WEBVTT MONTH TO SHOW HIS PROPOSAL FOR A "UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME" CAN WORK. GOOD MORNING. I’M ADAM SEXTON. IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, GOVERNORS BARELY GET A CHANCE TO SETTLE INTO THE JOB BEFORE THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN BILL GARDNER’S OFFICE FILLING OUT PAPERWORK TO RUN AGAIN. INCUMBENT GOVERNOR CHRIS SUNUNU IS OUR GUEST THIS MORNING AS HE SETS OUT ON THE PATH FOR A SECOND TERM. SO MAKE THE CASE. WHY SHOULD VOTERS GIVE YOU ANOTHER TWO YEARS? GOV. SUNUNU: WE HAVE HAD AN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL FIRST 18 MONTHS. IT STARTED WITH BALANCING THE BUDGET AND CUTTING TAXES. THE CREST SAID WE WOULD BLOW A HOLE IN THE BUDGET, BUT WE PROVED THE OPPOSITE. WE HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL. YOU COMBINE THAT WITH FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN, BETTER ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, RETURNING FUNDS TO CITIES AND TOWNS TO OFFSET PROPERTY TAXES. WE FOCUSED ON THE ECONOMY, OUR PRIORITIES, KIDS, CHILD WELFARE, MENTAL HEALTH. THOSE SYSTEMS WERE DISASTERS WHEN WE TOOK OFFICE. WE ARE FINALLY GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE ARE TURNING THEM AROUND, MAKING INVESTMENTS, AND PUTTING IN GOOD MANAGEMENT. WE ARE NOT MAKING FALSE PROMISES. WE ARE FOCUSING ON OUR SUCCESS. I THINK THE PEOPLE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE WANT THIS TO CONTINUE. ADAM: MIDTERMS CAN BE DOMINATED BY HOW VOTERS FEEL ABOUT THE PRESIDENT. YOU’VE ESTABLISHED A KIND OF AD HOC APPROACH TO PRESIDENT TRUMP. GOV. SUNUNU: I FOCUS ON NEW HAMPSHIRE. WE FOCUS ON GETTING IT DONE HERE. WHEN WE NEED SOMETHING FROM WASHINGTON, I WILL ADVOCATE AND MAKE THE CASE AND TRY TO GET THE REGULATIONS AND FLEXIBILITIES WE NEED IN THE STATE ON WHATEVER IT IS. YOU HAVE TO CALL THEM LIKE YOU SEE THEM. I THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT, HOW WE DO THINGS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. WE DON’T LET OUR SUCCESS HE DEFINED BY THE DYSFUNCTION OF WASHINGTON. HERE WE DO IT RIGHT. I THINK THE VOTERS APPRECIATE IT. THAT IS WHY WE ARE RUNNING AGAIN. ADAM: CBS NEWS REPORTED THAT YOU DREW A LINE IN THE SAND WITH THE ADMINISTRATION SAYING HE COULD NOT COME TO THE STATE AND USE IT AS A PROP WITHOUT ADDITIONAL FUNDING. WERE YOU WORRIED IN THAT MOMENT THAT YOU COULD FACE PUNITIVE ACTION STANDING UP AGAINST THE WHITE HOUSE? GOV. SUNUNU: I HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WHITE HOUSE WHERE WE TELL THEM WHAT WE NEED AND CALL IT LIKE WE SEE IT. THE IDEA OF THE PRESIDENT COMING, HIS STAFF DID NOT HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE. WE SAID YOU HAVE GOT TO HAVE A PLAN. YOU HAVE GOT TO SHOW ACTION. WE KNOW WE HAVE A CRISIS. WE TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. WE ARE MOVING FORWARD DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY. IF HE COMES HERE, WE WANT HIM TO BE PART OF THAT. I TRY TO LOOK AT THE POSITIVE. I TRY TO PROVIDE THE CONSTRUCT TO MAKE PARTNERSHIPS HAPPEN. YOU HAVE TO SHOW THE FOLKS IN WASHINGTON WHAT THE NEEDS REALLY ARE. WE ARE ALWAYS VERY CLEAR ABOUT IT. MY JOB IS TO LOOK OUT FOR THE WELFARE OF 1.3 MILLION PEOPLE. WE TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY. WE FOCUS ON THE 603. WE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. ADAM: POLITICS IS TRANSACTIONAL. SOMETIMES THERE IS THE MORAL IMPERATIVE. THERE ARE STORIES OF FAMILY SEPARATION FOR PEOPLE SEEKING ASYLUM WHO COME TO THE BORDER. