On April 4th, the New Hampshire state House of Representatives will be holding floor votes for House Bill 564 to restrict law-abiding citizens from defending themselves and their loved ones on school grounds and House Bill 696 to take away the constitutional rights of individuals without due process. Please contact your state Representative and urge them to OPPOSE HB 564 and HB 696. Click the “Take Action” button below to contact your state Representative.
As amended, House Bill 564, sponsored by Representative Mary Heath (D-Hillsborough 14), would prohibit law-abiding citizens carrying firearms for self-defense from going onto school grounds except when picking-up or dropping-off students and the firearm remains in the vehicle. This would burden law-abiding citizens by requiring them to unnecessarily handle firearms that are already securely holstered and leave them in the vehicle when exiting. In addition, the exemption to leave firearms in vehicles would not extend to going onto school grounds for other purposes, such as attending events, filling out school paperwork, or meeting with school officials. Parents would have to deviate from their normal routes to leave firearms at home or to park off-campus. So called “gun-free zones” simply disarm law-abiding citizens and leave them defenseless against the criminals who ignore such arbitrary boundaries. 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.
Again, please click the “Take Action” button above to contact your state Representative and urge them to OPPOSE House Bill 564 and House Bill 696.