Thank you to all who took time to show up for SB469 “The 2020 Sen. Jeanne Dietsch Range Closure Act.”. The turn out by the gun owners was great and I think we made a real impact. Thank you to all of the ranges that alerted their members. Working together we can accomplish much. As of now, the committee still has the bill and has made no decision.
This week there is a nasty anti-gun bill, SB677 “Eldercare Gun Confiscation” and I apologize for writing to you at the 11th hour.
Normally, we would have been able to get this week’s alert out sooner to cover the status of what happened last week on SB469 and to discuss the issues with SB677, but we were waiting for the amendment to SB677.
Earlier in the week we were told that an amendment to SB677 “ElderCare Gun Confiscation” was going to be introduced that amendment “should correct all of the issues” with this disaster of a bill. As of dinner time last night, nothing was in my inbox. Typically, a very bad sign when something that was promised is not sent…
Well late late night, I was finally sent a copy of this amendment to read and review…
Not only is the bill bad, but the amendment does nothing to fix the issues. Almost all of the issues that were present in last year’s HB696 are still in both SB677 and HB1660 (House version).
SB677 still violates the traditional criminal due process: The bill still violates numerous Constitutional provisions: provisions that were meant to constrain government, provisions that were meant to protect our rights. The bill still allows for ex-parte telephonic orders to be issued. The bill allows the plaintiff to not be present during any hearing so you cannot cross examine the plaintiff. The bill still allows hearsay evidence to be admitted into the hearing.
Additionally, these bills still make a mockery of the legal system by not ensuring that the court follow the standard rules of evidence. “In any proceeding under this chapter, the court shall not be bound by the technical rules of evidence and may admit evidence which it considers relevant and material.” This means the court could accept any “evidence” it is presented and this ‘evidence’ can [and WILL] be used against you.
Not only is this bad, but the Senate Committee that will be hearing this SB677 and taking ownership of any changes is run by Chairwomen Senator Martha “Take your guns away” Hennessey. If you don’t remember, she was the Senator to file the amendment to the 2018 education bill SB357, to strip citizens of their right to protect themselves and their children.
This is the same committee Chair that made 150+ gun owners, who could not find a seat in the committee hearing room, stand out in the State House Hall for several hours because she refused to move the hearing. There was room available one floor above the scheduled hearing room, in Reps hall, where there were 500+ empty seats that could have allowed everyone to: attend the hearing, to listen and participate and to even sit down instead of stand. Not to mention, that many of those in the hall were the veterans that stood up to protect her backside while they served in the armed forces.
To verify that Reps Hall was open and available, both Rep. John Burt and I spoke with the House Chief of Staff and the Senate Chief of Staff. We were told by both, that Reps Hall was available to allow the hearing on SB469, and the hearing could be moved. We were also explicitly told that the Chair made the decision to leave the hearing in the small Statehouse room (SH100) and to force the gun owners to stand outside.
This week, in an apparent effort to outdo her previous anti-gun activities from last week she scheduled a gun hearing (SB677) after 6 other bills that have 10-15 minute hearings, so who knows where SB677 will happen. It could be at 10:35am or it could be at 4pm, or anywhere in between. We will be there to oppose the bill and to let you know what happens.
What is up with the Governor????
In the last few days several of our members contacted me about the column that Kevin Landrigan wrote last in last week’s Union Leader.
“CONCORD — At the suggestion of the same governor [Sununu] who thwarted their gun control efforts last session, Democrats have reintroduced identical legislation, which inflamed passions again Wednesday in its first hearing of the 2020 session.
Last year, Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed five bills impacting the rights of firearm owners sent to his desk by the Democratically led Legislature. A solid Republican minority upheld all the vetoes.
Nonetheless, his staff said he “wanted to keep the conversation going,” said State Rep. Katherine Rogers, D-Concord.
So Rogers returned with the same bill as last year. HB 1101 would impose a three-day waiting period before someone could take home a purchased firearm…
In an email Wednesday [1/22] evening, Sununu spokesman Benjamin Vihstadt challenged Rogers’ assessment of the governor’s position: “Governor Sununu has long said New Hampshire’ Second Amendment laws are where they need to be and he’s not looking to make any changes.””
[Bolding mine].
I have real concerns about what is going on up in Concord. Clearly people are lying to one another, lying to the press and ultimately lying to us. Rep. Rogers might be at the heart of all of this. Just two years ago she was convicted of assaulting a citizen at an election recount. If she is willing to assault people to get her way, she might be willing to lie about the Governor.