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE FACT THE GOVERNMENT HAS ADOPTED A POLICY THAT SEPARATES PARENTS FROM THEIR CHILDREN? GOV. SUNUNU: I THINK THE POLICIES ON IMMIGRATION AS I SEE THEM IN NEW HAMPSHIRE GOING BACK TO THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ARE FLAWED. I DON’T THINK THERE ARE MANY FOLKS IN THIS COUNTRY THAT DON’T THINK CONGRESS NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IMMIGRATION ON A GLOBAL SCALE, MAKE IT AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD FOR EVERYONE. MAKE SURE WE ARE NOT SEPARATING CHILDREN FROM FAMILY, WHICH IS NEVER A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS. AND CODIFY A LOT OF THE RULES AND LAWS THAT ARE SOMEWHAT IN PLACE BUT NOT FULLY ENACTED. THERE ARE ISSUES ON THE BORDER THAT I CANNOT RELATE TO DIRECTLY BEING THE GOVERNOR OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT FAMILIES AND CHILDREN, OF COURSE YOU WANT TO KEEP THEM TOGETHER. YOU NEED TO GET SOMETHING VIABLE DONE OUT OF CONGRESS. CONGRESS HAS BEEN COMPLETELY INEFFECTUAL. I THINK ALL OF THEM SHOULD BE FIRED. I DON’T THINK ANY OF THEM HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO SERVE WHAT WE NEED IN THIS COUNTRY IN TERMS OF VIABLE OPTIONS OUT OF WASHINGTON. WE NEED TO FOCUS ON GETTING RESULTS. THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. IF WE CAN BE A MODEL FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY AND WASHINGTON, SO TBE IT. ADAM: LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE WAS JUST A FEW DAYS AFTER THE SCHOOL SHOOTING IN PARKLAND, FLORIDA. SINCE THEN THERE’S BEEN ANOTHER HIGH PROFILE, MASS CASUALTY SCHOOL SHOOTING IN TEXAS. ARE YOU CONFIDENT THIS STATE IS DOING EVERYTHING IT CAN TO PREVENT A SCHOOL SHOOTING HERE? GOV. SUNUNU: WE HAVE TAKEN AN ALL-ENCOMPASSING APPROACH. THE TASK FORCE HAS TRAVELED THE STATE. EVERYBODY CAME TO THE TABLE TO GIVE IDEAS. THAT PLAN IS GOING TO BE RELEASED IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. I THINK IT IS A GREAT PLAN. IT LOOKS AT EVERYTHING FROM PREVENTION, MENTAL HEALTH, SCHOOL RESOURCES, SECURITY OF SCHOOLS. BEFORE WE CAME INTO OFFICE, THE STATE NEVER PUT A DOLLAR INTO THE SAFE SCHOOLS PROGRAM IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE. WE HAVE INVESTED $30 MILLION IN EVERYTHING FROM LOCKDOWN DOORS TO DETECTION SYSTEMS, EMERGENCY PLANS. THOSE ARE REAL INVESTMENTS IN VIRTUALLY EVERY SCHOOL ACROSS THE STATE. WE WANT TO CONTINUE DOING THOSE THINGS. YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN ALL-ENCOMPASSING APPROACH. ADAM: IF IT IS ALL-ENCOMPASSING, WHY CAN’T PART OF THE CONVERSATION BE ABOUT GUNS? GOV. SUNUNU: I THINK WE HANDLE REGULATION IN THE STATE WELL. IF THERE IS GOING TO BE A DISCUSSION, IT HAS TO HAPPEN AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL. EVERY STATE DOING IT PIECEMEAL IS NOT A RECIPE FOR LONG-TERM SUCCESS. WE DO HAVE GOOD LAWS IN THE STATE. PREVENTION ASPECTS, WHAT SUPPORTS ARE WE NOT PROVIDING? WHEN WE HAVE A STUDENT WITH AN ISSUE, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO CREATE THE SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE HE DOES NOT BECOME A CHILD IN CRISIS? THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS. WE HAVE LET KIDS FALL INTO CRISES, WHETHER ANXIETY, ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSES, WE NEED TO PROVIDE A PREVENTATIVE SUPPORT SYSTEM. THAT IS WHAT OUR PLAN WILL FOCUS ON DOING. ADAM: HAS BEEN DISAPPOINTMENT AMONG SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES THAT YOU DID NOT VETO THE ANTIDISCRIMINATION BILL. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THOSE WHO SAY YOU DISAPPOINTED THEM WITH THE BOAT? GOV. SUNUNU: THAT BILL MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT AND FOR ME, THAT IS COMMON SENSE. THAT IS THE NEW HAMPSHIRE WAY. WE SIGNED THE BILL AND WE ARE MOVING ON. ADAM: YOUR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION COUNSEL HAS RELEASED A FINAL REPORT SAYING THE STATE COULD DO A BETTER JOB AND LACK BEHIND OTHER STATES WHEN IT COMES TO HONORING OTHER CULTURES AND RECOGNIZING OTHER ETHNICITIES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. SHOULD THE STATE BE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS IN HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULA? GOV. SUNUNU: THAT WAS JUST THE FIRST REPORT. THIS WILL BE AN ONGOING PROCESS. THERE WILL BE MORE PUBLIC INPUT TO SEE WHAT ACTIONS NEED TO BE TAKEN. I FORMED THE GROUP BECAUSE WE ALL SUSPECTED THERE WAS MORE WE COULD BE DOING. YOU CANNOT FOCUS IN ONE AREA. IT HAS TO BE AN ALL-ENCOMPASSING APPROACH. WHAT RESOURCES WE ARE PROVIDING AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, WHETHER IT IS IN SCHOOLS OR WHAT WE NEED TO BRING TO OUR CULTURE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ADAPTING AND MODELING OURSELVES TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE IN THE 21ST CENTURY. THAT IS WHY I PUT THE TASK FORCE TOGETHER. WE WILL KEEP BUILDING ON SUCCESSES WE HAVE HAD. