We have several opportunities to advance gun rights in the next two days.
But I need you to act now.
Last year the legislature held several key bills over the summer, and they will be voting on them tomorrow and Thursday.
One of the most important bills for firearms rights is HB 536, Constitutional carry.
As you know, if passed, HB 536 would restore the right of every law-abiding New Hampshire citizen to carry a gun to protect themselves and their families — WITHOUT going through a bunch of bureaucratic rigmarole!
In short, if you’re legally able to own a firearm, you’re legally able to carry it. Period.
No expensive permit fees.
No “Big-Brother-May-I”.
No “dangerous persons” databases.
Just a God-given right to carry a firearm… the way our founding fathers intended.
This is the way it’s done in Vermont, Alaska, Arizona, and now Wyoming.
It is time for NH to be next.
I have some good news to report.
The committee recommended passage of HB 536, and the full house will be voting on that recommendation tomorrow.
Unfortunately, the committee also stripped stripped most of the additional protections that were in HB 536. What is left is Constitutional Carry, but that is all.
There is still a chance you and I can get some of those additional protections back.
This is where you come in.
I need you to call and/or email your representatives. Tell them you want
them to support HB 536, and support any amendment that restores the
protections found in the original bill.
Even if we are unsuccessful in getting the additional protections put back into the bill (stiff penalties for police chiefs refusing to issue a license that is required, clarifying that only those prohibited from possessing a firearm are ineligible for a license), by fighting to restore the additional protections found in the original HB 536, we put the legislature on notice that we will not tolerate our legislation
being gutted, and help to ensure it is not weakened further.
So please call and/or email your representative today.
The other important bill being voted on tomorrow is HB 334, preemption of local gun regulation. HB 334 prohibits towns, cities, or other governmental agencies from making their own regulations of firearms.
If HB 334 passes, instead of having your rights threatened by every town and city in the state, not to mention the bureaucracy of just about any state agency, the only body in the state that will have the power to regulate firearms will be the legislature, where you and I can have a say, and stop unconstitutional restrictions on your rights.
When NHFC asked for this legislation last year, we knew it would be an important piece of legislation, but only recently has its true urgency become apparent.
You see, NH already has a law similar to this; NHFC requested HB 334 in an effort to clarify and strengthen these provisions.
Recently, despite the current law that prevents them from doing so, the University of NH attempted to enforce their illegal ban on firearms, and was actually able to obtain a court order against several individuals, preventing those individuals from carrying on a UNH campus.
This bill will make clear that UNH and the Community Colleges do not have the authority to ban firearms on their campuses.
But they are putting up a fight.
UNH has asked for an exemption to HB 334, and it is going to be up to you and I to make sure they do not get it.
I need you to call and/or email your representatives today, insist they do not support any attempt to weaken or provide any exemptions to HB 334.
You and I can see these important bills passed, but it is critical that we act now.
Please call and/or email your representatives today. Tell them to restore the additional protections found in the original HB 536, and tell them to not support any amendment to HB 334 that weakens it or provide any exceptions for UNH, or any other entity for that matter.
Sincerely,
Jonathan R. Evans, Esq.
President, NHFC
P.S. The legislature will be voting on two very important bills tomorrow, Constitutional Carry (HB 536) and Preemption of local gun regulations (HB 334). Your help is needed to pass them.
Email and/or call your representatives, tell them to pass HB 536 and HB 334. Tell them you want HB 536 restored to it original as introduced version, and that you want them to oppose any attempts to provide exceptions to HB 334.
