Mask mandate lifted at New Hampshire Statehouse
HOLLY RAMER, Associated Press
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CONCORD, N.H. (AP) Masks are no longer mandatory at the New Hampshire Statehouse, which remains closed to everyone but lawmakers and staff.
The Republican-led Joint Facilities Committee voted 8-4 along party lines Friday to remove a requirement that masks be worn to prevent spread of the coronavirus in the Statehouse and legislative office building.
The vote comes three weeks after Republican Gov. Chris Sununu lifted a statewide mask mandate, leaving it up to individual communities, businesses and organizations to set their own policies.
Under the new Statehouse policy, legislators and staff can choose to wear masks and to require them for those who enter their personal workspaces, though most spaces are shared with others.
Updated: 2:12 PM EDT May 7, 2021 By Holly Ramer, Associated Press Masks are no longer mandatory at the New Hampshire State House, which remains closed to everyone but lawmakers and staff.The Republican-led Joint Facilities Committee voted 8-4 along party lines Friday to remove a requirement that masks be worn to prevent spread of the coronavirus in the Statehouse and legislative office building.^^ Related video above: See a story about mask rules that are still effect in some communities ^^The vote comes three weeks after Republican Gov. Chris Sununu lifted a statewide mask mandate, leaving it up to individual communities, businesses and organizations to set their own policies.Under the new State House policy, legislators and staff can choose to wear masks and to require them for those who enter their personal workspaces, though most spaces are shared with others. The policy that s in place in the state of New Hampshire is not requiring face masks right now. Your in
Democratic legislative leaders ask that remote public access to hearings continue permanently
Funds sought in 2022-2023 budget to continue practice that began amid height of COVID-19 pandemic Share Updated: 7:32 PM EDT May 7, 2021
Funds sought in 2022-2023 budget to continue practice that began amid height of COVID-19 pandemic Share Updated: 7:32 PM EDT May 7, 2021 The Democratic leaders of the New Hampshire House and Senate are asking the Republican majority to find enough money in the next state budget to continue to provide remote public access to legislative hearings.They are further asking that the provision be made a permanent part of legislative operations. House Democratic Leader Renny Cushing said during a Friday news conference that a positive by-product of the COVID-19 pandemic has been to the state’s ability to provide remote access for people to watch and testify in committee hearings remotely.For more than a year, House and Senate hearin
But there were some concerns.
The New Hampshire Bar Association Board of Governors gave her qualified support for the role but with reservations for her impartiality and fairness, Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington of Concord said.
Conway, a resident of Salem, who was first elected to the post of Rockingham County Attorney in 2014 after being an assistant county attorney for 16 years, said she thought there may be some who would see her as focused on the role of prosecutor, which she understood.
While she said some may be concerned about her lack of civil law experience, she could learn and that in the law it is really about placing facts to the law, be it civil or criminal.
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Pat Conway appeared before the Executive Council Wednesday during a public hearing as she seeks to serve as a superior court justice.
Conway, a Salem Republican in her fourth term as Rockingham County Attorney, was nominated by Gov. Chris Sununu.
The career prosecutor told council members that she had the “demeanor, background and experience” to sit on the bench.
She also defended her record in the wake of a letter issued by the New Hampshire Bar Association that said while it found Conway qualified, it had “reservations about her legal knowledge outside of criminal law and with reservations about her impartiality and fairness.“