Safeguarding democracy, climate action core issues in 2024 for NH organizations, young leaders

Policymakers from across the New England region gathered at Saint Anselm College last week for a critical policy roundtable. The NewDEAL Forum organized the event to address pivotal issues like climate change and the need to safeguard democracy from threats from within ahead of the 2024 election season.

Opening remarks were delivered by Rob Werner from the League of Conservation Voters, NewDEAL Forum CEO Debbie Cox Bultan, and Jay Bowie of the New Hampshire Young Democrats, who focused on the need to provide solutions over noise.

“I think too often right now, in our politics, it’s about who can yell the loudest or who can tear each other down or who can divide and fear-monger the most, and what New Deal forums have always been about in the 15 years we’ve been doing this, we’re about ideas.” Said Cox Bultan.

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Former Manchester Mayor, Gubernatorial candidate and NewDEAL alumna Joyce Craig set the tone by talking about the importance of safeguarding democracy from political figures who seek to dismantle the institutions of democracy for their own personal gain.

“Republicans are poised to re-nominate Donald Trump. We can’t overstate the threat he poses to our government and to democracy. He’s making it clear that he does not believe in free and fair elections and is only interested in how he can serve himself. He’s dangerous. And this year, we need to work hard, as hard as we can to protect our country and our democracy.” Craig said.

The NewDEAL Forum’s Climate Policy Group, co-chaired by Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka, delved into leveraging federal resources for climate change solutions. They explored a diverse array of policies, aiming to equip leaders with the tools and knowledge to implement effective environmental strategies in their communities.

“In New Hampshire, one of the things we’ve focused on because it is a place where we can work across the aisle… about grid modernization… this is investing in essentially what is the highway of our electrons, making sure that our transmission and distribution grid is up to date, that it can accommodate distributed generation like solar, battery technology, EVs, even in-home solutions that are going to allow us to treat our grid as sort of a partner and a piece of how we manage electricity traveling,” Senator Perkins Kwoka said about her work. 

Meanwhile, the Democracy Working Group emphasized the urgency of protecting democratic institutions, especially with the election year approaching. Their discussion centered on ensuring universal voter access and promoting civic engagement across diverse voter demographics.