New Hampshire: Gun-Free Zone Legislation Heading to Committee Next Week

On Tuesday, February 2, the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee will hold a hearing for House Bill 1657 at 2:00 pm in Room 204 of the New Hampshire State House.

HB 1657, sponsored by Representative Katherine Rogers (D-28), would prohibit a person from carrying a firearm for self-defense in certain public places.  Firearm owners would not be able to carry a firearm in a hospital, a restaurant serving alcohol (regardless of whether or not the individual is consuming alcohol or not), a polling location, a church, or an entertainment venue holding more than 5,000 people.  Expanding the list of places where law-abiding gun owners are prohibited from exercising their fundamental right to self-defense represents a serious infringement on the Second Amendment.

Designating a place as a gun-free zone has not stopped criminals from doing harm to others in the past.  This is simply another attempt to push misguided legislation through the General Court that will do nothing to curb crime in New Hampshire and would only restrict law-abiding gun owners from exercising their right to self-defense.

Please immediately contact members of the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee and urge them to oppose House Bill 1657!