Gov. Chris Sununu’s decision to end the statewide mask mandate was attributed in part to pressure from conservative House Republicans tying budget passage to priorities such as banning the teaching of Critical Race Theory and curbing emergency powers. NH Journal reports Rep. Jason Osborne, a sponsor of the anti-CRT bill, said Republicans had no intention of letting the priority die.
Governor Chris Sununu’s announcement that he’s ending the state’s mask mandate is a result of pressure from members of the conservative wing of the state GOP who are threatening the budget over hot button issues, like banning the teaching of critical race theory, according to Rep. Ken Weyler.
NH Journal
NH Journal recounts a warning from House Finance Chair Ken Weyler.
Weyler, a Kingston Republican and House Finance Chair, said he recently met with Sununu and warned him that the final version of the state budget needs to include controversial amendments added by Republican House members if the bill is going to pass.
NH Journal
The report describes Sununu’s posture toward the House budget.
Sununu has been critical of the House budget, which includes a provision to ban the teaching of critical race theory in New Hampshire schools, as well as measures to curb Sununu’s emergency powers.
NH Journal
NH Journal explains how the CRT provision moved forward procedurally.
HB 544, the bill to ban “divisive concepts” on race and gender from being taught in school, was laid on the table last week, putting the bill on hold. It was instead added to HB 2 as an amendment.
NH Journal
Osborne, a sponsor of the bill, was direct about Republican intentions.
We have no intention of allowing this priority issue to die.
House Majority Leader Jason Osborne
The coverage links the end of the mandate to negotiations over conservative budget priorities, with Republicans tying their support to issues including the CRT provision and limits on emergency powers.
Weyler said he had warned the governor the final budget needed those provisions to pass, NH Journal reports. The budget remained in the Senate at the time of the report, where many expected the more controversial elements to be revisited.
Osborne, who sponsored the underlying bill, signaled the issue would remain a priority for the caucus regardless of how the negotiations unfolded.
The coverage links the end of the mandate to negotiations over conservative budget priorities.
Republicans tied their support to the CRT provision and limits on emergency powers.
Weyler said he had warned the governor the final budget needed those provisions to pass.
The CRT language moved into HB 2 as an amendment after an earlier bill was tabled.
Osborne signaled the issue would remain a priority for the caucus.
The budget remained in the Senate at the time of the report.
Many expected the Senate to revisit the more controversial elements, NH Journal reports.
Weyler said he had pressed the governor on the budget’s conservative provisions.
Republicans tied their votes to the CRT ban and emergency-power limits.
The CRT language moved into HB 2 after an earlier bill was tabled.
Osborne said the priority issue would not be allowed to die.
The end of the mandate followed pressure tied to the budget.
Read the full story at NH Journal.
