[Posted Sunday, January 1, 2012, at 8:00 p.m.] On Wednesday, January 4, the New Hampshire House of Representatives will vote on three important gun bills. These are good pro-gun bills, and we urge you to contact your state representative and ask him or her to vote in favor of them.
HB536 is a Constitutional Carry bill, allowing concealed carry without a license. (Carry licenses will still be available for those who want to travel to other states that recognize NH licenses with a reciprocal agreement.) Note that the Union Leader recently published an article saying that Governor Lynch will veto the bill if it passes House and Senate; that is all the more reason to ask your state reps to support this bill and to ask other state reps to do so as well. A governor's veto can be overridden with a 2/3 vote (and this was done with the pro-gun bill SB88 in the year just past). The text of HB536, as most recently amended, is at http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/amendments/2011-2679H.html .
HB334 clarifies RSA 159:26, the state law that gives authority to control guns, ammunition, and knives only to the state legislature, and not to cities or towns. The text of HB334, as most recently amended, is at http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/amendments/2011-2563H.html .
Note: The minority committee report on HB334 (i.e., from those who argue against it), as printed in the House calendar for December 30, contains a strange statement: "However, there is a provision of the bill as amended that allows a town to have authority to ban weapons on its property. The minority feels that this provision violates the equal protection clause of the New Hampshire Constitution, in so far as it denies our state’s thirteen cities this same right." This is an outrageously incorrect misreading of the bill's language, which simply adds RSA 159:26 to the list of laws which preempt town authority -- exactly the opposite of what the minority report claims.
HB194 modifies Fish & Game law RSA 207:7, which declares that a loaded rifle or shotgun may not be carried in a vehicle. The bill redefines a loaded rifle or shotgun as one that contains a round in the firing chamber. The current law defines a loaded long gun as one that has ammunition in the chamber or in an attached magazine. With the passage of this bill, you can have a loaded rifle or shotgun in a motor vehicle, as long as the chamber is empty. The text of HB194, as most recently amended, is at http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/amendments/2011-2751H.html .
To find your state rep and his or her contact information, go to http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/wml.aspx .