!

  • Demand the state of NH to fulfill its constitutional obligation to adequately fund education for every child, no matter their zip code.
  • Repeal SB 295’s voucher program, stopping the shifting of public tax dollars to private educations and back to public schools.
  • Support a universal school breakfast and lunch program for all students, providing students with the nutrition they need and giving families much needed financial relief.
  • Fight for more classroom funding so teachers do not have to make up the cost of classroom supplies out of pocket.
Healthcare

Care When People Need It

Make healthcare, mental health care, and recovery easier to access.

Here’s The Facts!

  • Too many people still lack coverage: About 4.5% of New Hampshire residents were uninsured in 2024.
  • Recovery care still has major gaps: In 2022 and 2023, nearly three out of four New Hampshire adults who needed substance use treatment did not get it.
  • Opioids are still taking lives: In 2024, about 287 Granite Staters died from drug-related causes, and opioids were involved in 83.6% of those deaths.

Here’s The Plan!

  • Protect Medicaid Expansion and the healthcare coverage working families rely on.
  • Invest in mental health care, addiction treatment, recovery services, and harm reduction.
  • Support reproductive healthcare and protect access to care without political interference.
  • Lower cost barriers so people can get primary care, behavioral healthcare, and treatment before a crisis gets worse.
Environment

Clean Air, Clean Water, Healthy Communities

Protect New Hampshire’s people, land, water, and future.

Here’s The Facts!

  • New Hampshire is already facing climate risks: The state is seeing increased flooding from more frequent and intense precipitation events, along with other climate impacts that affect roads, homes, public health, and local budgets.
  • PFAS is a serious public health threat: The EPA adopted national drinking water standards for six PFAS compounds in 2024, including PFOA and PFOS, because these chemicals contaminate water and build up in people’s bodies over time.
  • Resource-heavy data centers can strain local communities: Large data centers can use major amounts of water and electricity, and AI-focused data centers are increasing pressure on power systems, water supplies, and emissions.
  • Pollution costs do not stay with the polluters: When corporations contaminate water, dump waste, or drive up energy demand, working families are too often left with the health risks, cleanup costs, and higher bills.

Here’s The Plan!

  • Protect clean water and make polluters pay through stronger PFAS testing, treatment, public reporting, enforcement, and limits on non-essential PFAS products.
  • Stop resource-heavy AI data centers from draining our communities when they threaten public water, strain the electric grid, raise local costs, or offer no clear public benefit.
  • Lower energy bills without wrecking the planet through renewable energy, weatherization, energy efficiency, and public investment that helps working families.
  • Protect what makes New Hampshire New Hampshire including wetlands, waterways, forests, farmland, wildlife habitat, and public access to the outdoors.
  • Prepare for the climate risks already here including flooding, extreme heat, toxic algae blooms, and threats to drinking water, recreation, pets, wildlife, and public health.

Power to the People

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Where I Stand

On The Issues Neighbors Ask About

Everyone has a primary platform, but working people also live with a lot more than four issues.

Workers & Families

I Support

A living wage, paid family and medical leave, universal childcare and pre-K, safer workplaces, the right to organize, and a 32-hour work week with no loss in pay or benefits.

I Oppose

Pretending full-time workers should be grateful for poverty wages, unpredictable schedules, no paid leave, and the occasional pizza party.

Taxes & Local Costs

I Support

Property tax relief for working families and seniors, fair state funding for schools and local services, and making the wealthy and large corporations pay more of what they owe.

I Oppose

State budgets that cut services, hand the bill to cities like Manchester, and then act shocked when property taxes go up.

Democracy & Voting Rights

I Support

Same-day voter registration, clear voting rules, voter education, fair districts, public accountability, and making state government easier to understand, contact, and follow.

I Oppose

Voter suppression, confusing election laws, gerrymandering, and a political system that makes regular people feel like government is something other people get to run.

Public Safety & Guns

I Support

Treating guns like the serious safety risk they are, with responsible ownership, safe storage, background checks, waiting periods, safety training, extreme risk protections, and stronger rules so fewer kids, families, and communities are torn apart by preventable gun violence.

I Oppose

Treating every safety rule like an attack on responsible gun owners, letting gun lobbyists shape our laws, arming teachers, and pretending students are safer when schools have more guns and fewer counselors, nurses, and mental health supports.

Justice & Recovery

I Support

Treating addiction as a health issue, investing in recovery and harm reduction, ending cash bail, reducing mass incarceration, ending mandatory minimums, and demilitarizing police departments.

I Oppose

Pretending punishment is the same thing as safety. If we want safer communities, we should fund housing, treatment, education, jobs, and care.

Civil Rights & Bodily Autonomy

I Support

Reproductive freedom, LGBTQ rights, gender-affirming care, immigrant rights, disability rights, and equal protection under the law.

I Oppose

Using people as political targets because some politicians would rather start a culture war than answer for rent, wages, schools, healthcare, or the price of groceries.

Higher Education & Student Debt

I Support

Tuition-free public higher education, student debt relief, stronger community colleges, and training programs for healthcare, education, trades, public service, and other work our communities need.

I Oppose

Trapping people in debt for trying to get an education, especially when New Hampshire needs more nurses, teachers, counselors, public workers, and skilled tradespeople.

Peace & Human Rights

I Support

Human rights, immigrant rights, freedom of movement, and keeping public dollars away from occupation, apartheid, and human rights abuses wherever New Hampshire has the power to act.

I Oppose

Pretending public money is neutral. State budgets, contracts, investments, and public institutions make choices, and those choices should reflect basic human rights.

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