House gun control measures voted down

Yahoo

21-02-2025

Feb. 20—With a larger Republican majority thanks to the voters, gun rights advocates easily beat back gun control measures in the House of Representatives Thursday.
But supporters remained hopeful that the Legislature will end past division and pass a related bill that would require that those a judge found to be mentally incompetent to own a gun be reported to the federal criminal background checks system.
The House turned down legislation to close a legal loophole in state law and mandate criminal background checks for all gun sales along with imposing a three-day waiting period (HB 56).
Currently, a background check is only required to purchase a gun from a federally licensed firearms dealer.
This means anyone, including convicted felons, can buy a gun at a gun show or through a private sale without that background check.
State Rep. David Meuse, D-Portsmouth, argued the waiting period would reduce the incidence of suicides by use of a gun.
"There are two sets of victims too many of us prefer not to see. They are victims of gun violence and gun suicide in our state," Meuse said.
The legislation would exempt anyone who receives a gun through a gift or inheritance or the practice of allowing hunters and those at shooting ranges to "try out" different weapons.
But Rep. Jennifer Rhodes, R-Winchester, said if the bill was about suicide prevention there would be more exceptions to include the right of past victims of domestic violence to be able to quickly purchase a weapon to defend themselves.
"I would say this is simply about control," Rhodes said.
The House vote to kill the measure was 216-154 with 11 House Democrats joining all Republicans who were present in support of that move.
Meuse told reporters he wasn't surprised at the defections.
"Many of them are serving in districts that aren't as blue as Portsmouth," Meuse said.
A short time later, the House voted similarly, 211-161, to kill a second bill (HB 352) that would make it illegal for anyone other than a law enforcement officer to possess a gun at a polling place.
A group of five House Democrats joined all GOP House members in opposing that bill as well.
Rep. Tim Horrigan, D-Durham, said there are 22 states plus the District of Columbia that restrict gun possession at the polls, and said his bill would reduce the threat of violence.
Rep. Terry Roy, R-Deerfield, said there has never been an incident of gun play at a New Hampshire polling place and the attempt at government control is a solution in search of a problem.
"The people of New Hampshire have made it clear time and time again that they will not tolerate attacks on their Second Amendment rights, and we are proud to have upheld that standard," Roy said in a statement after the votes.
House and Senate committees are considering similar bills to close the mental health loophole that came to light when a former New Hampshire Hospital patient barged in and shot to death security officer Bradley Haas in November 2023.
A state trooper shot and killed the shooter.
State prosecutors said the shooter got the weapon he used to shoot Haas by lying on his application at a Barrington firearms store.
Meuse credited Roy with working with House Democrats on a pending amendment to the proposal that he feels optimistic can make it through the Legislature this spring.
A similar proposal died in the state Senate last year after gun rights activists said it failed to provide due process to a gun owner who is later found to be mentally competent to get his firearms back.
The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee is expected to vote on its version of that bill (HB 159) next week.
The Senate Judiciary Committee took testimony on its own proposal (SB 144) on Thursday.
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