Hollis Friends and Neighbors,
I hope this update finds you warm and readying for Christmas cheer and a healthy, Happy New Year.
On December 7th, Al Fulchino, VFW 11373, and Hollis DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) put together another great Wreaths over Hollis event at Monument Square. Representative Barbour and I were on hand to say a few remarks and help disburse wreaths to the graves of fallen Hollis soldiers who served in the Revolutionary war. This has been a truly memorable event since it began in Hollis in 2023, often coming on the heels of our first snow; I’d recommend it to all who are interested in the history of Hollis’ war heroes. Veterans serve to secure our freedom. Our remembrance of their sacrifice is our thanks!
NH State Representatives are busy wrapping up 2025 (Veto Day is December 17th) and preparing for the many bills that are coming to our House Committees in 2026. You can use the General Court Website homepage and click on Public Listing of Legislative Service Requests to see the list of upcoming bills.
We will be in the House on January 7th and 8th to dispose of 60 Retained Bills that were worked upon in the Fall. 2026 bill hearings will begin the following Monday January 12th.
Two terrific conferences – related to my work in Concord, that I wanted to report on to you.
The New England-Canada Business Council Energy Conference was held on November 19th and 20th at the Seaport Hotel in Boston. A former NH House colleague, Tim Egan, an Emmy-award winning media expert who serves as a member of the NECBC board, invited me to attend because of my energy role in Concord. This conference covered everything from the need for new transmission infrastructure and the challenges of interconnection queues and costs, to the effects of the shifting political winds from ‘sustainability and clean energy’ to ‘affordability and reliability’ (aka. doubling down on fossil fuels). Investors know that this shift is not going to save us money as it fails to address the scientific imperative that caused the clean energy transition in the first place. We cannot remarket the climate crisis and expect our emissions or our costs to go down if we do not rise to the challenge of our time.
It was great to hear from the Prime Minister of Nova Scotia, Tim Houston, and panelists with exceptional expertise on all-things energy. Canada has a very different energy profile than the US. Their country benefits from significant hydropower for electric generation and their well-established nuclear program will help them reach net zero emissions’ goals by 2040. In Nova Scotia they are even leveraging the tides in the Bay of Fundi to generate clean power! Canada must grapple with affordability issues just like every country, but their clear energy plans eliminate the risks that stymie investment. There is so much great progress in innovation. I will keep pushing for planning in NH’s energy sector to bring lower-costs, and consumer choice.
The 2025 NH Leadership Summit held at the Mountain View Grand in Whitefield, NH on December 8th & 9th is an invitation-only event held by the Business and Industry Association (BIA) with a small handful of State Senators and Representatives. I was happy to be included. The rest of the attendees were non-profits and business leaders.
This year’s topics were Housing, Childcare, and Workforce Development.
Housing panelists were Andrew Cline of Josiah Bartlett Center, Senator Tara Reardon, and Nick Taylor of Housing Action NH. The discussion was moderated by George Reagan of NH Housing and covered the economic challenges young people and senior citizens face when trying to find affordable housing that meets their needs. The lack of mixed-use housing, coupled with the lack of housing stock of any kind, has forced prices up 60% in the last decade. No salary increases have come close to covering housing cost increases, leaving granite staters without the ability to move at will or afford moving, buying, or renting.
Childcare panelists were Chris Emond of Boys and Girls Club of Central/Northern NH, Corinne Benfield, Stay Work Play NH, and Michele Sheppard, President/CEO of The Granite YMCA. The BIA moderator was Natch Greyes. This panel covered how childcare interplays with other economic issues to create hardship for employers trying to entice the best and brightest to New Hampshire. We’re not attracting workers because they cannot find affordable places to rent or buy and when their move involves family, they cannot find adequate childcare.
Workforce Development discussed how our state can attract and retain the workers we need for the jobs we have today and those we hope to have in the future. The takeaway was: New Hampshire must make it easy for young, talented people to choose New Hampshire if we want to maintain a vibrant economy and compete for regional talent. This segment was led by Consultant Kat Saunders, who works with the BIA on behalf of her firm, Economic Leadership LLC. Her slides were an in-depth analysis of New Hampshire and the region in terms of who is attracting the best talent and how New Hampshire can get back on track to generate the worker-economy businesses need for the 21st century.
It would be great if the Legislature was working on these economic issues. But the 2-year budget cycle that begins next July does not contain any funding for Housing, Childcare, or Workforce Development.
Feel free to reach out to me at kat.mcghee@gc.nh.gov or check out www.katmcghee.com
Merry Everything!
Rep. Kat McGhee
— — Hollis Brookline News Online
By Kat McGhee, State Representative District 35, M.Ed., PMP retired
December 18, 2025