Contact Name: Sara Persechino Phone: (603) 271-3479 Email: Sara.Persechino@leg.state.nh.us CONCORD – Today, Senator Martha Fuller Clark (D-Portsmouth) announced that she and her husband have recovered from COVID-19. After the announcement, Senator Fuller Clark released the following statement: “I am happy to announce that my husband, Jeff Clark and I were both removed by the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services last week from the list of active coronavirus patients and added to the list of those who have recovered. The biggest hurdle to our recovery was extreme fatigue and continuing fevers. I want to especially thank the members of that department who called us every day or so to se

Contact Name: Sara Persechino Phone: (603) 271-3479 Email: Sara.Persechino@leg.state.nh.us CONCORD, NH—Today, New Hampshire Senate Democrats released their “Granite Promise Proposal” outlining priority distribution of the $1.25 billion grant received from the State-Local Coronavirus Relief Fund. The plan works in tandem with additional federal coronavirus relief funding allocated in the CARES Act. Senate President Donna Soucy, Senate Majority Leader Dan Feltes, and Senate Finance Chair Lou D’Allesandro released the following statements about the proposal: “Thanks to the leadership of our congressional delegation, New Hampshire has received critical funding to help Granite Staters combat COVI

Contact Name: Sara Persechino, Michael O’Brien Phone: (603) 271-3479, (603) 271-0515 Email: Sara.Persechino@leg.state.nh.us, mike.b.obrien@leg.state.nh.us MANCHESTER, NH—Today, Superior Court Judge David Anderson dismissed Mary Jane Wallner et al. v Christopher Sununu for standing. Representative Mary Jane Wallner, Senator Lou D’Allesandro, Senate President Donna Soucy and Speaker Stephen Shurtleff released the following statement: “We respectfully disagree with the Court's ruling. The legislature constitutionally holds the “power of the purse,” and the Joint Fiscal Committee is the body that legally approves proposed spending requests by the executive branch during an emergency. This lawsui

Contact Name: Sara Persechino, Michael O’Brien Phone: (603) 271-3479, (603) 271-0515 Email: Sara.Persechino@leg.state.nh.us, mike.b.obrien@leg.state.nh.us CONCORD— Today, Hillsborough County North Superior Court heard testimony in Mary Jane Wallner et. al. v Christopher Sununu, relative to the plaintiffs’ request to ensure state law is followed to ensure the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee can fulfill its constitutional role in the disbursement of the CARES Act federal funding as quickly as possible. After the hearing, Representative Mary Jane Wallner, Senator Lou D’Allesandro, Speaker of the House Steve Shurtleff, and Senate President Donna Soucy released the following statement: “Today

Contact Name: Sara Persechino, Michael O’Brien Phone: (603) 271-3479, (603) 271-0515 Email: Sara.Persechino@leg.state.nh.us, mike.b.obrien@leg.state.nh.us CONCORD—Today, Speaker of the House Stephen Shurtleff and Senate President Donna Soucy announced a preliminary hearing has been set for Friday, April 17 at 1:30 p.m. for their motion to ensure swift delivery of the federal COVID-19 relief funds. The court filing seeks to ensure that the law is followed so the Joint Fiscal Committee can fulfill its constitutional role in the disbursement of the CARES Act funding, and any other funding that New Hampshire receives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as quickly as possible. After the announcement, H

Contact Name: Sara Persechino, Michael O’Brien Phone: (603) 271-3479, (603) 271-0515 Email: Sara.Persechino@leg.state.nh.us, mike.b.obrien@leg.state.nh.us CONCORD—Today, the Community College System of New Hampshire announced they would be laying off 10 full-time and 10 part-time employees at The Child and Family Development Center, a childcare center located on the campus of NHTI and operated by the college, effective May 7. Senator Dan Feltes (D-Concord) provided the following response: “It is disappointing to learn today about the layoffs announced at the Child and Family Development Center at NHTI, which provides a critical service to Capital area families and an unmatched opportunity fo