From the Concord Monitor in 2017: “A Democratic state representative from Concord has pleaded guilty to assaulting a political foe. Rep. Katherine Rogers accepted a plea deal on a misdemeanor assault charge Friday that suspends a $1,000 fine for good behavior but requires her to take an anger management class….”
Bottom line is we need to stand together and start making calls to the Governor’s office 603-271-2121 and asking him to stand firm on protecting our rights as citizens. He was very clear last year that the laws on the books are adequate and that we do not need additional laws. Just enforcing the laws we have should be sufficient.
Here is what I need you to do:
First call the Governor’s office 603-271-2121 and confirm that indeed Rogers made up this story about him wanting to have these bills introduced again. Ask his office to issue a press release rebuking Rogers for outright lying.
Second, take a moment, find one additional friend in your email contacts list and forward this alert. We need to double our numbers if we want to stop these anti-gun bills this year.
Here is the schedule for this week in case you want to be at the state house for any of these hearings/ executive sessions.
Tuesday, 1/28
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY, Room 204, LOB
10:00 a.m.
Executive session:
HB 1101-FN, imposing a waiting period between the purchase and delivery of
a firearm;
HB 1379-FN, requiring a background check for commercial firearms sales;
HB 1257, establishing a committee to study the opportunities for citizen involvement in attorney general investigations of officer involved shootings;
HB 1174, requiring screening for all law enforcement officers for psychological stability and substance use disorders prior to assuming
their duties as certified officers;
FISH AND GAME AND MARINE RESOURCES, Room 307, LOB 1:00 p.m. HB 1108, relative to the methods of taking turkey during youth turkey hunt weekend. (Good bill, allows youth to use a .410 shotgun for turkey) Thursday 1/30
HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND ELDERLY AFFAIRS, Room 205, LOB 9:00 a.m.
Subcommittee work session on HB 1660-FN, establishing a protective order for vulnerable adults.
EDUCATION, Room 207, LOB
10:00 a.m. HB 1337, permitting parents or guardians to opt out of armed
assailant drills in their child’s school. (watch for now)
Senate:
Tuesday 1/28
JUDICIARY, Room 100, SH
Sen. Hennessey (C), Sen. Chandley (VC), Sen. Levesque, Sen. Carson, Sen.
French
FYI, these bills are stacked up before the actual bill of interest, so who knows when the hearing will bill..
9:00 a.m. SB 706-FN, relative to appeals under New Hampshire’s Child
Protection Act.
9:10 a.m. SB 649-FN, relative to commercial drivers’ licenses and driving
under the influence while driving certain commercial motor vehicles.
9:25 a.m. SB 743-FN, relative to enhanced penalties based on prior
convictions for driving under the influence of drugs or liquor.
9:40 a.m. SB 648-FN, relative to fees for the services of sheriffs and
deputy sheriffs.
9:55 a.m. SB 735-FN, repealing the housing appeals board.
10:15 a.m. SB 721-FN-A, relative to court review of planning board
decisions and making an appropriation therefor.
10:35 a.m. SB 677-FN, relative to protective orders for vulnerable adults.
EXECUTIVE SESSION MAY FOLLOW
[From the AP following the hearing}
https://wgme.com/news/local/nh-bill-revisited-on-protective-orders-for-vulnerable-adults
"Sununu supports a bill sponsored this year by Sen. Jeb Bradley, a Republican from Wolfeboro, that clarifies the new protective order isn't intended for people in a relationship who are victims of domestic violence.
Bradley, testifying at a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, described the bill as a broader “immediate enforcement mechanism” to come to the aid of someone who, for example, is disabled, neglected, physically abused or financially exploited.
The bill has the support of groups like the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, which had proposed the language last year. A similar version is in the House.
The new bill also removes a provision from the vetoed one that would have allowed police to confiscate guns and other deadly weapons from those accused of abuse, exploitation or neglect. An amendment offered by Bradley includes an acknowledgement from victims that they may be prevented from getting additional safety protections, “including the right to ask the court to order the defendant to hand over their firearms or deadly weapons.”
Gun rights representatives said that provision doesn’t go far enough to protect the accused and violates the federal and state constitutions.
JR Hoell of the New Hampshire Firearms Coalition said the bill would allow the seizure of someone’s personal property without a crime being a committed, a criminal investigation, or a trial.
‘”I do not see how the amendment solves the issue,” he said.”
