Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan is highlighting the need to expand commuter rail into New Hampshire, increase natural gas supply and increase the state's minimum wage in her inaugural address.
Hassan is entering her second two-year term as governor and faces a Republican-controlled Legislature.
Hassan praised bipartisan efforts to improve roads and bridges, restore funding to the university system and expand access to health care during her first term. Hassan says that, moving forward, diversifying energy sources and bringing rail from Boston into Nashua and Manchester will spur more economic growth. She also called on lawmakers not to let the state's Medicaid expansion plan expire at the end of 2016.
Hassan gave little indication about her plans for the next two-year state budget, the top priority of the upcoming session.
