New Hampshire: Anti-Gun Bills Scheduled for Committee Hearing

On March 26^th, the New Hampshire state House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee will hold public hearings at 10:00 AM on House Bill 564, which would require loaded firearms to be placed off-body while driving through a school zone, and House Bill 696, which would take away the constitutional rights of individuals without due process.  Please contact committee members and urge them to OPPOSE House Bill 564 and House Bill 696.  Click the “Take Action” button below to contact members of the committee.

House Bill 564, sponsored by Representative Mary Heath (D-Hillsborough 14), would go beyond existing federal law and would require loaded firearms to be placed off-body while picking-up or dropping-off children at school.  The legislation creates a narrow exception that prevents the lawful carry of a firearm while driving a vehicle but would allow for the firearm to be in the vehicle.  This would burden law-abiding citizens by requiring them to unnecessarily handle firearms that are already securely holstered and place them elsewhere in their vehicle while doing nothing to reduce criminal activity in and around schools.  School safety is of the utmost importance, but restricting the rights of law-abiding New Hampshire citizens won't result in increased school safety.

House Bill 696, sponsored by Representative Renny Cushing (D-Rockingham 21), would violate an individual's constitutional rights and allow for the seizure of firearms with an ex parte order absent due process and without regard for the basis of the order.  Further, law enforcement would be immune from liability for any damage done to the firearms they seize.  If an order expires, an individual would have to go to court to have their constitutionally protected property returned to them, unlike when the court may have seized the property wrongfully.

If you are able to, please attend this hearing to testify against this bill at 10:00 AM in Legislative Office Building Room 204.  Also, please click the “Take Action” button above to contact members of the committee and urge them to OPPOSE House Bill 564 and House Bill 696.