NEWS GOVERNOR SUNUNU IS UPDATING NEW HAMPSHIRE’S CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE. LET’S LISTEN I >> TODAY WE AR ANNOUNCING 19 NEW CASES OF COVID-19 FOR A TOTAL O 5932. THREE NEW HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR TOTA OF 577. TWO NEW DEATHS, BOTH RELATED TO LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES. WE HAVE ONE OUTBREAK TO CLOSE OUT TODAY, THAT IS BEDFORD NURSING AND REHAB CENTER. THERE OUTBREAK IS OFFICIAL CLOSED, WHICH LEAVES SIX REMAINING FACILITIES ON OUTBREAK STATUS AS OF TODAY. WE HAVE NO NEW OUTBREAKS TO ADD TO OUR LIS THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. WE WERE DISCUSSING BEFORE AND I THINK WE HAVE SIX FACILITIES WITH RIGHTS IN THE STATE AND WE WILL KEEP PUTTING A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON THOSE FACILITIES BUT OUT OF OVER 200 FACILITIES ACROSS THE STATE, OUR HATS OFF TO ALL THE FOLKS, ESPECIALLY THE FRONT-LINE WORKERS WORKING IN THOSE FACILITIES MANAGING SOME OF THOSE OUTBREAKS AND GETTING TO A POSITIVE PLACE, CONSTANTLY MOVING IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION. 19 NEW CASES TODAY AND THAT IS 19 MORE THAN WE WANT TO SEE BUT CLEARLY WE ARE ON A POSITIVE TRACK. WE SUSPECT OUR NUMBERS WILL GO UP AT SOME POINT BUT I THINK THE PEOPLE CONTINUE TO DO A TERRIFIC JOB HELPING MANAGE THE COVID SPREAD WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES. A FEW THINGS WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT AND THEN WE WILL OPEN FOR QUESTIONS. THE SELF-EMPLOYMENT LIVELIHOOD FUND PROGRAM, WE CALL THE SELF PROGRAM, WHICH IS AN OFFSHOOT OF THE MAIN STREET RELIE PROGRAM. THAT WAS A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM, PUT ABOUT THREADED $30 MILLION INTO BUSINESSES -- $330 MILLION INTO BUSINESSES. WE HAVE HEARD A LOT REQUESTS FOR THOSE THAT ARE SELF-EMPLOYED TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE TO MAKE SURE THEIR BUSINESSES CAN HAVE FINANCIAL RELIEF. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT, SO THAT APPLICATION PROCESS DID BEGIN AS OF YESTERDAY. IT WILL GO UNTIL JULY 17. WE JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE. IF YOU ARE A SELF-EMPLOYED INDIVIDUAL, CAN GO TO REVENUE.NH.GOV FOR THAT APPLICATION PROCESS. WE WANTED TO MAKE IT EASY AND STREAMLINES OF BUREAUCRACY DID NO GET FOLKS HUNG UP AND IT ALLOWS THE FUNDS TO BE RELEASED SOONER. SO FOR THE NEXT 10 DAYS OR SO, PEOPLE CAN GO TO REVENUE.NH.G TO APPLY FOR THE SELF-EMPLOYMENT BUSINESS RELIEF PROGRAM. SPEAKING O EMPLOYMENT, WE GOT SOME UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS THEY CAME OUT THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS. NEW HAMPSHIRE KEEPS SAYING VERY GOOD PROGRESS IN TERMS OF HOW WE FLEX OPEN OUR ECONOM BALANCING THE ISSUES OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY. THE STATE LAST WEEK SAW 4800 NEW CLAIMS FOR THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 27, IS 11% DECLINE WEEK OVER WEEK. NEARLY 90% DECLINE SINCE THE HIGHEST PEAK WHEN THE EPIDEMIC FIRST STARTED. SO MAKING A LOT OF PROGRESS. NATIONALLY, ABOUT A 1% DECLI IN NEW CLAIMS AND WE ARE AT 11%. EVEN WHE YOU COMPARE US TO THE REST OF