CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – This morning, NHPR’s Josh Rogers reported that Director of the NH Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College Neil Levesque, has announced that the college will no longer hold public meetings after the Executive Council meeting was disrupted yesterday. In response, House Democratic Leader Rep. Renny Cushing (D-Hampton) released the following statement:
“As the son of a St. Anselm College graduate and a citizen of our state, I am saddened by the announcement that the college won’t be holding public meetings. Today’s announcement shows the lasting impact that the unruly and dangerous behavior such as we saw yesterday can have on political discourse and our hallowed institutions. By coddling extremists even in the budget process, fanning flames with anti-vax State House rallies and continuing to allow a conspiracy theorist to lead the Finance and Fiscal Committees, the NH GOP has brought us to this day. Granite Staters take pride in being politically engaged, exemplified by our long history of welcoming Presidential candidates and facilitating debates and discourse at the local, state, and federal level. Allowing for conspiracy theorists and extremists to endanger common sense public health measures, halt the functioning of our government, and forcing institutions to close to political events out of safety concerns is the most harmful blow to the First in the Nation primary that we have seen.”