Rebecca McWilliams, District 15 State Senate Candidate

Patch Candidate Profile, Rebecca McWilliams

Age (as of Sept. 1, 2024)

41

Town or City of Residence

Concord

Position Sought

Senate District 15

Family

Husband James; Children Becca 7, George 7 in Concord Public School, & Tori 3 in Casa dei Bambini Childcare in Bow.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Rebecca is currently a State Representative in South Concord.

Education

Bachelor of Architecture, Roger Williams University. Juris Doctor, Suffolk University Law School

Occupation

Construction Risk - 20 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Concord Transportation Policy Advisory Committee 2018-2021, Concord City Democratic Committee - Treasurer 2019-Present, National Energy & Environment Fellow with the bipartisan Future Caucus 2023-Present, State Representative Concord Wards 1-8 2019-Present, House Science, Technology, & Energy Committee Deputy Ranking Member 2023-Present

Campaign website

www.rebeccamcwilliams.com

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The issues facing District 15 are interconnected and can't be resolved by addressing just one. Housing, however, if addressed in a multi-faceted way, can have big impacts on childcare, the unhoused, and our economy.

NH needs to build more starter, workforce, and affordable housing. We also need to make our multi-family homes easier to build without going through exclusionary zoning rules that limit this type of middle housing. I sponsored HB1399 for duplexes this year, because adding more missing middle housing helps with property taxes, home ownership and rental units.

We also need more condo and apartment complexes, generally larger developments of 10-100 units, and we need to dedicate state funding (in addition to the Federal funding we already use) to low-income housing tax credits to incentivize more affordable housing.

In addition to the type of housing, we also must address zoning. We have zoning in Senate District 15 with 2+ acre single family residential lot requirements that do not contribute to the housing NH needs. Cluster development allows multifamily to happen on a forested lot without clear cutting it. We need to fix our zoning to allow rural open space and housing to coexist rather than partitioning it. At the state level, capping lot minimums for residential construction to under 5 acres, and providing cluster development bonuses for open space, allows thoughtful, open space housing development.

We also need to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) to be built in residential zones by right, either attached or detached, without excessive parking requirements. These units allow people to age in place and rent the main home, or to house an adult child with privacy.

The actual state need is 90,000 units by 2040 to meet current workforce demand. We are not going to get there with just single family residential home construction on 2+ acre lots in rural areas. Affordable starter housing will require us to change our zoning, build where we already have infrastructure, allow more missing middle housing, and enable more detached ADUs.

As an architect and attorney, my unique perspective allows me to think outside the box and introduce housing bills that truly make a difference in the long run.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

On the big Democratic values such as women’s reproductive rights, ensuring public dollars go to public education and protecting voting rights, I believe all three of us will vote the way most District 15 voters hope.

However, as an architect, attorney, small farm owner, and environmental activist with three children, I have unique perspectives and creative solutions that aren't swayed by corporate lobbyists. I can - and do - ask technical questions of lobbyists and others, and I know when things don't add up.

I'm not a career politician, but I'm also not a newcomer. Six years in the House has given me enough experience to be effective in the Senate. I'm a flexible, reflective thinker and see the interconnectedness of issues.

And I am committed to fighting for New Hampshire's natural resources and our families, to protect them from serial polluters like Casella and Saint-Gobain. I'm the only District 15 candidate who was active in helping to shut down the Merrimack Station Coal plant in Bow. And, I'm the only candidate deeply involved in the science, technology and energy conversations at the state level.

I also have a vision for the future of Concord, Hopkinton, and Bow as we tackle the dual housing and childcare crisis. Both of these issues are preventing young people from staying and working in the state, and are also forcing seniors to leave their lifelong communities. I've been working on state-level changes to remove outdated local zoning ordinances and unnecessary red tape to permitting residential construction. The gap between the number of needed childcare staff and the amount centers can afford to pay staff has led to 19% annual turnover, where many former childcare workers say that they make better money with benefits in a retail job. This is heartbreaking, but also, we know that childcare centers cannot run on love alone. I fought for but was unable to pass a bill to set up a childcare workforce fund to receive federal funding for grants to help with childcare hiring, retention, benefits, and healthcare incentives for childcare workers. I will continue this work in the Senate.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

As a mom who had my twins through IVF, and almost died due to an ectopic pregnancy, defending our reproductive rights is personal. New Hampshire's first abortion ban (24 weeks) went into effect in 2022, and every session since then every year I've fought against bills to enact earlier date bans. I cosponsored CACR2, 18, and 23, constitutional amendments to add the explicit right to abortion for all NH citizens. I will continue to fight for reproductive rights in the Granite State as your next Senator.

I was a key advocate for the Momnibus Bill in the 2023 Budget to expand Medicaid coverage for pregnant and postpartum moms, as well as for doula services, lactation support, and donor milk banks. The bill also includes minimum workplace supports for nursing mothers. I also sponsored HB103 to add a Medicaid dental benefit, which passed after 40 years of advocacy. And I've been an advocate for paid sick leave and creating a NH living wage. Finally, I supported and passed a bill to give state employees expanded insurance coverage for IVF and related pregnancy benefits.

