Steve Merrill

Stephen Everett Merrill (June 21, 1946 – September 5, 2020) was an American lawyer and Republican politician from Manchester, New Hampshire. He served as the 77th Governor of New Hampshire from 1993 to 1997.

Steve Merrill
77th Governor of New Hampshire
In office January 7, 1993 – January 9, 1997
Preceded by	Ralph D. Hough (acting)
Succeeded by	Jeanne Shaheen
Attorney General of New Hampshire
In office 1985–1989
Governor	John H. Sununu
Preceded by	Gregory H. Smith
Succeeded by	John Arnold
Personal details
Born	Stephen Everett Merrill June 21, 1946 Norwich, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	September 5, 2020 (aged 74) Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Education	University of New Hampshire, Durham (BA) Georgetown University (JD)

Early life

Merrill was born in Norwich, Connecticut but moved at an early age to Hampton, New Hampshire and graduated from Winnacunnet High School in 1964. He studied at the University of New Hampshire, graduating from it in 1969. He received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1972.

He served in the Air Force as a lawyer from 1972 to 1976, then became a legal counsel to the Secretary of the Air Force from 1973 to 1975. He became a special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force from 1975 to 1976. Merrill left military service as a captain, then went to Manchester to practice law from 1976 to 1984.

Political career

Merrill as Governor

Merrill served on the staff of Governor John Sununu and was the state's Attorney General before being elected Governor. He is known for having coined the phrase, "The New Hampshire Advantage." The New Hampshire Advantage means that New Hampshire has no general income tax or sales tax. The New Hampshire Advantage became more than a phrase in a lawsuit against the state of Massachusetts filed with the US Supreme Court on October 19, 2020. Submitted by New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon MacDonald, it states under Nature Of The Action that: 1. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has launched a direct attack on a defining feature of the State of New Hampshire's sovereignty. For decades, New Hampshire has made the deliberate policy choice to reject a broad-based personal earned income tax or a general sales tax. Not only does New Hampshire sit as an island among the New England States, but this choice differentiates New Hampshire from nearly every other State in the Union. Indeed, just one other State - Alaska - has such a tax structure. 2. New Hampshire's sovereign policy choice has had profound effects. It has resulted in, on average, higher per capita income, lower unemployment, and a competitive edge in attracting new businesses and residents. In other words, it has helped create a "New Hampshire Advantage" that is central to New Hampshire's identity. It is through this advantage that New Hampshire successfully distinguishes itself as a sovereign and competes in the marketplace for people, businesses, and economic prosperity.

Merrill entered the 1992 Republican gubernatorial primary. He won election on his first try at state office; he was reelected with seventy percent of the popular vote.

Even before he entered office Governor-elect Merrill faced a daunting challenge. Public Service of New Hampshire had appealed a special property tax imposed by retiring Governor Judd Gregg and the legislature as a way to balance the state budget, and in December 1992 this tax was declared unconstitutional. Governor Merrill therefore had to speak in his first inaugural address about new ways to meet an anticipated $40 million shortfall in state revenues. He proposed changes in state employees' Workmen's Compensation, and in March 1993 a number of changes in other state taxes, as ways to meet the fiscal emergency; in April 1993 he proposed to the legislature that the state's biennial operating budget be revised downward. But by then the state's economy was beginning to improve. Merrill got full credit in national and state media for fiscal responsibility. Merrill declined to run for a third term citing family obligations.

He was twice selected as the "most fiscally responsible governor in America" by the Wall Street Journal/Cato Institute, the only governor to receive the award more than once. He was the recipient of honorary academic degrees, including doctorates for civic and educational achievements. He received the "Distinguished Citizen of the Year" award from New Hampshire's Daniel Webster Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Post political life

Merrill served as chairman of Boston-based Bingham Consulting, where he assisted companies on legal and business matters.

Death

Merrill died at his home in Manchester on September 5, 2020, at age 74.[1][2][3]

Memberships

• Member, National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG)
• Participated in the drafting of the NAAG 2000 Strategic Planning Committee Report to its membership
• President, Former Governor's Association
• Life Fellow, American Bar Association
• Member, New Hampshire Bar Association
• Member, District of Columbia Bar Association
• Member, Pennsylvania Bar Association

Awards and honors

• Editor, Georgetown Law Journal
• Georgetown Law Fellow
• Phi Beta Kappa, University of New Hampshire
• Ford Foundation Scholar, University of New Hampshire

Education

• Winnacunnet High School, Hampton, NH - 1964
• University of New Hampshire, Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, 1969
• Georgetown University Law Center, Juris Doctor, 1972

References

1. "Former NH Gov. Stephen Merrill has passed away, family says". WFXT.
2. DiStaso, John (September 6, 2020). "Former Gov. Stephen Merrill dies at 74". WMUR.
3. Wickham, Shawn K. (September 5, 2020). "'One of NH's best,' former Gov. Stephen Merrill dies". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved September 6, 2020.

External links

• Merrill at New Hampshire's Division of Historic Resources
• National Governors Association profile
• Merrill at Bingham Consulting website
• Appearances on C-SPAN