Governor Kelly Ayotte was sworn in today by Chief Justice Gordon J. McDonald and delivered an inaugural address that laid out priorities including housing production, education changes, public safety investments, mental-health workforce expansion, and a new state efficiency commission.

Ayotte opened her remarks by thanking family and predecessors and said New Hampshire must tackle a shortage of housing that she said threatens the state’s ability to retain young families and workers. She cited a 52-unit workforce housing project in Rochester, the Rapids at Conchico, as an example of successful local–federal–state–private collaboration and called for streamlining agency approvals so projects can be decided in no more than 60 days.

The governor said education would be a focus of her administration and announced an intention to ban cell phones in classrooms. "We need to get serious about housing production," Ayotte said, adding that the state should "streamline agency approvals" and partner with local communities. On education, she said the state must expand career-technical education and work with community colleges and employers to build job pipelines.

On public safety, Ayotte said she would seek investments in the group 2 retirement system to help recruit and retain law enforcement officers and called for a ban on sanctuary policies. She also said the legislature should revisit recent bail-law changes, which she described as insufficient, and asked lawmakers to make further changes.

Ayotte identified mental health as another priority, calling for expanded training and licensing pathways for providers and for better integration between substance-use treatment and mental-health care. She said state higher-education institutions and community colleges should be part of efforts to grow the provider workforce.

The governor announced the creation of the "Commission on Government Efficiency," to be led by former governor Craig Benson and business leader Andy Cruz, charged with proposing cost-saving reforms for state government operations. She said the commission would present proposals to the governor’s desk to streamline government and reduce waste.

On conservation and land use, Ayotte pledged to enforce the state conservation easement on the Connecticut headwaters tract, negotiated in prior administrations, and to block a proposed landfill at Forest Lake in Dalton. She also said the state should repurpose underused properties, pointing to Berlin’s reuse of the old Brown Elementary School as housing.

Ayotte closed by warning that she would veto any legislation that further restricts access to abortion beyond the state’s current law. "If you send me legislation that further restricts access to abortion beyond our current law, I will veto it," she said.

The governor’s oath was administered in the joint convention; Chief Justice Gordon J. McDonald of the New Hampshire Supreme Court administered the oath. Executive councilors were also sworn during the ceremony.