Ray S. Gilmore

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

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?

When asked about allocating tax revenue for private and home schooling on the 2020 Citizens Count issue survey, Gilmore wrote, "For this question, we need to split our Private schools, from Home Schooling. I am against providing tax revenue to Private schools. I am for, providing an offset to make home schooling more accessible; mainly due to COVID. Home schooling, during this pandemic reduces class sizes, and therefore makes them safer for the students and teachers, who do not have the option to home school. However, home school programs vary in price, and this cost can be a barrier to choice for some families. This is a barrier that I think we should help remove, if it means that our classrooms are safer."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire ban abortion after 24 weeks gestation, with exceptions for cases of rape/incest and health complications?

"I am a husband, and the father of 4-daughters. We have grandmothers, and great grandmothers, nieces, aunts and friends in our life and as such, I will endeavor to protect their access to healthcare; and I will always fight to protect their right to choose what happens to their bodies. No woman should be forced to maintain a pregnancy that is the result of Rape or Incest; and under no circumstances should a woman be forced to maintain a pregnancy that is a threat to her health. The hard part of this debate, is no longer the legality of abortion; the difficulty is drawing a line in the sand based off of gestational age. At 24-Weeks the fetus is still considered periviable, with a greater than 50% chance of survival. However, once you pass the 24-Week mark that survivability goes up quickly. 85% at 26-weeks, 90% at 28-weeks, and 99% at 30-weeks. Once the fetus is viable, it becomes a baby, and the decision isn't just about what one does with their body, but also what happens to the infant."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the first trimester (e.g. after 6 weeks gestation)?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the second trimester (e.g. after 15 weeks gestation)?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire ban discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-3?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Do you support the state law that bans teaching certain concepts, such as the idea that people may be "inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously"?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should NH add an income tax on earned income?

"No Income Tax, now or ever."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should NH add a broad-based sales tax?

"No Sales Tax, now or ever."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire add a tax credit for businesses that contribute to student loan repayment for employees?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire lower business taxes?

"We need a freeze on new taxes and tax rates while we battle the COVID Pandemic. There was a massive influx to the Granite State over the past 6-months, with the highest revenues for a number of business sectors ever; including real estate. Families moving out of the cities have been buying homes, site unseen, for tens of thousands of dollars over asking price. This will have un-forecasted effects on property values, which in turn will drive up tax revenues. With people traveling closer to home, some of our businesses have done well, others have not. The last thing we need to do now, is add more of a burden on the businesses that have done poorly due to restrictions placed on them by the pandemic. Now is not the time to try and tax our state into prosperity."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire add a tax on capital gains?

"Undecided"

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire increase the tax on cigarettes?

"Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, and with that comes massive healthcare costs. The fact that tobacco use is a choice, I do not see this as a broad based tax; and there is already a tax on tobacco, so I am not against discussing an increase for this specific tax."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire government do more to address climate change?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

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?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire add a fee or mileage charge for electric vehicle owners to help pay for transportation and/or electric infrastructure?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire add restrictions to the governor's powers during a state of emergency?

"The executive branch needs to have the leverage to act quickly during an emergency. However, at some point, the power must return to the people, and we must declare an end to the emergency, and accept the new conditions as 'Normal'. We have not faced an issue with executive overreach yet; but many states have. I feel that this is a debate that we need to have, but I do not have a hard stance on this issue yet."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should the state do more to encourage municipalities to remove zoning barriers to housing development?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire extend the renewable portfolio standard past 2025, requiring public utilities to obtain more than 25% of electricity from renewable energy sources?

"Pre-COVID, this was an easy Yes. However, with COVID as an ongoing challenge for the foreseeable future; we need to assess before making a decision."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire guarantee the right to access abortion before 24 weeks?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire increase public access to reports of police misconduct?

"For"

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Do you support the option of mail-in ballots for all voters, not just absentees?

