August 1, 2020

Judge's Ruling Makes It Easier For Libertarians To Get On New Hampshire Ballot

A federal judge has lowered the threshold for Libertarian party candidates to get on the November ballot in New Hampshire.

Libertarians sued the governor and secretary of state on the grounds that the ballot access requirements were too burdensome during a time of coronavirus restrictions.

Libertarians can get on the ballot with 35 percent fewer signatures under the ruling issued by federal judge Joseph Laplante.

In his order issued Tuesday, Laplante wrote that COVID-19 restrictions combined with "strict enforcement of New Hampshire’s ballot-access signature requirements imposes a substantial burden, but not a severe one.”

Read more: https://www.nhpr.org/post/judges-ruling-makes-it-easier-libertarians-get-nh-ballot

August 1, 2020

New law sets cap on insulin prices

A bill signed yesterday {July 16} by Governor Sununu will cap the price of insulin for patients.

The bipartisan effort offers a suite of healthcare reforms, including a limit of $30 on copayments for each 30-day supply of insulin and a provision that requires insurance companies to cover epinephrine auto-injectors, which are used in the case of an allergic reaction.

This change follows several states who have passed similar measures in the last few months, such as New York, Maine, and Washington. However, New Hampshire’s cap is one of the lowest in the country, only rivaled by Utah which also has a $30 cap.

Critics worry that increased restrictions on insurance companies will ultimately cause the prices of premiums to rise, as companies look for ways to recuperate their lost revenue.

Read more: https://www.concordmonitor.com/insulin-cap-price-new-hampshire-35269130

August 1, 2020

Texas Supreme Court lets coronavirus orders stand, despite outcry by conservatives

Houston activist Dr. Steve Hotze so far has whiffed in five attempts to overturn COVID-19 orders by Gov. Greg Abbott, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo

AUSTIN — The Texas Supreme Court has refused to hear several challenges by a Houston conservative power broker to emergency orders on coronavirus issued by Gov. Greg Abbott and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.

Without comment, the nine Republican justices on Friday denied a request that they review a trial court that upheld Hidalgo’s April 22 mask order.

The order required residents to wash hands before leaving home and wear masks, stay 6 feet away from each other and avoid touching their faces in public. For a time, Abbott, a Republican, prevented Hidalgo, a Democrat elected in 2018, from enforcing it. The governor later reversed course and issued his own mask order.

Experts said Friday they weren’t surprised that in five recent lawsuits, the state’s highest civil court has declined Dr. Steve Hotze’s demands that it step in and overturn Abbott and Hidalgo’s COVID-19 orders. Each time, the court ruled on procedural grounds.

Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/07/31/texas-supreme-court-lets-coronavirus-orders-stand-despite-outcry-by-conservatives/

August 1, 2020

UT official: No parties, on or off campus, are allowed fall semester

The University of Texas will not allow students to hold parties on or off campus during the fall semester as Austin and the state continue to battle the coronavirus pandemic.

In an email sent to students Friday, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Soncia Reagins-Lilly encouraged students to follow the city of Austin’s guidance to stay home and the state’s orders to wear a mask in public. Parties, she added, will not be permitted.

“While the orders and guidelines continue to evolve, parties (whether on or off campus) put people’s health and safety at risk and raise anxiety levels,” she said in the email.

The fall semester will begin Aug. 26, with students taking classes in person and online. It’s not clear how the university plans to enforce the no-party rule in off-campus settings, but the city of Austin has prohibited gatherings of more than 10 people. According to UT’s student conduct rules, those who deliberately engage in behavior that threatens the health and safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors will be subject to disciplinary action.

Read more: https://www.statesman.com/news/20200731/ut-official-no-parties-on-or-off-campus-are-allowed-fall-semester

A written policy guaranteed not to be practiced by the student body. UT might as well tell the students that they are expected to be celibate also.

August 1, 2020

Vast majority of university employees asking to work from home were denied

Nearly 450 employees in the University System of New Hampshire applied for special accommodations through the Americans with Disabilities Act, including working from home, for the fall semester due to COVID-19.

The vast majority of those requests were denied. Instead, professors and other staff were offered a “flexible work arrangement,” a designation that left some confused and concerned.

The hundreds of requests for accommodations were a deluge compared to years past when typically just a few applications were filed, school officials said. In all, The University System approved fewer than one out of five applications for the fall semester. Officials are still processing 74 applications.

“It is important to emphasize that UNH is a residential university and our commitment is to provide our students with in-person, face-to-face learning,” UNH Provost Wayne Jones said in a statement to staff Tuesday afternoon.

Read more: https://www.concordmonitor.com/COVID-accommodation-declined-35418054

August 1, 2020

Gov. Scott expands retail occupancy to 50%

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) - Vermont is continuing to turn the economic spigot while cases of COVID-19 in the Northeast are on the rise. Gov. Phil Scott says new the mask mandate is letting us open the economy more. Our Calvin Cutler has details.

It’s been a while since we’ve opened the spigot. We’ve been in a holding pattern because of spikes across the nation.

Now, the governor is allowing retail to increase to 50% capacity, which by and large doesn't have a huge economic impact. But he says as we continue to lead the nation in curbing COVID-19, a new mask mandate will allow us to open up even more in the weeks to come.

Cases of the coronavirus continue to flare up in southern and western states and they are creeping their way back to New England.

Data released Friday shows fewer New England counties can visit Vermont without a two-week quarantine, bringing down the number of potential visitors in the region to just under 5 million.

Read more: https://www.wcax.com/2020/07/31/gov-scott-we-owe-it-to-our-kids/