For the past six years, as a State Representative for Concord, I have served on the Science, Technology, and Energy Committee, advocating for increasing the renewable energy net metering cap to 5MW for all, holding PFAS polluters accountable for their waste, and working with the Sierra Club to shut down the Merrimack Station coal power plant, now closing in 2028. I have continued the fight, advocating for construction materials recycling in NH, and against the expansion of new landfills for out-of-state waste.

While in the minority, I’ve continued to push for energy and environmental bills (filing 26 bills related to energy and environment) that will move the state towards the future including: increasing availability of zero emissions vehicles on NH car dealer lots (2020 HB1444, 2021 HB168, 2022 HB92), addressing fair electric rates for ratepayers with portfolio diversity (2023 HB159 with the Sierra Club), creating a clean energy accelerator fund (2022 HB1506), requiring construction demolition debris be recycled (2022 HB1544), and increasing the renewable energy net metering cap for all (2024 HB1600, 2023 HB523, 2022 HB1596, 2021 HB167, 2020 HB1218, and 2019 HB365).

Finally, this race is crucial to the future of landfills and PFAs in NH!! We will have several key votes in the next two years regarding whether we will expand landfills to take on more out-of-state waste, and if we will finally stand up to serial polluters to prevent PFAs, forever chemicals, in our soil, air and water – with exorbitant costs for cleanup and cancer. This Senate Seat is CRUCIAL to determine the next steps our state will take for everyone.
I understand the assignment. I am committed to continuing to champion NH’s energy and environmental future in the Senate

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this position?

I am incredibly effective at working with colleagues across the aisle and in both chambers to actively pass good legislation for my constituents. Over the past six years, (4 years in the minority), I filed 130 bills. 19 were signed into law, 5 of which I prime sponsored, and 14 of which I cosponsored; focused on childcare, housing, clean energy, cannabis, and healthcare access. My leadership style is collaborative; I bring parties together, truly listen, and negotiate to achieve reasonable goals for all.

To highlight some wins at the State House, I have working relationships with leadership from both parties in the House and Senate and a history of passing difficult bills. I advocated for building energy and updated the NH building code (2019 HB562), passed the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy C-PACE enabling bill for NH communities to put in EV charging infrastructure (2023 HB576), removed red tape to running a childcare business (2019 HB524), added healthcare coverage for IVF to state employees benefits (2019 SB279), added a Medicare dental benefit (2022 HB103), created additional Medicare coverage for new Moms (2023 Momnibus budget amendment), passed the "Remove zoning barriers from home-based childcare business" to help new childcare businesses help NH families (2024 HB1567), and I am currently championing multifamily housing parking changes to enable more homes to be built where we already have infrastructure (2024 HB1400).

I also serve on the Science, Technology and Energy Committee, a commitment that keeps my colleagues and I busy throughout the year, not just during legislative sessions. And when constituents reach out, I respond. I'm so grateful when someone reaches out to let me know their story or to give me an idea about an issue.

Unfortunately, as a mom of three, I often get asked this question about being “too busy” to serve. First, I wonder how many fathers with young children who are running for office get asked this question. Then I remind them of the truest quotes I've ever heard, “If you want something done, ask a busy mother.” I’m that busy mom, I get it done.

As a three term Representative, I have built a village of family, friends, neighbors, and supporters. My attendance at House sessions, my participation in roll call votes and my total number of prime sponsored bills are all far above average compared to other Representatives. I have worked hard to earn the respect of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and I am willing to learn.

The best advice ever shared with me was…

The best political advice ever shared with me was to "always listen more than you speak." In politics, understanding the concerns, aspirations, and motivations of others is crucial. By truly listening, you can build bridges, find common ground, and craft solutions that resonate with your colleagues. This advice has helped me to make better informed decisions and foster meaningful dialogue, which are key to effective, collaborative leadership.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Outside of my political work, I’m a licensed architect and attorney with two decades of expertise in contracts and construction. I work as a Project Delivery Risk Manager for Barry Wehmiller Design Group, a nationwide construction company. With my husband James, my family runs the Lewis Farm in Concord, where we have a compost operation, host sheep, and grow Christmas trees. We have three children; two in public school and one in childcare. Our family is passionate about farming and exploring the natural playgrounds of the Granite State.

As the second of four children, and a middle child, I consider myself the “advocate.” I grew up in Connecticut, to a middle-class family where both parents worked to support our family, and I spent summers working on my grandparents’ dairy farm in Central Pennsylvania.

I’ve been an advocate for the environment since my undergraduate experience at Roger Williams University in RI, where I surveyed Portsmouth households about the myths of wind energy, and successfully worked to install the first modern wind turbine in RI at Portsmouth Abbey. I attended Suffolk University Law School in Boston and worked as a legislative aide to MA State Rep Chris Walsh, where I helped him draft and pass the “Purple Pipes” bill enabling statewide building greywater recycling.

I volunteered with the Quincy Climate Action Network and ran the Solarize Quincy program, getting rooftop solar installed on over 100 residential homes, as well as negotiating long-term solar lease agreements for public school buildings to reduce city energy costs. After moving to NH to be closer to family, I volunteered with the Concord Transportation Policy Advisory Council to increase bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

This blue district has historically been represented by a Senator who is willing to push hard for change, because it is a safe district to lead from. We need an experienced legislator who is willing to take some bruises to fight for unpopular but necessary change for a better state from this Democratic safe seat. I'm the legislative champion who will listen to your needs, and fight for you, and for our state's future.