Emmett Soldati
Running for: NH Executive Council District 1
Completed our 2024 Executive Council Candidate Survey
Position on Issues
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support the “Education Freedom Account” program, which gives students access to the per-pupil share of state school funding to spend on private school or home school expenses?
"I do not support the 'Education Freedom Account,' otherwise known as the Voucher program. This program was designed to fundamentally dismantle an already struggling public school system that is underfunded by the state. This program will likely drive up property taxes, and has surpassed all budget projections. One of the largest recipients of tax dollars through this program is Amazon.com."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the first trimester (e.g. after 6 weeks gestation)?
"Against"
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the second trimester (e.g. after 15 weeks gestation)?
"Against"
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH add an income tax on earned income?
"The Executive Council does not create or influence policy and as Councilor I will not introduce any new taxes. New Hampshire needs additional revenue to comply with court rulings on unconstitutional school funding, especially as the federal ARPA funds have expired. I hope the next legislature takes seriously the need to adjust current revenues to meet the needs of our state’s current and next generation."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH add a broad-based sales tax?
"The Executive Council does not create or influence policy and as Councilor I will not introduce any new taxes. New Hampshire needs additional revenue to comply with court rulings on unconstitutional school funding, especially as the federal ARPA funds have expired. I hope the next legislature takes seriously the need to adjust current revenues to meet the needs of our state’s current and next generation."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire lower business taxes?
"The Executive Council does not create or influence policy, but I don’t believe the NH legislature should further reduce the business tax. The funds that our state received from the federal government for COVID stimulus are running out next year. This is money that funded the recent tax cuts. Now is not the time to be cutting taxes. We need to see how revenue projections perform in the next budget cycle before committing to any tax cuts."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire add a tax on capital gains?
"The Executive Council does not create or influence policy. Rather than creating a new tax, we would be better served reinstating the interest and dividends tax. The elimination of the interest and dividends tax will contribute to a hole in our budget next year, and continue to drive increases in property taxes as the state contributes less to local budgets."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire government do more to address climate change?
"Yes we need to do more to support clean energy, including net metering. We need to be safeguarding our natural environment, and as Councilor I would support nominations of clean energy champions for the Public Utilities Commission and Department of Energy."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support giving voters who register without ID on Election Day a ballot that only counts if they return identifying documents to the state before a deadline?
"Laws to limit access to the ballot box should be heavily scrutinized. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, and the recent law to require citizens to provide a passport or birth certificate to register to vote is unconstitutional. I’m proud of NH’s long standing record of same-day voter registration and I would not support laws that restrict voting rights."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support state contracts with faith-based organizations?
"Our faith communities play an important role in many social services. While I would entertain contracts for critical community work, I would not support contracts that promote specific faith or religious beliefs using the resources provided by the taxpayers."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support state contracts with Planned Parenthood?
"I support contracts with Planned Parenthood, as well as all of the state's reproductive health care providers."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should the state do more to encourage municipalities to remove zoning barriers to housing development?
"There is not one quick solution to the housing crisis, but more permissible zoning laws would be one step to improve the situation."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support legislation to expand the net energy metering system capacity cap from 1 MW to 5 MW for all residential and commercial customers in New Hampshire?
"I would support expanding net metering. We have one of the highest electricity costs in the country. Net metering is a tool to help residents reduce those costs through clean energy."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire guarantee the right to access abortion before 24 weeks?
"For"
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should a nominee’s political beliefs be an important factor when deciding on a judicial or executive branch appointment?
"While no individual is truly ‘apolitical,’ all nominees and appointed Judges, Commissioners etc. have a duty to keep their political views separate from their job. Nominees should be evaluated on their track record or ability to faithfully support the mission and objective of the agency. Executive branch appointments should enforce the law and run their respective departments according to current RSAs. Judicial appointments should absolutely keep their political views separate. As they look at laws and both the New Hampshire and United States’ constitutions, they should make unbiased judicial rulings."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should the state increase funding for child care providers?
"Child care is a huge burden on new families, and we have the second lowest birth rates in the country, we should be helping new parents."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Do you support New Hampshire’s current system of public school funding, with about two-thirds of total funding coming from local property taxes?
"The current system is fundamentally broken. Property rich communities (those near popular natural resources, or those with lots of high valued second homes) have an advantage over property poor communities. This means the basic need to educate our students through property taxes creates inequities in education across our state and burdens taxpayers from property poor communities more than taxpayers from property rich communities."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by allowing home-growing and private use without sales?
"For"
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by licensing growers and private retail locations?
"For"
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by establishing state-run cannabis stores?
"Against"
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire raise the minimum wage?
"I support the minimum wage increase (at least to $12 but up to $15)."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Are you open to approving no-bid state contracts?
"In general, I would prefer competitively bid contracts, but there are certain circumstances, like in an emergency when we need something addressed immediately, that a no bid contract is appropriate."
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire repeal the ban on abortion after 24 weeks gestation?
"For"
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH require local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement?
"In general, arbitrary immigration raids disrupt communities, violate privacy, and drain the bandwidth of local/state law enforcement that is better spent elsewhere. These efforts largely target members of our community who are working hard to build a better life here."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH pass stricter gun control laws?
"The Executive Council does not create or influence policy. Gun safety regulations can reduce gun crime, but not all gun regulations are created equal. I support thoughtful gun violence prevention measures that would have a meaningful impact, including universal background checks."
