Walter Spilsbury
Serving as: NH House Sullivan County District 03
These objective, nonpartisan measures are used to show this legislator's activities at the Statehouse in 2025 and 2026. The measures are not intended to present a ranking or rating of any kind. Average is that of all state elected officials in this chamber. Gov. Ayotte is still in the process of signing and vetoing 2026 bills, so the number of prime sponsored bills that became law may increase.
Session days attended
Party unity score/partisanship
Participated in official roll call votes
Bills sponsored (as prime sponsor)
Prime sponsored bills that became law
Completed our 2024 State Candidate Survey
Position on Issues
For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
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?
"Yes, the 'Education Freedom Account' program has successfully created options that were previously not available to many families and students. Given the freedom to do so, and some financial assistance from the state, families make education-related choices for many idiosyncratic reasons, and we should allow them the freedom to make choices that fit the needs of their student age children best. Allowing 'the per-pupil share of state school funding' to follow the student and, in turn, alleviate the burden on the local district to fund the balance of that student's education costs makes sense on balance."Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the first trimester (e.g. after 6 weeks gestation)?
"I believe that the abortion issue is fundamentally a debate about the tension between two distinct and genuine sets of rights, those of a fetus to life and those of a woman to self-determination, both of which are valid. I believe the current law, allowing abortion up to 24 weeks, and banning it thereafter (subject to limited exceptions), finds an appropriate balance between these two legitimate sets of rights. Therefore, I would not support further tinkering with our current balanced law on this subject."Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the second trimester (e.g. after 15 weeks gestation)?
"I believe that the abortion issue is fundamentally a debate about the tension between two distinct and genuine sets of rights, those of a fetus to life and those of a woman to self-determination, both of which are valid. I believe the current law, allowing abortion up to 24 weeks, and banning it thereafter (subject to limited exceptions), finds an appropriate balance between these two legitimate sets of rights. Therefore, I would not support further tinkering with our current balanced law on this subject."Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should NH add an income tax on earned income?
"Income is already taxed at the federal level. By taxing something more, you get less of it, including the personal motivation and effort required to generate income and economic activity in this state. No income taxation is the 'NH Advantage'. Better options exist."Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH add a broad-based sales tax?
"I would only consider supporting a broad-based sales tax if there were explicit constitutionally adopted limits on the rate and purpose that was directly coupled to shifting the funding of local education and county government off of the real property tax as a direct substitution."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire lower business taxes?
"Our business tax rates, both BPT and BET, have been lowered repeatedly in recent years and seem to be in a good place at the present, so I see no need to change them again anytime soon. We need the income these taxes generate, and our rates are now competitive with other states."Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire add a tax on capital gains?
"Totally opposed."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire government do more to address climate change?
"Too open ended to respond. What?"
For| 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?
"Yes, I have supported this approach, but there are other options to consider as well. The bottom line is that there must be a means of ensuring eligibility to vote before the vote is counted."
Other| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should the state do more to encourage municipalities to remove zoning barriers to housing development?
"Generally, I have been opposed to many of the bills recently proposed to curtail local planning and zoning authority, quite a few of which have passed over my nay vote. I do not believe that the primary 'barriers to housing development' have derived from municipal zoning ordinances and actions, nor would I agree that any such barriers have been applied or experienced uniformly across the state. As a representative of three small communities in a mostly rural county, I find that many of the proposals have been driven by an urban perspective with a one-size-fits-all mindset. That approach is not constructive in small communities with unique characteristics, where locally elected officials best understand the local circumstances and needs. Yes, there may be more that the state could do to 'encourage' fewer barriers, but way too many of these proposals constitute overreach by the state."Undecided| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
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 need to study any specific proposed bill and the committee recommendations when it reached the House floor for vote."Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire guarantee the right to access abortion before 24 weeks?
"I believe that the abortion issue is fundamentally a debate about the tension between two distinct and genuine sets of rights, those of a fetus to life and those of a woman to self-determination, both of which are valid. I believe the current law, allowing abortion up to 24 weeks, and banning it thereafter (subject to limited exceptions), finds an appropriate balance between these two legitimate sets of rights. Therefore, I would not support further tinkering with our current balanced law on this subject."Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should the state increase funding for child care providers?
"Childcare should remain private enterprise."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Do you support New Hampshire’s current system of public school funding, with about two-thirds of total funding coming from local property taxes?
"No, it is bad tax policy to tax any one source too heavily. Real property taxes have a sound place in the mix of revenue sources but asking them to fund the bulk of municipal government services, county government services, and public-school funding is bad policy. It is especially destructive in towns that are relatively property poor, such as the ones I represent, and thereby suffer under insanely high tax rates on assessed valuation. First, we need to diversify the sources of education funding. Second, if we're going to continue to lean heavily on real property taxes, then a greater portion of that source needs to be assessed, collected, and re-distributed by the state, requiring major changes to the Statewide Education Property Tax ('SWEPT')."For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by allowing home-growing and private use without sales?
"A realist's approach to the marijuana topic is to accept that it is pervasively sold in an unregulated marketplace despite being illegal and, instead, legalize it in a way that enables the state to take an active role in eliminating the black market, providing regulatory supervision, assuring against adulterated product, and generating state revenues in the process (which could be dedicated to the Education Trust Fund)."For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by licensing growers and private retail locations?
"A realist's approach to the marijuana topic is to accept that it is pervasively sold in an unregulated marketplace despite being illegal and, instead, legalize it in a way that enables the state to take an active role in eliminating the black market, providing regulatory supervision, assuring against adulterated product, and generating state revenues in the process (which could be dedicated to the Education Trust Fund)."For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by establishing state-run cannabis stores?
"A realist's approach to the marijuana topic is to accept that it is pervasively sold in an unregulated marketplace despite being illegal and, instead, legalize it in a way that enables the state to take an active role in eliminating the black market, providing regulatory supervision, assuring against adulterated product, and generating state revenues in the process (which could be dedicated to the Education Trust Fund)."Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire raise the minimum wage?
"Minimum wages are a classic case of a dog chasing its tail. Let the market set wages and find equilibrium itself."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should New Hampshire add legal protections for residents of other states who travel here for health care related to abortion or gender transition?
"NH law states what is allowed in NH. It has nothing to do with state of residency. There is no reason to create such a separate legal protection. I see no evidence that NH is trying to limit interstate travel."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should New Hampshire repeal the ban on abortion after 24 weeks gestation?
"I believe that the abortion issue is fundamentally a debate about the tension between two distinct and genuine sets of rights, those of a fetus to life and those of a woman to self-determination, both of which are valid. I believe the current law, allowing abortion up to 24 weeks, and banning it thereafter (subject to limited exceptions), finds an appropriate balance between these two legitimate sets of rights. Therefore, I would not support further tinkering with our current balanced law on this subject."For| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2024
Should NH require local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement?
"The active word being 'cooperate', of course."
Against| Read My Position
Citizens Count Issue Survey, 2026
Should NH pass stricter gun control laws?
"I am generally opposed to further limitations on Second Amendment rights, but every proposal must be evaluated on its own scope and merits."