Juneteenth Day
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free.
https://www.governor.nh.gov/news-and-media/juneteenth-day
Governor Sununu signed Executive order 2020-11, an order establishing the New Hampshire Commission on Law Enforcement Accountability, Community, and Transparency.
“New Hampshire finds itself in a pivotal moment that demands prompt action to initiate important conversations and develop recommendations for reform,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “The state has an obligation to participate in the national conversation and engage in self-examination to identify any opportunities to improve the state of our law enforcement and the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve, and I would like to thank the members of this commission for agreeing to serve.”
The members of the commission will consist of the following:
- The Attorney General, or designee, who shall chair the Commission
- The Commissioner of the Department of Safety, or designee
- The Executive Director of the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights
- The Director of the Police Standards and Training Council
- The Chair of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion
- The President of the Manchester, NH NAACP
- A current justice of the New Hampshire Superior or Circuit Court, appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Governor
- A representative of the New Hampshire Police Association, appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Governor
- The President of the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police
- The Executive Director of the New Hampshire Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness
- A representative from the New Hampshire ACLU, appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Governor
- Two members of the public, appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Governor
The Commission will engage all interested and relevant public, private, and community stakeholders and develop recommendations for reforms that the Commission deems necessary to enhance transparency, accountability, and community relations in law enforcement. To fulfill this charge, the Commission will examine the following:
- Training curriculum, procedures and policies developed by State Police, local police departments, and the Police Standards and Training Council, and potential options for improving the same to better address certain areas which may include, but are not limited to, (i) de-escalation, (ii) use of deadly and non-deadly force force, and (iii) diversity training;
- State and local procedures related to the reporting and investigation of police misconduct, and potential reforms which may include, but are not limited to, development of a uniform statewide system for the reporting, investigation, and punishment of police misconduct;
- The current state of relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve, and potential steps that can be taken to enhance these relationships; and
- Any other subject matter which the Commission deems relevant to the overall mission of enhancing transparency, accountability, and community relations in law enforcement.
The Commission will have 45 days to submit a report containing its recommendations to the Governor, the Speaker of the House, and the President of the Senate. The Commission’s report will be posted publicly on the Governor’s Office website.
State seeks bids for Connecting NH – Emergency Broadband Expansion Program
CONCORD- The New Hampshire Office of Strategic Initiatives (OSI), in conjunction with the New Hampshire Department of Education (DOE) and Public Utilities Commission (PUC), today announced a Request for Proposals for the Connecting NH- Emergency Broadband Expansion Program. Gov. Chris Sununu launched the new program this month using $50 million from the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund. Connecting NH is seeking proposals from qualified applicants to provide high speed internet connectivity (25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload (25/3)) to as many unserved New Hampshire properties as possible at the least cost to the State.
https://www.governor.nh.gov/news-and-media/state-seeks-bids-connecting-nh-emergency-broadband-expansion-program
Governor Chris Sununu issued Emergency Order #53 as part of the state’s efforts to respond to COVID-19.
Emergency Order #53 
: Amendment to Emergency Order #36 (Ensuring Worker’s Compensation Coverage for New Hampshire First Responders Exposed to COVID-19) 
Portable Document Format (.pdf)
NH DHHS COVID-19 Update – June 18, 2020
Concord, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has issued the following update on the new coronavirus, COVID-19.
On Thursday, June 18, 2020, DHHS announced 17 new positive test results for COVID-19. There have now been 5,450 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in New Hampshire. Several cases are still under investigation.
Additional information from ongoing investigations will be incorporated into future COVID-19 updates. Of those with complete information, there are two individuals under the age of 18 and the rest are adults with 82% being female and 18% being male. The new cases reside in Hillsborough County other than Manchester and Nashua (2), Rockingham (2), Belknap (1), Grafton (1), and Merrimack (1) counties, and in the cities of Manchester (7) and Nashua (3).
Two new hospitalized cases were identified for a total of 533 (10%) of 5,450 cases. Two of the new cases had no identified risk factors.
Community-based transmission continues to occur in the State and has been identified
in all counties. Most of the remaining cases have had close contact with a person with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis or are associated with an outbreak setting.
DHHS has also announced 1 additional death related to COVID-19. We offer our sympathies to the family and friends.
• 1 female resident of Hillsborough County, 60 years of age and older
NH State Representative Steven Smith 
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