NEW ENGLAND, WE ARE FAR MOVING FASTER. RHODE ISLAND A VERMONT, 3% AND 2% RESPECTIVELY. WE ARE SEEING SOME OF THOSE LARGEST DECLINES AROUND. SO PEOPLE ARE GETTING BACK TO WORK A STOP WE ARE DOING IS SMART. WE’RE STILL NOT SEEING AN OUTBREAK OF COVID IN THE COMMUNITY’S OR THE NUMBERS RISING. ALL OF THAT POSITIVE DATA SHOWS AS A WHOLE, NEW ENGLAND AS A WHOLE, IS REOPENING SAFELY. WE WANT TO KEEP SEEING THOSE DOWNWARD TRENDS. A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY. A LOT OF JOBS, FRANKLY, FOR FOLKS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF. ANOTHER AREA WE WANT TO TOUCH BASE ON BEFORE THERE WERE QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION. FOLLOWING LAST WEEK WE TRY TO BE TRANSPARENT AND OUTLINE WHAT WE THINK THE REVENU SITUATION FOR THE STATE GOVERNMENT, FOR WHAT THE STATE IS, WE INTENSIFY JUST OVER $500 MILLION LOSS IN REVENUE THAT WE WILL SEE BETWEEN ESSENTIALLY WHEN THE COVID PANDEM STARTED UP THROUGH JUNE OF NEXT YEAR WHEN OUR BUDGET TRADITIONALLY WILL HAVE TO GO TO ANOTHER SESSION. WE HAVE A LOT OF TOUGH DECISIONS TO MAKE. WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. HOPEFULLY, THEY WILL LIVE UP TO THEIR PROMISES AND HELP THE STATE REPLENISH. BUT WE KNOW THERE WILL STILL BE TOUGH DECISIONS TO MAKE. WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AT RISK OF THE BUSINESS TAX TRIGGERS. WE DON’T HAVE SALES TAX OR STATE TAX, BUT WE DO HAVE BUSINESS TAXES. PART OF THE LAST NEGOTIATED BUDGET WAS THE IDEA IF REVENUES DID NOT COME IN A CERTAIN POINT, BUSINESS TAXES WOULD HAVE TO GO UP. PART OF A NEGOTIATED PROCESS. THE FEAR WAS GIVEN ARE VERY SEVERE BUDGET OR REVENUE PROJECTIONS, UNFORTUNATELY THOSE TAX TRIGGERS WERE GOING TO GO INTO EFFECT. I WROTE A LETTER TO THE LEGISLATURE AND PLEADED WITH THEM TO BASICALLY CHANGE THAT RULE, CHANGE THAT LAW. THE WORST TIME TO RAISE TAXES ON ANYONE IS WHEN THEY ARE DOWN ECONOMICALLY. FAMILIES, BUSINESSES ARE HURTING ECONOMICALLY. THE LEADERSHIP OF THE LEGISLATURE REJECTED T REQUEST. THEY SAID THOSE BUSINESS TAXES WERE GOING TO BE RAISED. WE PUT OURSELVES INTO HIGH GEAR TO MANAGE TO MAKE SURE WE AR PROVIDING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO REOPEN OUR ECONOMY, INCREASE OUR REVENUES TO THE POINT WHERE THOSE BUSINESS TAX TRIGGERS WOULD NOT BE HIT. I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE AT LEAST ON A CASH BASIS, IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE NOT GOING TO HIT THE BUSINESS TAX INCREASES. I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT THAT. IT WOULD JUST BE THE WORST THING YOU COULD DO. IT LOOKS LIKE WE’RE GOING TO COME UNDER THOSE TAX TRIGGERS BY ABOUT $15 MILLION. I WAS TALKING TO SOME BUSINESS RESTAURANT OWNERS AND IT LOOKS LIKE JUNE NUMBERS WILL BE PRETTY STRONG. STILL BELOW WHAT WE ANTICIPATED, BUT NOT SO FAR BELOW THESE N BUSINESS TAX INCREASES WOULD HAVE TO BE THROWN UPON THE CITIZENS AND THE BUSINESSES OF THIS STATE. I THINK IT IS GOOD NEWS. IT ALL HAS TO BE AUDITED IT HAS TO BE CHECKED AND DOUBLE CHECKED, BUT RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE, CROSS OU FINGERS AND KNOCK ON WOOD, AND LOOKS LIKE THOSE BUSINESS T TRIGGERS WILL NOT B