Governor Ayotte’s transportation plan veto slammed as ‘short-sighted’ and ‘reckless’

Republican and Democratic state lawmakers raised a chorus of protestations after Governor Kelly Ayotte announced Friday she has vetoed New Hampshire’s 10-year transportation improvement plan.

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Ayotte, a Republican, said she rejected the plan (House Bill 2026) to prevent a turnpike toll hike, the same reason that she had earlier vetoed a separate measure that would have predominantly impacted motorists visiting from out of state.

“I will continue to focus on making New Hampshire more affordable for all and a destination for tourists in the region,” she said.

But the transportation improvement plan is a multi-faceted proposal that garnered broad support after extensive negotiations, so Ayotte’s move sparked bipartisan blowback.

Senator Mark McConkey, a Republican from Freedom, said the veto “creates unnecessary uncertainty for communities, businesses, and infrastructure projects across our state.”

Deputy House Speaker Steven Smith, a Republican from Charlestown, called the veto “short-sighted” and said it puts important projects, including road and bridge repairs, at risk.

“These improvements would have been funded through dedicated turnpike revenues, not by increasing taxes on the people of New Hampshire,” Smith said. “Rejecting the entire plan delays needed investments and leaves our state’s aging infrastructure waiting even longer.”

Representative John Cloutier, a Democrat from Claremont who serves as ranking member of the House Public Works and Highways Committee, said Ayotte’s veto prioritized politics over public safety and the state’s economic future.

Cloutier said the veto jeopardizes the state’s ability to maximize its share of transportation funding from the federal government.

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“Safe roads, reliable bridges, and strong infrastructure should never become political bargaining chips,” he said. “Granite Staters deserve leadership that plans ahead, invests responsibly, and keeps our transportation system moving forward.”

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cinde Warmington, who is expected to face off with Ayotte in November, called the veto “absolutely reckless” and said Ayotte is “protecting Massachusetts drivers from a toll increase at the direct expense of the roads and bridges that Granite Staters drive on.”

Alex Koutroubas, executive vice president of the Associated General Contractors of New Hampshire, a commercial construction trade association, expressed disappointment.

“The transportation needs identified in the plan do not disappear because the plan has been vetoed,” Koutroubas said. “Every delay increases costs and pushes critical infrastructure improvements further into the future.”

Ayotte has now vetoed 41 bills that the GOP-controlled Legislature adopted during the 2025-2026 term. That’s significantly more than her Republican predecessor, Chris Sununu, ever vetoed in a single term while his party held legislative control.

Lawmakers will meet later this year to weigh potentially overriding this veto and the dozens of others Ayotte has issued this year. They need a two-thirds majority vote in each chamber.

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