As Scott told you a little over a week ago, Rep. Katherine Rogers has introduced HB 1416, the Gun Tax of 2016. This bill will have a public hearing on Tuesday, January 19 at 10AM in the House Executive Departments and Administration Committee.
HB 1416, gives the Department of Safety the authority to charge “a reasonable fee” to conduct a criminal records check before someone may lawfully purchase a handgun.
In case you are unfamiliar with how this works I’ll explain it. Every licensed firearms dealer must conduct a criminal records check before they transfer a firearm to a private party. They do this over the telephone. Checks for the sale of all handguns are handled by the New Hampshire Department of Safety but the checks for the sale of a rifle or shotgun are handled by the FBI. There is currently no state or federal fee charged. We have been told that the Department of Safety is able to access the same databases that the FBI uses at no cost.
That’s right, this is all free but Rep. Rogers wants to give the unelected bureaucrats at the Department of Safety the authority to enact an unlimited gun tax. Reasonable fee is not defined. The Department of Safety will be able to ban the sale of firearms by charging a fee of $50, $100, $250 or even $1000 to conduct the “required” check. The power to tax is the power to destroy and Rep. Rogers wants to give the Department of Safety the power to destroy the Second Amendment in New Hampshire.
Its important to study recent legislative history because every few years it repeats itself. In 2009, during a fictitious; and arguably self made, “budget shortfall”, the Legislature raised the fee for non resident pistol / revolver licenses by 400%. That fee has never been decreased although there have been a few attempts to do so.
When a politician has to give money back to the taxpayers, he or she will never do so. Politicians build their careers by spending your money. Now imagine that same scenario for the gun tax proposed by Rep. Rogers. Are you ready to accept a behind the scenes, underhanded approach to funding the whims of politicians by giving unelected bureaucrats the power to stop or slow gun sales by charging a user fee? This scenario is even worse than when the legislature is raising the fees.
We at NHFC, Inc. vehemently disagree with the entire instant check scheme and feel that it should be repealed. However, if it is going to exist, and if, as the proponents claim, it provides a public safety benefit, then the public should pay for it. The unconstitutional “instant check” should remain free of charge to all law abiding firearms owners and dealers. We doubt that a common street criminal or terrorist will patronize a licensed firearms dealer, they will just steal guns and ammunition.
Here is what you need to do to help:
- Contact the members of the House Executive Departments and Administration Committee and politely tell them that you expect them to vote HB 1416 Inexpedient to Legislate, (contact information is below).
- If you can, attend the committee hearing and either sign the blue form as being opposed to the bill or fill out a card and request to speak on the bill.
I have been defending Second Amendment civil rights for many years and I can’t recall a firearms bill ever being heard by the Executive Departments and Administration Committee. I think that we need a large crowd on January 19 to let this committee know that we will not accept any new gun control or gun taxes. Please be polite but firm when you inform the members of the Committee that you expect them to vote the Rogers Gun Tax Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL).
These State Representative are members of the Executive Departments and Administration Committee, click on their name to send a personalized email (especially if you live in one of their districts) or click here to email the the entire committee at once:
Chairman – Representative Andrew Christie (r), (603)926-7106
Vice Chair – Representative John Sytek (r), (603)893-8889
Representative Peter Hansen (r), (603)673-5987
Representative Steven Beaudoin (r), (603)312-8111
Representative Mark Proulx (r), (603)669-7179
Representative J.R. Hoell (r), (603)315-9002
Representative Jeffrey Shackett (r),
Representative Daniel Tamburello (r), (603)434-2940
Representative William Goulette (r), (603)801-3060
Representative Thomas Kaczynski, Jr. (r), (603)332-7310
Representative Gregory Smith (r), (603)635-3835
Representative Steven Woitkun (r), (603)642-5154
Representative Harold Parker (r), (603)491-6807
Representative Raymond Gagnon (d), (603)542-7286
Representative Peter Schmidt (d), (603)743-3751
Representative Jean Jeudy (d), (603)645-5290
Representative Daniel Sullivan (d), (603)627-5044
Representative Jeffrey Goley (d), (603)626-6659
Representative Daniel Hansberry (d), (603)888-5634
Representative Jacalyn Cilley (d), (603)664-5597
Representative Carol Roberts (d), (603)654-6922
In liberty,
Vice President & Training Director – NHFC
