Dear Friends,
This summer I’ve been very busy advocating for the Monadnock Region, throughout NH and nationally, on economic and workforce development, education, healthcare, broadband, and fiscal responsibility. Projects begun this summer that will have regional benefits include:
- Branding and marketing the Monadnock Region through NH Departments of Business and Economic Affairs, Parks and Recreation, Transportation, Liquor Commission, and Employment Security
- Mental health services capacity building in the Monadnock Region
- Municipal and county government financial accountability amendments
- Criminal history background checks, making this an electronic process
I hope to provide an update on these during Midterm Updates being hosted throughout District 10. Two that I can announce are:
Keene – Hannah Grimes Center, the Hive, Sept. 26th, 5-7 pm
Swanzey – Whitcomb Hall – October 21st, 4-6 pm
If you plan to attend, and we hope you do, please contact me at kahnjay03@gmail.com
We’ll talk about issues you feel deserve attention, some legislation I plan to introduce, and some accomplishments from the 2017 session, including bills I introduced or that merged into other bills which have been signed by the Governor.
- Full-day kindergarten funding (up to 80% from ½ day)
- Alcohol and Drug Treatment Fund (up to 3.4% of alcohol tax profits, from 1.7%)
- Nursing licensing reciprocity for 120 days for nurses from VT, MA and CT
- Temporary licensure for licensed nursing assistants (LNA) to same as other nurses
- Hinsdale School kindergarten classroom renovations state capital funding match
- Mental health and human services study committee to streamline processes
- Broadband services in unserved and underserved areas study committee
Also over the summer, my appointments as NH Senate’s representative to the Education Commission of the States and to the National Council of State Legislators-Student Centered Learning Commission have enabled me to meet legislative colleagues across the country. This networking is helping me identify best practices in other states and to promote the Monadnock Region. NH needs some positive PR after the Drug Infested Den tweet.
I continue to help the Cheshire County Democrats bring some great speakers to monthly meetings: Virginia Barry, former Education Commission; Dan Feltes, State Senator; and Joe Foster, former Attorney General (October 3rd).
As legislators go back to Concord, I’ve been named to three new legislative study committees:
- Chairperson to study Mental Health and Human Services business alignment and information system interoperability
- Grand-parenting (grandparents serving as foster parents for their grandchildren)
- Electricity costs
I continue to serve on the Education and Public and Municipal Affairs Committees.
Some meetings this month to discuss local and state issues include Keene City officials, Monadnock area mental health providers, Democratic town events and statewide mid-year meeting, AFL-CIO Labor Day celebration, SAU 29 principals, Business and Industry Association discussion on school choice, and Coalition of Business and Education. Also, there are several great events I’ll be attending: Alzheimer’s Walk on Sept. 16, DeMar Marathon on Sept. 24, broadband discussions, Senior Olympics, MoCo groundbreaking, and Cheshire Medical Center’s 125th anniversary on Sept. 21. I’m staying busy and enjoying the work locally and in Concord.
I look forward to seeing you soon at a Midterm Update discussion and the many events upcoming in the region. Keep in touch.
Sincerely,
Jay Kahn
Photos left to right: 1. Keene State College with Congresswoman Kuster, KSC Int. President Treadwell and others. 2. Jay with Joyce Craig, Mayoral candidate in Manchester. 3. MoCo Ground-breaking for a new facility on Roxbury in Keene. 4. Senior Olympics at Applewood Nursing Home in Winchester. 5 is at Ghana’s Ambassador’s presentation in Walpole. 5. Senator Bernie Sanders.