HB 1463, The 2018 Range Closure Act, was introduced earlier this year. As written, HB 1463 will allow cities and towns to regulate noise by setting a maximum decibel limit to be measured by the police. HB 1463 will place every shooting range in New Hampshire at risk of forced closure.
This bill, although short, will undo the landmark 2004 Range Protection law that was enacted to stop just this sort of abuse by cities and towns. To be sure, if gun owners do not have a safe place to discharge firearms the Second Amendment is nothing more than meaningless words on paper.
NHFC leadership has been aware of this bill for some time; we, along with our friends at Gun Owners of New Hampshire, attended the House Municipal and County Government Committee’s public hearing on February 13 and made our objections known. Mitch Kopacz, GONH President, not only shared our concerns, but pointed out that if local noise ordinances are enacted, even a hunter firing a single shot could be in violation.
Our legal counsel even supplied an amendment to specifically exempt shooting ranges from the provisions of HB 1463. We were ignored and our amendment was rejected. The committee has recommended the bill “ought to pass” and HB 1463 will be considered by the entire House of Representatives, possibly as early as tomorrow, March 7. Therefore, we need you, the grassroots gun owners take action to stop HB 1463, the 2018 Range Closure Act.
As you can see, HB 1463 is dangerous to liberty, please share this alert with any of your friends who ride motorcycles or enjoy backyard fireworks shows because this will allow broad and far reaching municipal noise ordinances. (NOTE: If you do forward our alert, please delete the unsubscribe link at the bottom to prevent someone from taking you off our list.)
Here is what I need you to do right now:
Click here to find out who your state reps are and how to contact them. Then, send the following prewritten note to all State Reps:
Dear Representatives:
Soon you will be asked to consider, HB 1463. The New Hampshire Firearms Coalition told me they are calling this bill the 2018 Range Closure Act because it allows cities and towns to set noise limits. These limits could then be used to close existing shooting ranges and prevent new ones from opening. Please vote NO on the Municipal and County Government Committee’s recommendation of “ought to pass” and please vote YES on a motion of “inexpedient to legislate”.
Thanks for your kind consideration.
If any of State Reps write back to you please forward a copy to me at: arice@nhfc-ontarget.org
I also have some good news to report. You might recall that NHFC wrote to you about a terrible anti-gun bill, SB 500 which was introduced by Senator Kevin Avard (R-12) and Senator Jeb Bradley (R-3). On February 13 the Senate Judiciary Committee held a public hearing; but they have still not made a decision on the bill or the proposed amendment that will actually make the bill worse, click here for our hearing report. Earlier today, the Senate Judiciary voted on an amended version of SB 500. Our counsel has reviewed the amended SB 500 and it appears that almost all of our concerns have been addressed. The amended SB 500 appears to no longer harm firearms owners civil rights. It is a curiosity as to why we are now for the first time regulating taking of game with air guns. However, that is not a basic Second Amendment civil rights issue; so I probably will not waste time searching for an answer. We will. however, continue to monitor SB 500 as it moves through the legislative process and if anything changes we will alert you.
You, the members and supporters of NHFC and our partners at Gun Owners of America deserve to pat yourselves on the back for a job well done. Without your constant calls and emails it is doubtful that the Judiciary Committee would have amended SB 500. I have said before, and I will repeat it tonight, our strength is YOU the grassroots gun owners! Thanks to all for saving New Hampshire from going down the slippery slope of discrete gun control.
Thanks for your support!
In liberty,
President – NHFC, Inc.
