HYPOCRISY RUNS DEEP WITH NH HOUSE GOP

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Yesterday, at the end of the legislative session, Rep. Katherine Rogers (D-Concord) attempted to give unanimous consent thanking her colleagues for their support during her now year-long battle with cancer and House Republican leadership revoked their consent for her to continue. In response, House Democratic Leader, Rep. Renny Cushing (D-Hampton) released the following statement:

“For Republican leadership to deny Rep. Rogers the opportunity to thank her colleagues for their support throughout her heroic battle with advanced uterine cancer was a cruel and disrespectful way to end our first House session of 2022. Ironically, just one day before, the same people voted to deny Rep. Rogers, a severely immunocompromised legislator, the ability to participate in House sessions remotely with the patently absurd excuse that using 21st century technology encourages ‘more animosity and less collegiality.’ Clearly, the breakdown in decorum from House Republicans knows no venue restrictions, nor apparently, any bounds at all.”

UNPRECEDENTED STUNT, HOUSE SPEAKER ABUSES LEGISLATIVE PROCESS TO PROTECT GOV. SUNUNU’S ABORTION BAN

MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Today, the House Speaker ruled the Judiciary committee’s amendment to HB 622, which would have repealed the mandatory ultrasound requirement in Gov. Sununu’s abortion ban, non-germane just minutes before the vote. In response, Ranking Member on the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Marjorie Smith (D-Durham) released the following statement:

“In an unprecedented stunt today, the Speaker of the House ruled an amendment repealing New Hampshire’s invasive ultrasound mandate non-germane preventing it from being voted on by the House. The Speaker had already approved the report over a month ago, including it in the House Calendar for this week.

The Speaker clearly realized he would lose an honest debate and vote and chose this unprecedented abuse of power to get his way. Manipulating the process to prevent debate on such an invasive mandate is shameful and telling. Because of this action, women in New Hampshire will remain forced to undergo a procedure that is not medically necessary at the dictation of Republican legislators, not doctors. The people of New Hampshire, who overwhelmingly oppose Governor Sununu’s abortion ban, will not let this attempted cover up stand.”

DEMOCRATIC BILL TO PROVIDE DENTAL BENEFITS TO MEDICAID RECIPIENTS PASSES HOUSE

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Today, the New Hampshire House voted 225-127 to pass HB 103, establishing a dental benefit under the state Medicaid program. Following the vote, prime sponsor of the legislation, Rep. Joe Schapiro (D-Keene) released the following statement:

“Today the NH House voted to finally, after years of effort, to give dental benefits to adult recipients of Medicaid. Currently adults suffering with dental pain have no choice other than to go to the emergency room where their only treatment option is extraction. Affordable access to health care is a Democratic priority and I am proud that this Democratic bill, forged with bipartisan cooperation, garnered support from both sides of the aisle. The bill when hopefully passed by the Senate and signed into law by Governor Sununu will bring increased dignity and decreased pain to tens of thousands of our neighbors and constituents.”