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE WORK TO DO. ADAM: A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND BULLYING. SHOULD THE STATE BE TIGHTENING UP RULES AND REGULATIONS? GOV. SUNUNU: WHERE THE STATE IS IN TERMS OF RULES AND LAWS IS IN A GOOD PLACE. WE ARE CHALLENGED ON IMPLEMENTATION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE SCHOOLS KNOW WHAT THE LAWS ARE, WHAT THE RULES ARE, WHAT THE RESPONSE CAN AND SHOULD BE, WHAT IS APPROPRIATE AND WHAT IS NOT, WHAT KIND OF COMMUNICATION WE PROVIDE TO THE PARENTS, WHAT SUPPORTS WE PROVIDE TO THE CHILD. I THINK THE RULES AND LAWS OF THE STATE LEVEL ARE IN GOOD SHAPE. IT IS ABOUT HELPING LOCAL COMMUNITIES IMPLEMENT WHAT WE HAVE PUT INTO PLACE. ADAM: YOU’VE PRIORITIZED THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE STATE’S MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM. IF RE-ELECTED, WILL YOU PLEDGE TO TAKE THE SECURE PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY OUT OF THE STATE PRISON AND PUT IT IN WHAT ADVOCATES THEY WOULD BE MORE FOR PRESETTING? GOV. SUNUNU: WE ARE PUTTING THE BUDGET TOGETHER NOW. I DON’T KNOW IF IT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED. WHEN YOU HAVE A PRIORITY, YOU CAN FIND THE FUNDING. WHEN YOU MANAGE WELL AND TIGHTEN UP AREAS, YOU CAN FIND THE FUNDING. THEY SAID WE WOULD NOT FIND IT FOR MENTAL HEALTH OR THE CHILD WELFARE PROGRAM, WE FOUND IT. WE MADE GOOD MANAGEMENT DECISIONS AND BUDGETED RIGHT, FOCUSED ON DRIVING OUR ECONOMY, DRIVING TAXES LOWER WHICH INCREASED THE OVERALL REVENUES TO THE STATE BY GIVING BUSINESSES MORE FLEXIBILITY BY ALLOWING THEM TO GO BY DEREGULATING. THIS LED TO ONE OF THE MOST FIBER ECONOMIES IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW. THAT IS HOW YOU CAN PROVIDE RESOURCES WHEN NEEDED. ADAM: WILL THIS BE MOVING TO THE STATE HOSPITAL? THERE WAS FUNDING TO GET STATE HOSPITAL PEOPLE INTO HOUSING. GOV. SUNUNU: I DON’T KNOW WHERE IT WILL LAND. MOVING IT TO THE STATE HOSPITAL IS AN OPTION. THE CRUX OF YOUR INITIAL QUESTION, IT HAS TO BE MOVED OUT OF PRISONS. ADAM: STAY WITH US. WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE FROM THE GOVERNOR INCLUDING A , LOOK AT HIS NEW RECOVERY FRIENDLY WORKPLACE INITIATIVE. ADAM: WELCOME BACK TO "CLOSE UP," WHERE WE CONTINUE OUR CONVERSATION WITH GOVERNOR CHRIS SUNUNU. ONE OF YOUR TOP PRIORITIES, A RECOVERY FRIENDLY WORKPLACES INITIATIVE, DID NOT PASS ON ITS OWN BUT CAME THROUGH IN THE SPENDING BILL AS A GRANT PROGRAM RATHER THAN A TAX CREDIT. IF I OWN A SMALL BUSINESS, WHAT DO I DO TO GET INVOLVED AND HOW MUCH MONEY CAN I GET FROM THE STATE? GOV. SUNUNU: IT PROVIDES TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO LOCAL EMPLOYERS IN THE STATE TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO THEM WHEN AN EMPLOYEE MIGHT HAVE AN ISSUE WITH ADDICTION OR IS GOING THROUGH RECOVERY. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EMPLOYERS ARE PART OF THE SUPPORT SYSTEM. THERE IS SOME MONEY. IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE MONEY WE WILL PROVIDE TO EMPLOYERS. A LOT OF TIMES, IT IS ABOUT TRAINING. WHAT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE IN YOUR AREA? EMPLOYERS NEED TO KEEP EMPLOYEES EMPLOYED. IT IS SOMETHING WE STARTED UP AT WATERVILLE VALLE PRIOR TO BEING GOVERNOR. WE HAD NO IDEA IT WOULD GET SO SUCCESSFUL. RHODE ISLAND HAS ADOPTED IT. NATIONAL EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING AT IT. WE HAVE RESOURCES COMING IN. WE HAVE FOLKS AT THE STATE LEVEL