VIDEO: Republicans Back Question 1

Three Republican candidates for major offices in New Hampshire held a press conference on Oct. 31, stating they would be voting Yes on Question 1, the anti-state income tax constitutional amendment while challenging members of the press to question their Democratic opponent's positions on the matter.

U.S. Rep. Charles Bass, U.S. Frank Guinta, and gubernatorial candidate Ovide Lamontagne, all backed the proposal but said - in varying ways - that while their opponents say they don’t support an income tax, their commitment to not voting for Question 1, called their positions into question.

Bass, who is being challenged again this year by Ann McLane Kuster, said she had historically supported and income tax but now didn’t. He called an income tax “a threat” to the health of the state and said Kuster's new position was one put together as an attempt to win in their re-match. 

Guinta said his opponent, former U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, had “gone silent on the issue” and had not told anyone where she stands on the constitutional amendment while supporting pro-income tax candidates in the past. He called on members of the press to question her about her political position on the matter. 

Lamontagne, who is facing off with Maggie Hassan for the open governor’s seat, said Hassan was a past income tax supporter and even voted for an LLC tax, a 5 percent income tax on businesses. Even though Hassan was an opponent of the tax, Lamontagne was surprised she wouldn't support the ballot question. If approved, he said, it would preserve the New Hampshire Advantage and tell businesses that they can come to the state because there will never be an income here.

Opponents of Question 1 were also at the Legislative Office Building recording the press conference and handing out position statements.

Jeff McLynch of Protect NH’s Constitution PAC offered a press release which stated that there were a number of “coalition groups” working in the state to oppose Question 1.

In the statement, Peg Fargo, the president of Protect New Hampshire’s Constitution and vice president of the League of Women Voters of New Hampshire said that there was no reason to be tampering with the state’s constitution.

“Our children and grandchildren should have the flexibility to decide for themselves whether to oppose or accept an income tax in the future,” she noted. “We shouldn’t force them to stick with the tax structure of today when we don’t know what the future holds.”