RELEASE: HOUSE DEMOCRATS URGE ADOPTION OF TEMPORARY FACE COVERING ORDER

Face covering requirement critical to success of Stay At Home 2.0 and future reopening efforts 

May 14, 2020

 

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Today, 178 House Democrats wrote to Governor Sununu urging the adoption of an order temporarily requiring masks in public when unable to socially distance.  Text of the letter and a list of signatories is provided below.  

 

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Governor Sununu,

As steps are taken to begin the reopening of New Hampshire’s economy under Stay At Home 2.0, adherence to public health guidelines has become more essential than ever. Wearing a mask or cloth face covering in public has been recognized by the CDC and NH public health experts as a critical step that individuals can take to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and we believe that an order temporarily requiring face coverings in public is necessary for the successful reopening of New Hampshire’s economy.

Many states across the U.S., including border states Maine and Massachusetts, have established mandatory mask-wearing orders in conjunction with the calculated reopening of their businesses. These orders, which only apply when someone is unable to socially distance in public, are necessary to protect the public and give people confidence that they can go out safely, without increased risk of infection.

We will only have one opportunity to bring New Hampshire’s economy back to full strength, so we must get it right the first time. If reopening New Hampshire results in a new wave of infection, the public health and economic damage will likely be too strong for many small businesses and institutions to overcome.

People will not feel comfortable frequenting businesses, and employees will not feel safe returning to work, if clear and practical guidelines to reduce the risk of infection are not established. Given recent attempts to denigrate and politicize the concept of mask wearing as a violation of personal freedom, consistent guidelines will be imperative to the success of Stay At Home 2.0 and future reopening efforts.

While inaction will be viewed as tacit permission to ignore the guidelines that are so necessary to our economic rebound, adopting this commonsense order will protect public health and uphold the regional unity needed for a strong economic reopening across New England.

There should be no pride in impeding the success of New Hampshire’s reopening by refusing to temporarily require facial coverings in public. Citizens and business owners alike need to feel that it is safe to engage in the economy for this to work. Please join states across America that have positioned their reopening for success by adopting this necessary temporary order.