"NO. New Hampshire has a functional absentee balloting system that is secure, tested and has proven to work. I do not support a shift towards universal mail in ballots."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should NH legalize the recreational use of marijuana?

"The 'War on Drugs' and the 1994 Crime Bill have disproportionately affected economically depressed communities, and people of color, while simultaneously creating unnecessary conflicts between the police and citizens. Ending this feckless 'war' on American citizens will help keep families intact, reduce incarceration rates and costs, decrease the burden on courts, as well as de-escalate the situations on the street between Citizens and Law Enforcement Officers. If marijuana were to be legalized, I would advocate for heavy regulation, and heavy taxation."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by allowing home-growing and private use without sales?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by licensing growers and private retail locations?

When asked about marijuana legalization in general on the 2020 Citizens Count issue survey, Gilmore wrote, "The 'War on Drugs' and the 1994 Crime Bill have disproportionately affected economically depressed communities, and people of color, while simultaneously creating unnecessary conflicts between the police and citizens. Ending this feckless 'war' on American citizens will help keep families intact, reduce incarceration rates and costs, decrease the burden on courts, as well as de-escalate the situations on the street between Citizens and Law Enforcement Officers. If marijuana were to be legalized, I would advocate for heavy regulation, and heavy taxation."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by establishing state-run cannabis stores?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire raise the minimum wage?

"Waitstaff, bartenders, even dish washers are all averaging well over minimum wage in Carroll-1, so what effect will raising the minimum wage have in Bartlett, Jackson & Hart's Location? The economy and the need for workers, has driven the starting wage for a dishwasher up to $15 in the MWV. According to the business leaders I have spoken to, that is a 66% increase in wages over the last 5-years. That type of feedback, makes it feel like wages are self correcting. The minimum wage, is supposed to be an entry level wage for younger workers who are minimally skilled; who are easily replaced by automation, as shown in a number of examples. Raising that wage, will drive up the costs of goods and could potentially eliminate the entry level jobs we need, in order for younger workers to gain experience. I have spoken to others, who are concerned for retail workers, and that is an issue that is disconcerting, because a large portion of the Mount Washington Valley economy is based in retail. Retail has taken a beating during COVID, and exacerbated a decline that was already occurring due to the rise of digital shopping; would retailers be able to absorb an increased labor cost, in this pandemic?"

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire increase the size of solar panel installations that may participate in net energy metering?

"For"

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire increase subsidies and tax credits for business investment?

"We need to draw new businesses to NH in an effort to diversify our economy."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire increase the base amount of per-pupil funding it provides to local school districts?

"The state of NH has been battling to define what an adequate education is for more than 20-years; and our opinion of this matter is moot, at this point, because it is up to the courts. The ConVal case is in front of the NH Supreme Court; if the ruling comes down that the current per-pupil funding model is inadequate, then we are bound to adjust the school funding formula to meet that ruling. If the court rules in favor of the state, and decides that the $3,709 per student (plus differentials) is adequate, then I would not be pushing to change it."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Should the state permanently increase how much tax revenue it shares with towns and cities every year, beyond public school funding?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Do you support the gradual phase-out of the Interests and Dividends tax?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Do you support Gov. Sununu's proposal to allow employers and employees to opt-in to a private, paid family and medical leave insurance plan, based on a pool of state employees, excluding coverage for personal illness?

"For"

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2022

Do you support the state’s current system of public school funding, with each district’s total funding primarily dependent on local property tax revenue?

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire continue to participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which requires utilities to purchase allowances for every ton of carbon they emit?

"For"

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire repeal the ban on abortion after 24 weeks gestation?

