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Delegation urges federal officials to expedite reversal of ‘gag rule’ on family planning providers
Citing the Executive Council’s vote to defund the state’s three largest low-cost reproductive health care providers, the federal delegation has asked federal officials to expedite reversal of a Trump-era “gag rule” that is preventing the providers from accessing alternative funds. “Further delay in the approval process will result in prolonged funding shortfalls for family planning […]
Sununu says he’s willing to bring back family planning contracts for another vote
Gov. Chris Sununu said Tuesday he is willing to bring back the recently rejected family planning contracts for another vote after learning two of the four Republican executive councilors who voted against the contracts cited insufficient information from the state Department of Health and Human Services as the reason for their vote. The department pushed […]
Q&A: Clearing up the mask confusion
This story was updated Sept. 23, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. to clarify that 60 percent of KN95 masks on the market are believed to be counterfeits. The best protection against serious illness, hospitalization, and asymptomatic transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be getting fully vaccinated. But with the state’s vaccination rate seemingly stuck at […]
Sununu, councilors accused of abandoning ‘bipartisan history’ of protecting reproductive care
This story was updated on Sept. 20 at 5:30 p.m. to clarify that the delegation’s comments were made on Monday, Sept. 20. Members of the federal delegation called on Gov. Chris Sununu and the state’s leading Republicans Monday to step up efforts to protect state and federal funding for the family planning centers that provide […]
Fiscal Committee tables request for $27 million in federal money to boost vaccination efforts
This story was updated Sept. 17, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. with a statement from the governor. Republican lawmakers’ anger over the Biden administration’s new vaccine mandate has put in jeopardy $27 million in federal pandemic relief to boost the state’s vaccination efforts. As the Executive Council did Wednesday, the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee on Friday […]
State plans to ramp up outreach efforts in communities with low vaccination rates
With COVID-19 cases surging and vaccinations lagging in New Hampshire, the state is focusing its outreach in towns with vaccination rates lower than 50 percent. Meanwhile, case counts and a federal vaccine mandate are prompting proposed legislation from lawmakers. State epidemiologist Dr. Ben Chan said Wednesday the state is averaging 400 new cases a day […]
Republican councilors vote down contracts for three reproductive health centers
In a 4-1 party-line vote, the Executive Council’s Republicans voted Wednesday to defund three reproductive health care providers because they perform abortions. The four councilors voted against the contracts despite confirmation from the attorney general and commissioner of Health and Human Services the three providers are complying with a new state law requiring they use […]
As Executive Council meets, affordable reproductive health care hangs in the balance
When a package arrives at the Equality Health Center in Concord, Executive Director Dalia Vidunas opens it outside and away from staff, in case it explodes. Alerts arrive almost daily from other clinics under attack. Protesters tell patients, whether they arrive for cancer screenings or abortions, they are murderers. Providing reproductive health care has become […]
Crowd turns against Republican lawmakers during rally opposing vaccine mandates
This story was updated September 14, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. to the correct the spelling of Terese Grinnell’s name. Republican House members and a large crowd outside the State House Tuesday agreed in their opposition to the Biden administration’s new vaccine mandates. But the crowd made clear they think lawmakers and Gov. Chris Sununu are […]
Health and Human Services seeks $27 million for 13 new positions dedicated to vaccination effort
The state Department of Health and Human Services wants to use $27 million in federal pandemic aid to create 13 new positions aimed at increasing the state’s vaccination rate, which has been lagging at about 54 percent since at least July. The request, which goes before the Executive Council Wednesday and must clear the Joint […]
State receives four bids to market former Lakes Region Facility for redevelopment
The state received four bids by Friday’s deadline to market the 220-acre former Lakes Region Facility for redevelopment. A law change tucked into the state budget will allow Gov. Chris Sununu to bypass the usual internal review process and award a contract himself with just three Executive Council votes. The state Department of Administrative Services […]
Survey: One in five New Hampshire adults say they won’t get vaccinated
The state’s rate of fully vaccinated residents has been stuck at 54 percent since July. The latest Granite State Panel from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center suggests neither the Delta variant nor the state’s $1.3 million vaccine campaign will make much of a difference. According to the survey, one in five New Hampshire […]