Signed,

Majority Leader Douglas Ley - Cheshire District 9

Deputy Majority Leader Marjorie Porter - Hillsborough District 1

Representative Michael Abbott - Cheshire District 1

Representative Richard Abel - Grafton District 13

Representative Susan Almy - Grafton District 13

Representative Debra Altschiller - Rockingham District 19

Representative Robert Backus - Hillsborough District 19

Representative Chris Balch - Hillsborough District 38

Representative Christy Bartlett - Merrimack District 19

Representative Jane Beaulieu - Hillsborough District 45

Representative Paul Berch - Cheshire District 1

Representative Jennifer Bernet - Hillsborough District 4

Representative Skip Berrien, MD - Rockingham District 18

Representative Peter Bixby - Strafford District 17

Representative John Bordenet - Cheshire District 5

Representative Bill Bordy - Hillsborough District 28

Representative Jim Bosman - Hillsborough District 38

Representative Don Bouchard - Hillsborough District 11

Representative Amanda Bouldin - Hillsborough District 12

Representative Andrew Bouldin - Hillsborough District 12

Representative Ryan Buchanan - Merrimack District 15

Representative Thomas Buco - Carroll District 2

Representative Lisa Bunker - Rockingham District 18

Representative Anita Burroughs - Carroll District 1

Representative Pat Bushway - Rockingham District 21

Representative Ed Butler - Carroll District 7

Representative Michael Cahill - Rockingham District 17

Representative Polly Campion - Grafton District 12

Representative Gerri Cannon - Strafford District 18

Representative Clyde Carson - Merrimack District 7

Representative Wendy Chase - Strafford District 18

Representative Skip Cleaver - Hillsborough District 35

Representative John Cloutier - Sullivan District 10

Representative Bruce Cohen - Hillsborough District 28

Representative Patricia Cornell - Hillsborough District 18

Representative David Cote - Hillsborough District 31

Representative David Coursin, MD - Rockingham District 1

Representative Renny Cushing - Rockingham District 21

Representative Paul Dargie - Hillsborough District 23

Representative Fred Davis - Hillsborough District 31

Representative Kathy Desjardin - Hillsborough District 13

Representative Edith DesMarais - Carroll District 6

Representative Francesca Diggs - Grafton District 16

Representative Charlotte DiLorenzo - Rockingham District 17

Representative David Doherty - Merrimack District 20

Representative Roger Dontonville - Grafton District 10

Representative Sherry Dutzy - Hillsborough District 30

Representative Daniel Eaton - Cheshire District 3

Representative Karen Ebel - Merrimack District 5

Representative Michael Edgar - Rockingham District 21

Representative Tim Egan - Grafton District 2

Representative Mary Eisner - Rockingham District 6

Representative Donna Ellis - Strafford District 8

Representative Art Ellison - Merrimack District 27

Representative Manny Espitia - Hillsborough District 31

Representative Kristina Fargo - Strafford District 14

Representative Barry Faulkner - Cheshire District 12

Representative Sallie Fellows - Grafton District 8

Representative Sue Ford - Grafton District 3

Representative Samantha Fox - Merrimack District 23

Representative Mary Freitas - Hillsborough District 14

Representative Elaine French - Grafton District 14

Representative Sherry Frost - Strafford District 16

Representative Joyce Fulweiler - Merrimack District 3

Representative Kenneth Gidge - Hillsborough District 33

Representative Julie Gilman - Rockingham District 18

Representative Chuck Grassie - Strafford District 11

Representative Willis Griffith - Hillsborough District 18

Representative Heidi Hamer - Hillsborough District 17

Representative Linda Harriott-Gathright - Hillsborough District 36

Representative Cathryn Harvey - Cheshire District 1

Representative Bill Hatch - Coos District 6

Representative Mary Heath - Hillsborough District 14

Representative Christopher Herbert - Hillsborough District 43

Representative Peg Higgins - Strafford District 22

Representative Timothy Horrigan - Strafford District 6

Representative Greg Indruk - Hillsborough District 34

Representative Timothy Josephson - Grafton District 11

Representative David Karrick - Merrimack District 25

Representative Sandra Keans - Strafford District 23

Representative Cam Kenney - Strafford District 6

Representative Mark King - Hillsborough District 33

Representative Patricia Klee - Hillsborough District 30

Representative Nicole Klein - Hillsborough District 11

Representative Jerry Knirk - Carroll District 3

Representative Connie Lane - Merrimack District 12

Representative Diane Langley - Hillsborough District 8

Representative Tamara Le - Rockingham District 31

Representative Peter Leishman - Hillsborough District 24

Representative Cassandra Levesque - Strafford District 4

Representative Patrick Long - Hillsborough District 10

Representative Tom Loughman - Rockingham District 21

Representative Patricia Lovejoy - Rockingham District 36

Representative David Luneau - Merrimack District 10

Representative Jim MacKay - Merrimack District 14

Representative Kevin Maes - Grafton District 6

Representative Jim Maggiore - Rockingham District 22

Representative Latha Mangipudi - Hillsborough District 35

Representative John Mann - Cheshire District 2

Representative Joelle Martin - Hillsborough District 23

Representative Becky McBeath - Rockingham District 26

Representative Liz McConnell - Rockingham District 11

Representative Gary Merchant - Sullivan District 4

Representative David Meuse - Rockingham District 29

Representative Howard Moffett - Merrimack District 9

Representative Donna Mombourquette - Hillsborough District 5

Representative David Morrill - Cheshire District 4

Representative Wayne Moynihan - Coos District 2

Representative Mary Jane Mulligan - Grafton District 12

Representative Nancy Murphy - Hillsborough District 21

Representative Kate Murray - Rockingham District 24

Representative Garrett Muscatel - Grafton District 12

Representative Mel Myler - Merrimack District 10

Representative Ray Newman - Hillsborough District 29

Representative Sue Newman - Hillsborough District 29

Representative Sharon Nordgren - Grafton District 12

Representative Fran Nutter-Upham - Hillsborough District 33

Representative Allison Nutting-Wong - Hillsborough District 32

Representative Michael O’Brien - Hillsborough District 36

Representative Linn Opderbecke - Strafford District 15

Representative Dick Osborne - Grafton District 7

Representative Henry Parkhurst - Cheshire District 13

Representative Will Pearson - Cheshire District 16

Representative Michael Pedersen - Hillsborough District 32

Representative Peter Petrigno - Hillsborough District 23

Representative Dan Pickering - Hillsborough District 3

Representative Israel Piedra - Hillsborough District 9

Representative Rod Pimentel - Merrimack District 6

Representative Josh Query - Hillsborough District 16

Representative Julie Radhakrishnan - Hillsborough District 22

Representative Ellen Read - Rockingham District 17

Representative Cecilia Rich - Strafford District 18

Representative Cole Riel - Hillsborough District 6

Representative Beth Rodd - Merrimack District 6

Representative George Saunderson - Merrimack District 9

Representative Tom Schamberg - Merrimack District 4

Representative Joe Schapiro - Cheshire District 16

Representative Janice Schmidt - Hillsborough District 28

Representative Peter Schmidt - Strafford District 19

Representative Dianne Schuett - Merrimack District 20

Representative Kristina Schultz - Merrimack District 18

Representative Suzanne Smith - Grafton District 8

Representative Ken Snow - Hillsborough District 19

Representative Catherine Sofikitis - Hillsborough District 34

Representative Peter Somssich - Rockingham District 27

Representative Timothy Soucy - Merrimack District 16

Representative Thomas Southworth - Strafford District 20

Representative Judith Spang - Strafford District 6

Representative Michelle St. John - Hillsborough District 27

Representative Kathryn Stack - Hillsborough District 21

Representative Laurel Stavis - Grafton District 13

Representative Deb Stevens - Hillsborough District 34

Representative Brian Sullivan - Sullivan District 1

Representative Sandy Swinburne - Cheshire District 10

Representative George Sykes - Grafton District 13

Representative Linda Tanner - Sullivan District 9

Representative Bruce Tatro - Cheshire District 15

Representative Yvonne Thomas - Coos District 3

Representative Wendy Thomas - Hillsborough District 21

Representative Craig Thompson - Cheshire District 14

Representative Dan Toomey - Hillsborough District 32

Representative Matt Towne - Strafford District 4

Representative Susan Treleaven - Strafford District 17

Representative Alan Turcotte - Merrimack District 22

Representative Sue Vail - Hillsborough District 30

Representative Connie Van Houten - Hillsborough District 45

Representative Ivy Vann - Hillsborough District 24

Representative Mary Jane Wallner - Merrimack District 10

Representative Mary Beth Walz - Merrimack District 23

Representative Gerald Ward - Rockingham District 28

Representative Safiya Wazir - Merrimack District 17

Representative Lucy Weber - Cheshire District 1

Representative Ken Wells - Merrimack District 1

Representative Joyce Weston - Grafton District 8

Representative Matt Wilhelm - Hillsborough District 42

Representative Kermit Williams - Hillsborough District 4

Representative Steve Woodcock - Carroll District 2

Representative Gary Woods - Merrimack District 23