On the 2020 Citizens Count issue survey, Gilmore indicated he was "undecided" about a ban on abortion after 24 weeks gestation, with exceptions for rape/incest and health complications. He wrote, "I am a husband, and the father of 4-daughters. We have grandmothers, and great grandmothers, nieces, aunts and friends in our life and as such, I will endeavor to protect their access to healthcare; and I will always fight to protect their right to choose what happens to their bodies. No woman should be forced to maintain a pregnancy that is the result of Rape or Incest; and under no circumstances should a woman be forced to maintain a pregnancy that is a threat to her health. The hard part of this debate, is no longer the legality of abortion; the difficulty is drawing a line in the sand based off of gestational age. At 24-Weeks the fetus is still considered periviable, with a greater than 50% chance of survival. However, once you pass the 24-Week mark that survivability goes up quickly. 85% at 26-weeks, 90% at 28-weeks, and 99% at 30-weeks. Once the fetus is viable, it becomes a baby, and the decision isn't just about what one does with their body, but also what happens to the infant."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire create a road usage fee?

"There are multiple proposals being discussed for establishing a 'Road Usage Fee' as a means to replace the lost revenue from declining gas sales, as vehicles become more efficient and travel decreases due to COVID. Transportation infrastructure is one of the keys to a flourishing economy. If we loose the revenue, then we loose our roads; which will cause the cost of vehicle maintenance to rise, far faster than the cost of this fee. Two of the options that I would like to compare, and contrast would be the rate based off of gas mileage (higher mileage, less gas, means less gas tax revenue, which means a higher Road Usage Fee). The other that I found interesting was a rate based off of vehicle weight and mileage, because the heavier a vehicle and the more you drive, the more wear and tear you are putting onto the roads. My biggest concern with this type of fee, is adversely affecting lower income residents, creating an incentive to purchase vehicles with a lower MPG, or worse hamstringing the individuals who drive for a living. Deliveries drive our economy in the COVID era, we cannot eliminate this service or over burden it."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire create a statewide family and medical leave program, paid for with a percentage of employee wages, with no opt-out?

"In 2019 Senator Jeb Bradley, proposed a compromise that allowed employers to opt-in to a paid family leave plan, without mandating it, and without an income tax; that Governor Sununu backed. This was not the platinum standard that some had hoped to provide; however, if it had been embraced & passed as a bipartisan effort, a number of families would have been better off during COVID than they are now. Sadly, due partisan politics, the vetoed bill was recycled, in spite of its known fate, and the people got nothing. The General Court should have pursued Jeb Bradley's Compromise. Having experienced 5 births, and 6 pregnancies; I have seen the emotional & physical toll that pregnancy takes on a mother's body; as such, I understand the need for time off to recover, and for the bond to form between parents and babies, as the new family unit adjusts. The Army's maternity leave program allows female soldiers who give birth to take up to 12 weeks; and new mothers on active duty cannot be deployed for up to six months after giving birth.... THAT is a gold standard, that we should work towards. But, it will take incremental steps to get there.... I believe that the first step should be the optional plan, as outlined by Bradley and endorsed by Sununu, because it will pass without creating an income tax. The journey of 1,000 miles, begins with one step."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should NH pass stricter gun control laws?

"Against"

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire provide student loan debt repayment programs for workers in industries with labor shortages?

"There are critical shortages across the state, especially in the north country. I am not opposed to doing a debt repayment program to alleviate those shortages; but it would have to be a multi-year commitment, and have a cap."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire add tax incentives for affordable housing development?

"I support tax abatement to incentivize the construction of affordable housing. The lack of housing in the Mount Washington Valley, has quickly become one of the biggest barriers to economic growth. Employers cannot expand their businesses, when they cannot staff their businesses."

Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2020

Should New Hampshire allocate tax revenues for private and home schooling costs?

"For this question, we need to split our Private schools, from Home Schooling. I am against providing tax revenue to Private schools. I am for, providing an offset to make home schooling more accessible; mainly due to COVID. Home schooling, during this pandemic reduces class sizes, and therefore makes them safer for the students and teachers, who do not have the option to home school. However, home school programs vary in price, and this cost can be a barrier to choice for some families. This is a barrier that I think we should help remove, if it means that our classrooms are safer."