First the good news, because of your activism, the House Municipal and County Government Committee voted to retain HB 655, the 2019 Range Closure Act. This does not mean the bill is dead; it can be resurrected in January of 2020 but for now we can direct our efforts towards defeating those bills that are still alive. The Committee also voted CACR 4 and CACR 8, the two proposed Constitutional Amendments that would gut pre-emption and allow local gun bans “inexpedient to legislate” (ITL). These will both still go to the floor, but I’m optimistic that with your continued help, we can defeat these in the house.
Click here for contact information for all State Representatives. They need to hear from you; a simple message is all that is needed. Just politely ask them to uphold the Committee recommendations and vote CACR 4 and CACR 8 “inexpedient to legislate” (ITL). If you would like some talking points, please click here to read the alert we issued last year opposing CACR 19 which was essentially the same as CACR 4 and CACR 8.
Also this week, the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted HB 514, an up to nine day waiting period “ought to pass”. We need to pressure all state representatives to vote NO on the “ought to pass” motion and instead vote the bill “inexpedient to legislate”. Please click here for our alert and talking points opposing HB 514. Then, click here for contact information for all State Representatives. A simple message is all that is needed. Please tell your state representatives to vote NO on HB 514. New Hampshire is consistently ranked as one of the three safest states in America and we do not need a waiting period that will create a back door gun registry in New Hampshire. HB 514 is a solution in search of a problem that does not exist. Please reject the Committee recommendation and vote HB 514 “inexpedient to legislate”.
I also want to let you know that earlier this week, the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee conducted an Executive Session on gun confiscation, HB 687. They decided to retain HB 687. Like HB 655, the retained does not kill the bill but it holds it in Committee until next January. I want to thank all the gun owners who came to Concord on March 5 to fight this significant infringement on our rights. There was a great turn out to oppose this bill and for now at least, your voices were heard.
The House has already passed HB 696, gun confiscation cleverly disguised as an “elder care” bill. However, HB 696 has been sent to the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee for further review. We need to make sure the members of the Committee hear us loud and clear, NOT ONE SINGLE WORD OF GUN CONTROL IS ACCEPTABLE. The Committee Chairman, Rep. Renny Cushing (D-Hampton) is the prime sponsor of HB 696. Don’t forget to let him know that you strongly oppose his gun confiscation scheme.
The Committee has scheduled a public hearing for HB 696 on March 26 at 10AM. We need a strong showing, at least as strong as the group of gun owners who came to Concord on March 5. Immediately following the public hearing for HB 696, there will be a public hearing for HB 564, criminal safe schools. Please plan to attend both hearings. Even if you intend to come to Concord on March 26, please contact the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee to express your opposition to HB 696 gun confiscation and HB 564 criminal safe schools.
The backers of these bills seem unable to do basic math; at the end of 2016, Americans owned about 402,000,000 firearms. Things so common and easy to hide can’t be controlled.
Pre-written message to Members of the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee:
HouseCriminalJusticeandPublicSafety@leg.state.nh.us
Dear Representatives:
I am writing to let you know that I am strongly opposed to BOTH HB 696, a gun confiscation bill disguised as an elder care bill and HB 564 a bill that will ban self-defense (and defense of our children) by banning the possession of guns in schools. Every tragedy that has occurred in the past 20 plus years has occurred in a gun free, or criminal safe zone. Please don’t place our children in mortal danger by disarming law abiding adults. This approach failed in Newtown, CT, Parkland, FL, Littleton, CO and every other place that has suffered from criminal abuse of firearms. New Hampshire is safe precisely because we allow law abiding adults to carry self-defense guns. Please vote HB 696 and HB 564 ITL.
The New Hampshire Firearms Coalition will keep me informed of your vote.
Thank you for your consideration.
As always, if any State Representative(s) write back, please send me a copy: arice@nhfc-ontarget.org
Thanks for your support!
In liberty,
President – NHFC, Inc.