Contact Name: Sara Persechino, Michael O’Brien Phone: (603) 271-3479, (603) 271-0515 Email: Sara.Persechino@leg.state.nh.us, mike.b.obrien@leg.state.nh.us CONCORD—Today, Representative Mary Jane Wallner, Chair of the Joint Fiscal Committee, Senator Lou D’Allesandro, Vice Chair of the Joint Fiscal Committee, Senate President Donna Soucy, and Speaker Stephen Shurtleff filed an emergency motion to ensure swift delivery of the federal COVID-19 relief funds. The court filing seeks to ensure that the law is followed so the Joint Fiscal Committee can fulfill its constitutional role in the disbursement of the CARES Act funding, and any other funding that New Hampshire receives due to the COVID-19 pa

Contact Name: Sara Persechino, Michael O’Brien Phone: (603) 271-3479, (603) 271-0515 Email: Sara.Persechino@leg.state.nh.us, mike.b.obrien@leg.state.nh.us CONCORD - Today, the Joint Fiscal Committee conducted its first remote meeting through a teleconference service, acting on federal funds bolster our state’s Meals on Wheels program during the coronavirus pandemic, hearing from state department heads about their needs, and inviting the public to comment on how $1.25 billion in federal funds to combat COVID-19 should be spent in New Hampshire. After the meeting, Chairwoman Mary Jane Wallner (D-Concord) and Vice Chair Lou D’Allesandro (D-Manchester) issued the following statement: “The Legisl

Contact Name: Sara Persechino Phone: (603) 271-3479 Email: Sara.Persechino@leg.state.nh.us NEW HAMPSHIRE - Today, SB 3, a voter suppression bill was ruled unconstitutional by Judge David A. Anderson on the grounds of “unreasonably burdening the right to vote and violating equal protection under the New Hampshire Constitution.” The bill, signed into law by Governor Sununu in 2017, required new voters to present additional paperwork or sign an affidavit to prove New Hampshire residency. The law was quickly brought to court by voting rights advocates stating that the additional requirements would put up roadblocks for eligible New Hampshire voters and cause backups on election day for residents

Contact Name: Sara Persechino, Michael O’Brien Phone: (603) 271-3479, (603) 271-0515 Email: Sara.Persechino@leg.state.nh.us, mike.b.obrien@leg.state.nh.us CONCORD— Today, Joint Fiscal Committee Chair Mary Jane Wallner and Vice Chair Lou D’Allesandro responded to Governor Sununu’s continued mischaracterization of the Joint Fiscal Committee process to accept and expend federal funds relative to the coronavirus pandemic. After the governor misstated the role and processes of the Joint Fiscal Committee meeting for the second time today at his April 8th press conference, Representative Mary Jane Wallner (D-Concord) and Senator Lou D’Allesandro (D-Manchester) issued the following statement: “The G

Contact Name: Sara Persechino, Michael O’Brien Phone: (603) 271-3479, (603) 271-0515 Email: Sara.Persechino@leg.state.nh.us, mike.b.obrien@leg.state.nh.us CONCORD— Today, Senate President Donna Soucy (D-Manchester) and Speaker of the House Stephen Shurtleff (D-Penacook) responded to Governor Sununu’s mischaracterization of the Joint Fiscal Committee process to accept and expend federal stimulus funds relative to the coronavirus pandemic. At the April 8 Governor and Executive Council meeting, the Governor stated “I asked to bring the item to draw down the fund, put on their agenda for this Friday. They rejected that. They don’t want to do that. So we have to move forward and draw down this fu

Contact Name: Sara Persechino, Michael O’Brien Phone: (603) 271-3479, (603) 271-0515 Email: Sara.Persechino@leg.state.nh.us, mike.b.obrien@leg.state.nh.us CONCORD—Today, Senate President Donna Soucy (D-Manchester) and Speaker of the House Stephen Shurtleff (D-Penacook) sent a letter to Governor Chris Sununu regarding the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR) and the bipartisan Joint Fiscal Committee’s continued role in accepting and expending federal stimulus funding. The letter reads in part, “We are pleased that the advisory committee you have outlined would complement an already established legislative process. The swiftest means of effectively and constitutionally