Name: NH House to address more than 130 bills over two-day, in-person session at sports facility
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NH House to address more than 130 bills over two-day, in-person session at sports facility

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AdvertisementUnion members to distribute PPE outside; inside, key bill include gun, election, abortion, education issuesAdvertisementNH House to address more than 130 bills over two-day, in-person session at sports facilityUnion members to distribute PPE outside; inside, key bill include gun, election, abortion, education issuesWith more than 130 bills to be voted on, the New Hampshire House will meet Wednesday and Thursday at a 55,000-square-foot sports facility that the Republican Speaker says will allow for social distancing and other precautions designed to mitigate the threat of COVID-19 infection.The House is meeting now at the NH Sportsplex in Bedford.House Speaker Sherman Packard last week released a five-page memo outlining details of safety and emergency medical response capability that will be in place for the sessions at the NH Sportsplex in Bedford, while at the same time citing a House rule that forbids him from allowing remote access to the session for any member.A judge on Monday threw out a lawsuit by a group of House Democrats who were seeking a court order requiring Packard to allow remote access for lawmakers who are especially vulnerable to the infection and qualify for special accommodations under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.House members as a result must attend in person if they are to participate. They are being asked to bring facemasks and, according to Packard, when they enter the building they will receive a bottle of hand sanitizer, two additional facemasks and a biohazard or paper waste disposal bag. At the same time, special sections of the facility will be set aside for people who refuse to wear masks and for those who can’t wear masks for medical reasons.The New Hampshire AFL-CIO said Tuesday that it will have union members stationed outside the Sportsplex on Wednesday and Thursday mornings to distribute PPE, including KN95 respirator masks and disposable coverall suits.New Hampshire AFL-CIO President Glenn Brackett said the union preferred remote accommodations for lawmakers with special vulnerability to COVID-19, but he cited the judge’s order.“We didn’t want it to come to this,” Brackett said. “No one should fear going to work. However, distributing personal protective equipment is the least we can do to keep our lawmakers safe.”Once inside, the House members will take on a rash of bills over the two-day session -- some of them controversial. It will be the first House session since Jan. 6, which was held in a parking lot on the campus of the University of New Hampshire.Two bills expand the current “stand your ground” law. House Bill 197 allows people to use deadly force to protect themselves inside their vehicles, and House Bill 81 allows people to protect anyone on their property from threats.Several bills deal with the abortion issue.House Bill 625 would ban abortion at 24 weeks or later, while House Bill 233 is a “born alive bill” that sets out “the right of any infant born alive to medically appropriate and reasonable care and treatment.” House Bill 430 would repeal the current law establishing flexible “buffer zones” around reproductive health care centers.Election- and campaign-related bills to be addressed include House Bill 121, which would establish an independent advisory commission to offer recommendations on redistricting; House Bill 105 to close the so-called “Limited Liability Corporation loophole” and ensure that political contributions are attributed to each LLC member; and House Bill 465, allowing labor unions and business organizations to make political contributions through political committees.On other issues, House Bill 615 would reduce the penalty for some first offense drug possession charges, while House Bill 594 would guarantee a minimum of $50 million for the school building aid program.House Bill 185 would remove the work and community engagement requirement for people to participate in the Granite Advantage expanded Medicaid program with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing. There are currently 398 members -- 212 Republicans and 186 Democrats -- in the House, with two vacancies.With more than 130 bills to be voted on, the New Hampshire House will meet Wednesday and Thursday at a 55,000-square-foot sports facility that the Republican Speaker says will allow for social distancing and other precautions designed to mitigate the threat of COVID-19 infection.The House is meeting now at the NH Sportsplex in Bedford.AdvertisementHouse Speaker Sherman Packard last week released a outlining details of safety and emergency medical response capability that will be in place for the sessions at the NH Sportsplex in Bedford, while at the same time citing a House rule that forbids him from allowing remote access to the session for any member.A judge on Monday threw out a lawsuit by a group of House Democrats who were seeking a court order requiring Packard to allow remote access for lawmakers who are especially vulnerable to the infection and qualify for special accommodations under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.House members as a result must attend in person if they are to participate. They are being asked to bring facemasks and, according to Packard, when they enter the building they will receive a bottle of hand sanitizer, two additional facemasks and a biohazard or paper waste disposal bag. At the same time, special sections of the facility will be set aside for people who refuse to wear masks and for those who can’t wear masks for medical reasons.The New Hampshire that it will have union members stationed outside the Sportsplex on Wednesday and Thursday mornings to distribute PPE, including KN95 respirator masks and disposable coverall suits.New Hampshire AFL-CIO President Glenn Brackett said the union preferred remote accommodations for lawmakers with special vulnerability to COVID-19, but he cited the judge’s order.“We didn’t want it to come to this,” Brackett said. “No one should fear going to work. However, distributing personal protective equipment is the least we can do to keep our lawmakers safe.”Once inside, the House members will take on a rash of bills over the two-day session -- some of them controversial. It will be the first House session since Jan. 6, which was held in a parking lot on the campus of the University of New Hampshire.Two bills expand the current “stand your ground” law. allows people to use deadly force to protect themselves inside their vehicles, and allows people to protect anyone on their property from threats.Several bills deal with the abortion issue. would ban abortion at 24 weeks or later, while is a “born alive bill” that sets out “the right of any infant born alive to medically appropriate and reasonable care and treatment.” would repeal the current law establishing flexible “buffer zones” around reproductive health care centers.Election- and campaign-related bills to be addressed include , which would establish an independent advisory commission to offer recommendations on redistricting; to close the so-called “Limited Liability Corporation loophole” and ensure that political contributions are attributed to each LLC member; and , allowing labor unions and business organizations to make political contributions through political committees.On other issues, would reduce the penalty for some first offense drug possession charges, while would guarantee a minimum of $50 million for the school building aid program. would remove the work and community engagement requirement for people to participate in the Granite Advantage expanded Medicaid program with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing. There are currently 398 members -- 212 Republicans and 186 Democrats -- in the House, with two vacancies.Loading more articles...

AdvertisementUnion members to distribute PPE outside; inside, key bill include gun, election, abortion, education issuesAdvertisementNH House to address more than 130 bills over two-day, in-person session at sports facilityUnion members to distribute PPE outside; inside, key bill include gun, election, abortion, education issuesWith more than 130 bills to be voted on, the New Hampshire House will meet Wednesday and Thursday at a 55,000-square-foot sports facility that the Republican Speaker says will allow for social distancing and other precautions designed to mitigate the threat of...

NH House to address more than 130 bills over two-day, in-person session at sports facility

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