CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE –Today, 200 Democrats in the New Hampshire House of Representatives sent Governor Sununu a letter imploring him to issue a “stay-at-home" order and close non-essential businesses to fight the spread of COVID-19. This request comes as states across America, including border states Massachusetts and Vermont, move to “stay-at-home" orders under the guidance of public health professionals. The letter from House Democrats to Governor Sununu is reprinted below.
###
Governor Sununu,
We, the undersigned Democrats in the New Hampshire House, implore you to immediately issue a “stay-at-home” order to slow the spread of COVID-19 in New Hampshire. As our hospitals and the mayors of our largest cities have noted, every day that passes without a stay-at-home directive brings exponential growth to the health risks faced by Granite Staters, and unsustainable pressure on New Hampshire’s healthcare services which will lead to unnecessary loss of life. As you have acknowledged, we likely remain far from the peak of COVID-19 infections in New Hampshire.
Many of us own or work at small businesses and understand that ordering non-essential businesses to close is a drastic step that will exacerbate the disruption COVID-19 has already brought to everyday life. However, as we have seen in other countries and other states, taking decisive action will slow the spread of the virus, save lives and allow our economy to rebound stronger and faster. The steps we have taken so far, which include telling people to keep their social gatherings to under 10 people, are simply not enough.
Monday’s announcement of the first death from COVID-19 in New Hampshire emphasizes the urgency in our communities to take decisive steps to combat this deadly virus. Closing nonessential businesses and ordering people to stay at home are bold steps critical to that effort. Please join the states across America, including our neighbors Massachusetts and Vermont, that have taken these critical steps to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Signed,
Majority Leader Douglas Ley - Cheshire District 9
Deputy Majority Leader Marjorie Porter - Hillsborough District 1
Representative Richard Abel - Grafton District 13
Representative Josh Adjutant - Grafton District 17
Representative Susan Almy - Grafton District 13
Representative Debra Altschiller - Rockingham District 19
Representative Dick Ames - Cheshire District 9
Representative Robert Backus - Hillsborough District 19
Representative Chris Balch - Hillsborough District 38
Representative Ben Baroody - Hillsborough District 43
Representative Christy Bartlett - Merrimack District 19
Representative Jane Beaulieu - Hillsborough District 45
Representative Paul Berch - Cheshire District 1
Representative Paul Bergeron - Hillsborough District 29
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 Anita Burroughs - Carroll District 1
Representative Pat Bushway - Rockingham District 21
Representative Ed Butler - Carroll District 7
Representative Jacqueline Cali-Pitts - Rockingham District 30
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 Jackie Chretien - Hillsborough District 42
Representative Skip Cleaver - Hillsborough District 35
Representative John Cloutier - Sullivan District 10
Representative Bruce Cohen - Hillsborough District 28
Representative Casey Conley - Strafford District 13
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 Karen Ebel - Merrimack District 5
Representative Michael Edgar - Rockingham District 21
Representative Tim Egan - Grafton District 2
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 Donovan Fenton - Cheshire 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 Gabby Grossman - Rockingham District 18
Representative Jaci Grote - Rockingham District 24
Representative Brett Hall - Hillsborough District 26
Representative Heidi Hamer - Hillsborough District 17
Representative Linda Harriott-Gathright - Hillsborough District 36
Representative Bill Hatch - Coos District 6
Representative Mary Heath - Hillsborough District 14
Representative Peg Higgins - Strafford District 22
Representative Timothy Horrigan - Strafford District 6
Representative David Huot - Belknap District 3
Representative Greg Indruk - Hillsborough District 34
Representative Jean Jeudy - Hillsborough District 10
Representative Timothy Josephson - Grafton District 11
Representative David Karrick - Merrimack District 25
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 Richard Komi - Hillsborough District 43
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 Dennis Malloy - Rockingham District 23
Representative Latha Mangipudi - Hillsborough District 35
Representative John Mann - Cheshire District 2
Representative Joelle Martin - Hillsborough District 23
Representative Linda Massimilla - Grafton District 1
Representative Becky McBeath - Rockingham District 26
Representative Liz McConnell - Rockingham District 11
Representative Kat McGhee - Hillsborough District 40
Representative Rebecca McWilliams - Merrimack District 27
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 Sue Mullen - Hillsborough District 7
Representative Mary Jane Mulligan - Grafton District 12
Representative Nancy Murphy - Hillsborough District 21
Representative Kate Murray - Rockingham District 24
Representative Megan Murray - Hillsborough District 22
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 Lee Oxenham - Sullivan District 1
Representative Laura Pantelakos - Rockingham District 25
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 Josh Query - Hillsborough District 16
Representative Julie Radhakrishnan - Hillsborough District 22
Representative Ellen Read - Rockingham District 17
Representative Cecilia Rich - Strafford District 18
Representative Beth Richards - Merrimack District 13
Representative Cole Riel - Hillsborough District 6
Representative Beth Rodd - Merrimack District 6
Representative Rosemarie Rung - Hillsborough District 21
Representative Denny Ruprecht - Grafton District 15
Representative Jeffrey Salloway - Strafford District 5
Representative Catt Sandler - Strafford District 21
Representative George Saunderson - Merrimack District 9
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 Timothy Smith - Hillsborough District 17
Representative Ken Snow - Hillsborough District 19
Representative Catherine Sofikitis - Hillsborough District 34
Representative Peter Somssich - Rockingham District 27
Representative Thomas Southworth - Strafford District 20
Representative Judith Spang - Strafford District 6
Representative Charlie St. Clair - Belknap District 9
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 Jerry Stringham - Grafton District 5
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 Laura Telerski - Hillsborough District 35
Representative Wendy Thomas - Hillsborough District 21
Representative Yvonne Thomas - Coos District 3
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 Mark Vallone - Rockingham District 9
Representative Connie Van Houten - Hillsborough District 45
Representative Ivy Vann - Hillsborough District 24
Representative Kenneth Vincent - Strafford District 17
Representative Sparky Von Plinsky - Cheshire District 7
Representative Janet Wall - Strafford District 6
Representative Mary Jane Wallner - Merrimack District 10
Representative Mary Beth Walz - Merrimack District 23
Representative Gerald Ward - Rockingham District 28
Representative Annie Warner - Rockingham District 5
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 David Woodbury - Hillsborough District 5
Representative Steve Woodcock - Carroll District 2
Representative Gary Woods, MD - Merrimack District 23