Democratic legislative leaders ask that remote public access to hearings continue permanently Funds sought in 2022-2023 budget to continue practice that began amid height of COVID-19 pandemic Share Updated: 7:32 PM EDT May 7, 2021 Funds sought in 2022-2023 budget to continue practice that began amid height of COVID-19 pandemic Share Updated: 7:32 PM EDT May 7, 2021 The Democratic leaders of the New Hampshire House and Senate are asking the Republican majority to find enough money in the next state budget to continue to provide remote public access to legislative hearings.They are further asking that the provision be made "a permanent part of legislative operations."House Democratic Leader Renny Cushing said during a Friday news conference that a positive by-product of the COVID-19 pandemic has been to the state’s ability to provide remote access for people to watch and testify in committee hearings remotely.For more than a year, House and Senate hearings have been accessible on Zoom for members of the public to watch and participate. With the 2022-2023 state budget now under review and revision in the state Senate, the Democrats are asking that funding be provided so the practice can continue into the future.Cushing and Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy sent a letter to Speaker of the House Sherman Packard and Senate President Chuck Morse, who are Republicans, asking that sufficient funding is provided in the upcoming budget and that such funding remain "a permanent part of legislative operation."“We hope that this process can continue,” Cushing said. “We know that we’ve been able to fund the money in the current operating budget to make that happen. It’s our presumption that we will have sufficient funding in the next biennium to continue it.“By any standard, the use of video conferencing technology has been a success,” he said. “It has allowed many more people to participate in the legislative process, to observe the workings of the Legislature in action.“And I think it is incumbent upon us that we continue this in the name of democracy, in the name of transparency, in the name of accountability.”He noted that remote access allows people from throughout the state, and people with disabilities, to participate in hearings.The issue was discussed at a facilities committee meeting held following the press conference. (Update:) Cushing said on Saturday that he was told at the meeting by Senate President Morse that "there is money in the budget to continue to provide public participation in the legislative process, and I accept that." Deputy Democratic Leader David Cote, who has been in the House for 40 years, said he was once skeptical that video conferencing would work.“I‘ve now learned that this is not impossible and, moreover, there’s an imperative need for public access to increase transparency and participation,” he said.Rep. Megan Murray, D-Amherst, said she has heard from other young parents that the ability to watch a recording of a hearing after it has concluded has allowed them to have greater access to the Legislature. “The state of New Hampshire continues to grow and young families are here seeking engagement in the legislative process to make their voices heard in new and evolving ways,” Murray said.This proposal is separate from the issue being disputed in federal court over the allowance of remote access for lawmakers with physical disabilities and vulnerabilities to serious consequences of COVID-19 to participate remotely in full House sessions.>> VIEW the statements from the Democratic lawmakers at their news conference here.