Belmont rep among group eyeing Sununu’s impeachment

BELMONT — State Rep. Michael Sylvia is one of seven Republican lawmakers who are pursuing a resolution to consider the impeachment of Gov. Chris Sununu for abuse of power because the governor's emergency orders during the COVID-19 pandemic violate the state Constitution, the lawmaker said.

The group formally asked that a resolution be drafted after Sununu last week announced a mask mandate in public spaces when people cannot maintain social distance of 6 feet or greater.

Sylvia, R-Belmont, who serves as the chairman of the Belknap County Delegation, said the law which gives the governor authority to issue emergency orders is probably unconstitutional and that Sununu has exceeded his authority when he placed restrictions on businesses and ordered people to wear face masks both indoors and outdoors.

The mask mandate, which has no penalties for non-compliance, contains a number of exemptions, including students and staff in schools, and anyone with a disability or medical condition which make them unable to wear one.

Sylvia suggested that the mask mandate was likely the deciding factor to pursue the possible impeachment of the governor. He said he and other sponsors only began discussion in the last couple of weeks.

“Things were not progressing (in easing up on the emergency order restrictions),” Sylvia said. “The mask mandate was the possible trigger.”

But he said he and the other sponsors have been discussing since June or July what they consider Sununu’s constitutional overreach.

Sylvia said the chances of the resolution actually leading to the governor’s impeachment are “probably not very strong.” He said he expects all the Democrats in the House will oppose it, while Republican members will be split.

The chairman of the state Republic Party denounced the impeachment initiative.

“The NHGOP has always and will continue to stand with Governor Sununu and his team as he fights for Granite Staters during this global pandemic,” state GOP Chairman Steve Stepanek said in a statement. "Talk of impeachment is a severe obfuscation of the reasons Granite Staters elected Republicans on November 3rd."

Sylvia said while COVID-19 is a serious health issue, it is not as bad as the Spanish flu of 1918, and is nowhere near as serious as it is being portrayed by the media. He said that the number of reported cases are inflated because the tests being used to detect COVID infection are not that accurate.

Sylvia is the one Lakes Region lawmaker who has signed on as a sponsor for the impeachment resolution.

The seven sponsors have filed what is called a Legislative Service Request. The House Office of Legislative Services will work to draft a resolution incorporating the sponsors’ intent.

Sylvia said the draft should be ready by the end of December at the latest and sponsors then have 10 days to sign off on the draft.

He said that if Sununu lifts the restrictions he has imposed through emergency orders, sponsors would likely drop the impeachment resolution. If not, then the resolution would be referred to the House Judiciary Committee, of which Sylvia is currently a member.

“This is not a political maneuver,” Sylvia insisted. “It’s a constitutional question.”