The constitutions of both the United States and the State of New Hampshire guarantee each of us the right to keep and bear arms, and we believe those who drafted the constitutions meant for us to have the right to bear arms for our own individual defense, because government cannot protect every person at every moment.
We here at Pro-Gun New Hampshire wish to share with the rest of the country New Hampshire state law RSA 159:26, which reads in full:
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I. To
the extent consistent with federal law, the state of New Hampshire
shall have authority and
jurisdiction over the sale, purchase, ownership, use, possession,
transportation, licensing, permitting, taxation, or other matter
pertaining to
firearms, firearms components, ammunition, or firearms supplies in the
state.
Except as otherwise specifically provided by statute, no ordinance or
regulation of a political subdivision may regulate the sale, purchase,
ownership, use, possession, transportation, licensing, permitting,
taxation, or
other matter pertaining to firearms, firearms components, ammunition, or
firearms supplies in the state. Nothing in this section shall be
construed as
affecting a political subdivision's right to adopt zoning ordinances for
the
purpose of regulating firearms businesses in the same manner as other
businesses or to take any action allowed under RSA 207:59.
II. Upon the
effective date of this section, all municipal ordinances and regulations
not
authorized under paragraph I relative to the sale, purchase, ownership,
use,
possession, transportation, licensing, permitting, taxation, or other
matter
pertaining to firearms, firearm components, ammunition, or firearms
supplies
shall be null and void.
Source. 2003, 283:2,
eff. July 18, 2003.
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The former President of Pro-Gun New Hampshire, State Representative Elbert Bicknell, shepherded this law through the legislature seven years ago in response to certain towns and cities prohibiting carrying a pistol into a municipal building. The legislature was clear in its decision to maintain the rights of New Hampshire citizens to lawfully bear arms.
The recent decision by Nottingham to formally allow their town employees to continue to lawfully exercise their rights may have been a surprise to some areas of the country, but certainly not to us nor to the New Hampshire legislature. Last year, when the town of Tamworth prohibited its municipal employees from being armed on town property, we notified the town selectmen that their policy arguably violated RSA 159:26, and they rescinded it.
Pro-Gun New Hampshire believes every law-abiding citizen has the right to keep and bear arms, and points to the guarantees of this right written into both the state and federal constitutions.
We applaud the town of Nottingham for having the fortitude to discuss openly the rights of its employees, and we look forward to assisting any community in understanding the rights and laws that currently exist.