NH HB330 - Constitutional Carry Bill

[Len-2A Training]

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Pro-Gun New Hampshire

Dear PGNH member:

We've sent you emails before urging you to contact your state rep or state senator on some piece of legislation, but this is the most serious request we've ever sent.

The Constitutional Carry bill, HB330, passed the NH House of Representatives by a vote of 244 to 109, and is now in the Senate. You'd think it would be a slam dunk, but... remember the old adage about "too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth"? Well, the NRA rep, John Hohenwarter, and GO-NH, are urging the Senate to "amend" HB330 by replacing it with a completely different version. Their version attempts to make our carry licenses more difficult to obtain by adding new mandatory requirements, and actually creates new gun control, particularly with regard to minors!

Further, they would have this legislation proceed without a public hearing -- "in the dark." But never mind these things: what's most important is that the House HAS ALREADY REJECTED this version -- so if the Senate foolishly adopts it (or makes any other changes to the House version, which took a lot of work to create), then the entire bill dies. That means that all the work that went into it will have been wasted, and New Hampshire will lose its opportunity to pass Constitutional Carry. It would be a shame if we lost gun rights not because of pro-gun versus anti-gun arguments, but just because of personal politics.

The Senate votes on this Wednesday, May 11. PLEASE call or email your state senator before then and leave a message asking him or her to pass the Constitutional Carry bill, HB330, THE WAY IT CAME OUT OF THE HOUSE, without further amendments. (Your message should include your name and address, which will confirm that you're a constituent of the senator.)

Here's how to find your state senator: http://gencourt.state.nh.us/Senate/members/wml.aspx

Please call Chris Cox at the NRA-ILA at (800) 392-VOTE (8683) and tell him that you are not happy with NRA’s misguided meddling.

Again, this is the most important request we've ever sent. All you have to do is leave a short message, or email, to your state senator before Wednesday. Thanks!

 

[willbdavis]

Done

 

[quinnt]

Sent

 

[strangenh]

Len,

Thank you for starting a new thread! That was a great idea. NH folks: This is URGENT.

This bill was a slam-dunk except for the NRA "boilerplate" carry "amendment" that GO-NH tried to force in the senate committee. This thing already passed the house with an almost 70% majority! Don't be fooled by the committee's request to get the bill back. It's not dead yet - this is the only important senate committee chaired by a Democrat.

Call or write your state senator and ask for them to vote to pass HB330 as it passed the house (by a massive majority -- over 2/3!). Do this NOW!

Really, do this NOW - the bill is up for floor vote in TWO DAYS.

 

[edhead35]

Tom DeBlois just said thanks for your thoughts on this matter, didnt say which way he was going.

 

[GraftonNH]

Call or write your state senator and ask for them to vote to pass HB330 as it passed the house (by a massive majority -- over 2/3!). Do this NOW!

Yes, be very clear you don't want them mucking with it. Some claim it's not perfect as written, but it is a very good step in the right direction.

 

[neEEGuru]

These guys need to keep their nose out of things that don't need them. The bill as passed by the house was very good and I didn't see anything wrong with it. Now they (go-nh and the NRA) are sinking it with this BS.

Call your reps!!!

 

[nhgreg]

Done... emailed my senator.

 

[waltherlover]

I have a question about this as MA resident - I see contradictory information in the bill - it says in one place that there is a non-resident permit, and in another place that if you have a "home state" permit that you don't need one. Can someone clarify this?

Thanks.

 

[GraftonNH]

it says in one place that there is a non-resident permit, and in another place that if you have a "home state" permit that you don't need one.

Can you be specific? I don't see the term "home state" anywhere in the text of the changes:

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2011/HB0330.html

Basically, if you can legally own a handgun you could carry it concealed in NH. It also sounds as though they'll still issue (optional) non-resident licenses if you apply for one.

 

[strangenh]

Well, it looks like the vote's over and it has been re-referred to the committee.

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bil...tion=&txtsessionyear=2011&txtbillnumber=hb330

 

[GraftonNH]

GO-NH and the NRA must be relieved. Argh.

 

[strangenh]

GO-NH and the NRA must be relieved. Argh.

Well, it's not like their bill was bad - it was just derailing another good bill that already had over 2/3 the house behind it. Sad, really.

 

[strangenh]

Senate rereferred to the Judiciary committee the following bills that had passed the house:

HB210 : relative to the use of deadly force to protect oneself
(That's the stand your ground bill)

HB225 : relative to the return of personal property confiscated by law enforcement agencies from a person charged with a crime.
(penalizes LEAs that don't return property within 21 days of the date of acquittal or dismissal)

HB330 : relative to carrying firearms.
(constitutional carry bill)

HB378 : (New Title) inserting an exception to the criminal threatening statute, relative to the minimum mandatory sentence for a felony conviction involving the possession, use, or attempted use of a firearm, and relative to the definition of “non-deadly” force.
(additional protections if one needs to show a weapon; allows one to display a weapon in reaction to non-deadly force without it being considered criminal threatening)

 

[neEEGuru]

Ya... so just a big dog and pony show and they all get side-lined

 

[strangenh]

I wish I knew what that meant. Not enough of a NH pol insider to know what's going on. But some of that is stuff that the gun orgs all pretty much agreed on, one with a senate and a house version... so maybe they really are going to try to reconcile bills and jam things through late in the session. Maybe not. Got to ask some folks more connected with the process...

 

[strangenh]

PGNH published a pretty stark commentary on what went down:

http://pgnh.org/heave_ho_hohenwarter

 

[GraftonNH]

It's nice to see someone was on our side this time.