EAST DERRY, N.H.—ReopenNH welcomes the end of the unnecessary and unlawful statewide mask mandate, but the governor’s vain gesture in allowing Emergency Order 74 to expire today merely pretends to restore rights that Granite Staters never actually lost, but many forfeited unknowingly.
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“Do not for one moment think that this governor is somehow doling out liberty to New Hampshire and he ought to be thanked for finally letting us have our freedom back,” said Andrew J. Manuse, chairman of RebuildNH. “The mask mandate was unlawful from the beginning, along with several other emergency orders that are still in place, and this governor ought to be apologizing for overstepping his authority, if nothing else.”
“Numerous people have weathered the late outbreak without wearing a mask even once because they rationally examined the science and discerned that masks are not effective in the prevention of viral spread,” Manuse added. “Free people in a free society should have the opportunity to assess their own risk tolerance, and this liberty should never have been taken away from the people of New Hampshire.”
In his announcement yesterday about the mask mandate’s expiration and further relaxation of his unlawful orders on May 7, the governor also indicated that his State of Emergency would last through the year, repeating misconceptions about COVID-19 relief funding. Michigan and Alaska are currently not in a State of Emergency and have not had issues receiving federal COVID-19 relief funding. The Coronavirus Families First Act spells out only one program that is tied to being in an active state of emergency; namely, the temporarily expanded food stamp program.
“I think the governor needs to take the time to read what federal laws actually say and stop relying on hearsay information spread by bureaucrats,” said Melissa Blasek, executive director of RebuildNH. “It’s time for the Senate to pass the House budget along with the included emergency reforms to reinstate our republic and begin the process of restoring the proper balance of powers.”
With today’s relaxation of the statewide mask mandate, the people of New Hampshire need to be even more vigilant to hold their city and town leaders accountable and prevent onerous piecemeal rules that are even worse than what we’ve had in place. Businesses and local governments should not have the authority to trample on the natural rights of citizens, and Granite Staters will need to be diligent to peacefully negotiate their rights as they go about their business.
“Let me be clear: people need to stand up for their rights and say ‘NO’ to businesses or local governments that attempt to force masking or vaccination requirements,” said JR Hoell, treasurer of RebuildNH. “Granite Staters need to vote with their wallets and support local businesses that believe in personal freedoms and respect individual rights.”
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About RebuildNH
RebuildNH, also known as ReopenNH, is a PAC made up of concerned individuals devoted to getting New Hampshire back to work through a restoration of balance and reason in state government.
