Senate Republicans Oppose Measures Against Unconstitutional Gun Overreach
CONCORD, NH – Senate Majority Leader Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry) and Senator Daryl Abbas (R-Salem), issued the following joint statement today on passing SB 322 and rejecting SB 360, SB 577-FN, and SB 571-FN:
“New Hampshire is the safest state in the nation because we have responsible gun owners. These unconstitutional bills infringe on the rights of our law-abiding citizens. Instituting waiting periods for purchasing firearms and restrictions on firearm sales tells our gun owners that we do not trust them. SB 360 undermines due process protections for New Hampshire gun owners by establishing a ‘red flag law.’ This is practice would unconstitutionally remove people’s firearms without a trial or conviction. We stood against this attempted gun overreach. Instead, the Senate reinforced our constitutional rights as Granite Staters by passing SB 322, making it easier for citizens to utilize gun license reciprocity by clarifying that police chiefs must sign permits. This created issues for citizens trying to prove their firearms licenses are legitimate and this bill resolves that problem. We need legislation that makes New Hampshire safer and not grow our government,” said Senate Majority Leader Sharon Carson
“We already have requirements for background checks meeting the requirements of federal guidelines. SB 571-FN and SB 577-FN sends the wrong message to gun owners given our state’s longstanding culture of responsible gun ownership. These bills would open the door to more second amendment restrictions and longer waiting periods for Granite State gun purchases. We should not pass laws that simply create additional and unnecessary barriers to purchasing firearms,” added Senator Daryl Abbas
Background: SB 322 requires law enforcement officers to sign off on gun permits.
SB 360-FN would create a chapter of law that allows law enforcement to confiscate a firearm from a person that poses a significant risk to injure themselves or someone else.
SB 571-FN would require a background check prior to any commercial firearm sale and create an additional process for commercial sales of firearms where neither party is a licensed firearms dealer.
SB 577-FN would impose a three-day waiting period for delivering a firearm after purchase.