Author: Opinion

Like many Granite Staters, I grew up playing pond hockey in New Hampshire. On many a winter afternoon, I would grab my hand-me-down skates and stick and tramp through the snow to a nearby pond.

As the commissioner of the New Hampshire Insurance Department (NHID), my regulatory philosophy is that intervention in the free market should only occur when well-defined, solid objectives can be obtained by such intervention, or when inherent monopoly structures prevent a free market competitive system from operating.

It isn’t always easy for service members to cast a ballot. Whether at sea — as I often was over my 13 years in the U.S. Navy — or permanently stationed halfway around the world, military members and their families don’t have the luxury of a quick walk or drive to their nearest polling place.

Back in 2018, a very New Hampshire moment happened: The New Hampshire House of Representatives passed a bill affirming the rights of transgender people in the Granite State to be free from discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation. Today, those values are being tested.

New Hampshire’s nursing homes are facing an unprecedented labor crisis that has been further exacerbated by the pandemic, and the supply of skilled workers is not keeping pace with demand.

When economic adversity collides with our business plan, our response to the cost issues must be prompt, and it must be right. We know that there are a multitude of costs related to our people.

U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Mike Braun recently championed a significant stride toward an inclusive and economically empowered future with the introduction of the Supporting Disabled Entrepreneurs Act.

While the discourse around diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is facing challenges, the core needs of employees for respect, inclusion and maximization of organizational benefits remain constant.

Years ago, Air Force Lt. Jeffrey Meinholtz, who had been kicked out of the service solely because he was gay, appeared one morning on the “Today” show. Host Katie Couric asked him point blank, “Lieutenant, when did you realize you were gay?” Smiling, he replied, “When did you realize you were heterosexual?” I have never forgotten that moment.

The ongoing health care workforce shortage in New Hampshire is well documented, as are its many impacts on the overall system and access to care. It is also emerging as a serious cost driver. These upward pressures on health care costs are seen in several areas, including wage inflation, ability of providers to operate efficiently and costs of delayed care.

With winter upon us, the challenges associated with homelessness become exacerbated and life threatening for many. Cold, wet weather presents a next-level problem for many who have few options for housing, including an increasing number of young people.

How do we effectively and affordably build out the electric grid to handle the impending tidal wave of electrification?

Contoocook Valley School District v. New Hampshire shows need for quality education in NH public schools. -By Bill Ardinger

The recent passing of my business partner, Mark Fenske on Nov. 3, followed not long after by the planned closing of CJ’s Great West Grill on Dec. 23, marks such a poignant moment for me and the employees of Great NH Restaurants. -By Tom Boucher

With the New Year just behind us, many are considering what will be on their list of resolutions, and mental health should be top of mind. - By Rhonda L. Randall

Forest stewards, Aurora Sustainable Lands, vow to honor the ‘spirit of the conservation easement’ -By Shawn Hagan

With all our parental responsibilities, both financial and nurturing, sometimes overlooked is the role we parents have to prepare our children to be financially independent young adults... -By Daniel Cohen