SMART WITH EVERYONE.
JOHN: MICHAEL ADDISON WAS CONVICTED IN 2006 OF THE MURDER OF MANCHESTER POLICE OFFICER MICHAEL BRIGGS, AND SENTENCED TO DEATH.
HE IS NEW HAMPSHIRE’S ONLY DEATHROW INMATE.
SENATOR, DURING THE PRIMARY DEBATE, YOU SAID YOU WOULD SUPPORT COMMUTING ADDISON’S DEATH SENTENCE, BUT LATER CORRECTED THAT, SAYING AS GOVERNOR YOU WOULD BLOCK ANY
MOVE TO DO THAT.
TONIGHT WILL YOU DEFINITIVELY ANSWER THAT QUESTION?
WOULD YOU COMMUTE HIS SENTENCE, OR ALLOW HIM TO BE EXECUTED?
SEN. FELTES: I HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT IN SUPPORTING THE COMMUTATION PROCESS MOVING FORWARD BUT I DO NOT SUPPORT THE POSITION NOW.
I DO NOT THINK THIS SHOULD BE POLITICIZED.
CHRIS SUNUNU HAS POLITICIZED THIS.
I DO NOT THINK WE SHOULD BE POLITICIZING THE MURDER OF A COP AND WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER.
THAT DEVICE OF LANGUAGE AND DIVISIVENESS IS NOT WHAT WE NEED NOW.
WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER.
EACH DAY, BLACK AMERICANS FACE ACTIONS THAT ROBBED THEM OF THE AMERICAN DREAM AND THEIR LIVES AND WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD WORKING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
YOU CANNOT STAND UP HERE AND SAY YOU ARE A LEADER OF RACIAL JUSTICE AND STILL SUPPORT DONALD TRUMP.
GOVERNOR, ARE YOU PROUD TO VOTE FOR TRUMP?
JOHN: GOVERNOR SUNUNU, YOU HAVE SAID VERY CLEARLY YOU WOULD NOT COMMUTE ADDISON’S SENTENCE.
GOV. SUNUNU: OF COURSE NOT.
JOHN: BUT NEW HAMPSHIRE DOESN’T HAVE A DEATH CHAMBER.
HOW WOULD HE BE PUT TO DEATH?
AND HOW WOULD YOU JUSTIFY TO TAXPAYERS THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IT WOULD COST TO BUILD A CHAMBER THAT WOULD BE USED ONCE, SINCE THE DEATH PENALTY HAS BEEN ABOLISHED IN THE STATE?
GOV. SUNUNU: LET ME JUST UNDERSTAND THE SENATOR’S POSITION.
HE SAID HE IS CONSISTENT AND WOULD NOT COMMUTE THE SENTENCE BUT AT SOME POINT NEEDS TO COMMUTE THE SENTENCE.
THAT’S THE MOST INCONSISTENT THING I’VE EVER HEARD.
I HAVE STOOD WITH THE FAMILY AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, WHEN YOU CAN LOOK IN THEIR EYES AND SAY WE ARE NOT GOING TO COMMUTE THE SENTENCE OF A COP KILLER UNEQUIVOCABLY, I UNDERSTAND THE
SENATOR HAD ONE POSITION IN THE PRIMARY AND NOW ANOTHER, THAT IS POLITICS.
I HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT 100% ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
WE WOULD NEVER DO THAT.
THE PEOPLE IN THE STATE WOULD NOT DO THAT.
WHEN IT CAME TO GETTING RID OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, DAN SENT THE BILL TO MY DESK AND I VETOED IT.
THEY OVERTURNED THE VETO.
IT WAS DAN’S BILL.
TO TALK FROM ONE SIDE AND THEN THE OTHER DEPENDING ON WHAT PART OF THE ELECTION YOU ARE IN IS NOT ME.
I HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT FOR YEARS.
DAN IS THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO EXPLAIN THE ANSWER.
SEN. FELTES: I HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT.
DURING THE PRIMARY A CITY COMMUTATION PROCESS SHOULD BE GO FORWARD AND I HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR IF THERE WAS A PETITION I WOULD NOT SUPPORT IT NOW BECAUSE THERE WILL BE COURT PROCESSES
DOWN THE ROAD.
WHAT WE SHOULD FOCUS ON IS NOT HYPOTHETICAL PETITIONS.
WE SHOULD FOCUS ON WHAT IS GOING ON IN PEOPLE’S LIVES ARE NOW.
WE HAVE PEOPLE OUT OF WORK.
PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING.
WE HAVE HOSPITALS FILING CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY.
WE HAVE A GOVERNOR AND PRESIDENT WHO WERE WORKING TO REPEAL OBAMACARE, WHICH IS CRITICAL FOR OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
MORE AND MORE HOSPITALS AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS ARE GOING TO GO BELLY UP.
THAT WILL AFFECT ALL OF US.
WE HAVE TO LIFT EACH OTHER UP.
WE HAVE TO WORK FOR HEALTH CARE STABILITY.
JOHN: THE LOGISTICS AND COST?
GOV. SUNUNU: I DO NOT KNOW HOW THAT WOULD GO.
WE CAN MANAGE THE COST.
WE CAN ALWAYS FIND A PROCESS.
YOU SHOULD FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE LAW AND JUSTICE BECAUSE THERE IS A COST.
I DO NOT KNOW THE LOGISTICS.
WE ARE NOT N