NH lawmakers reject veto and advance 10-year transportation plan

Ayotte had blocked the measure because it would have raised turnpike tolls for drivers who do not use a N.H. E-ZPass.

The New Hampshire Legislature moved Wednesday to put the state’s 10-year transportation package into law after voting to override Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s veto of House Bill 2026. The plan covers major work on roads, highways and bridges, and it cleared both chambers by more than the two-thirds margin needed to nullify a veto.

The House voted 292-25, and the Senate then voted 24-0 to complete the override. Because lawmakers acted in both chambers, the bill now becomes law.

Ayotte had blocked the measure because it would have raised turnpike tolls for drivers who do not use a N.H. E-ZPass. In a statement sent after the override, she argued the change would amount to a tax increase on Granite Staters and said motorists paying cash or lacking a new transponder would bear higher costs. She also said she intends to keep opposing measures she views as tax hikes and to focus on affordability and tourism.

Most of the transportation plan will take effect Jan. 1. Starting Dec. 1, the state will provide N.H. E-ZPass transponders at no charge to new and existing E-ZPass users.

Sen. Donovan Fenton, D-Keene, a member of the Senate Transportation Committee, supported the override and said the plan is necessary to keep long-term infrastructure work moving. He said the state bears the burden of repairing roads used heavily by visitors and argued that travelers from outside New Hampshire should contribute their share. He also said similar variable toll systems are used elsewhere.

Rep. David Milz, R-Derry, who chairs the House Public Works and Highways Committee, also pressed colleagues to back the override. He said his committee rarely brings issues to the floor and blamed the governor’s staff for what he described as a serious mistake. Milz called for the transportation program to stay on course, though he did not directly address the toll dispute.

Ayotte pointed out in her veto message that she had already rejected a separate measure tied to higher tolls for people without a N.H. E-ZPass. She said she did not support toll increases and wants New Hampshire to remain affordable while still drawing tourists.

Wednesday’s action was not limited to HB 2026. Lawmakers also overrode several other vetoes from Ayotte, including measures dealing with research and development tax credits, park admission pricing for residents, no trespass procedures for municipal and school property, questioning of students in school-related investigations, town meeting warrant postings, post-conviction petition deadlines, and therapeutic cannabis cultivation rules.