Senate approves liability protection for gun makers
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Bill Gannon, R-Sandown, said SIG Sauer is one of the state's leading employers and shouldn't face lawsuits over injuries suffered because gun owners didn't realize their weapons lacked specific attachments.
'We shouldn't think of 100 different scenarios; if they are making a good product and it's safe we shouldn't let people sue them for misapplication or the right of people to not want certain items on the gun,' Gannon said.
The legislation would not apply to suits already filed, and Gannon stressed it would not prohibit any liability lawsuit brought over a gun's manufacturing defect.
Sen. Tara Reardon, D-Concord, said the Legislature shouldn't insert itself in an ongoing national legal dispute involving a popular SIG pistol.
'Plaintiffs nationwide including law enforcement have filed suit on this. Guns are inherently dangerous goods,' Reardon said. 'I agree SIG Sauer is a wonderful New Hampshire employer but this is no way to address a product's liability issue.'
The lawsuits involve SIG's P320 pistol, which plaintiffs contend can fire unintentionally without a trigger pull, leading to injuries.
The Senate voted 16-8 to add the amendment to a popular House-passed bill (HB 551) for Second Amendment supporters that would eliminate a license needed to sell handguns.
All Senate Republicans backed the amendment, while all Democrats opposed it.
The House passed the latter bill about pistols on a voice vote in March.
Gannon's amendment specifically exempts gunmakers from liability claims over the "absence or presence" of items such as a magazine disconnect mechanism, a loaded chamber indicator, authorized user recognition (such as fingerprint) technology or an external mechanical safety.
Sen. Daryl Abbas, R-Salem, said people living outside the state are bringing lawsuits in New Hampshire against SIG Sauer over this issue.
'You loaded the weapon. It must have some kind of warning that it has been loaded or the company could be sued — does that make any sense?' Abbas said.
'This is an attack on a New Hampshire company. We should support New Hampshire businesses. Let's adopt this amendment.'
Sen. Victoria Sullivan, R-Manchester, who also supported the change, is a licensed firearms instructor.
'You are the safety device for that weapon. These are mechanical instruments that can fail. It is your responsibility as a firearms owner to know your firearm, that's all this bill is saying,' Sullivan said.
Senate Democratic Leader Rebecca Perkins Kwoka of Portsmouth, who opposed the proposal, said businesses must design what they sell in a way that can withstand legal challenges.
'If you are going to design a product you should stand beyond that product. As a state government, we should get out of the way and let our businesses be run," Perkins Kwoka said.
+++
What's Next: The bill heads back to the House of Representatives, which must decide whether to support the amendment to a bill it badly wants.
Prospects: Second Amendment forces are strong in the House, which makes entirely possible that the membership will accept this compromise and send it on to Gov. Kelly Ayotte.
klandrigan@unionleader.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
21 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Vice President JD Vance is on the road again to sell the Republicans' big new tax law
In West Pittston, Pennsylvania, Vance told attendees at an industrial machine shop that they should be able to keep more of their pay in their pockets, highlighting the law's new tax deductions on overtime. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Vance also discussed a new children's savings program called Trump Accounts and how the new law promotes energy extraction, while decrying Democrats for opposing the bill that keeps the current tax rates, which would have otherwise expired later this year. Advertisement The legislation cleared the GOP-controlled Congress by the narrowest of margins, with Vance breaking a tie vote in the Senate for the package that also sets aside hundreds of billions of dollars for Trump's immigration agenda while slashing Medicaid and food stamps. The vice president is also stepping up his public relations blitz on the bill as the White House tries to deflect attention away from the growing controversy over Jeffrey Epstein. Advertisement The disgraced financier killed himself, authorities say, in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. Trump and his top allies stoked conspiracy theories about Epstein's death before Trump returned to the White House and are now reckoning with the consequences of a Justice Department announcement earlier this month that Epstein did indeed die by suicide and that no further documents about the case would be released. Questions about the case continued to dog Trump in Scotland, where he on Sunday announced a framework trade deal with the European Union. Asked about the timing of the trade announcement and the Epstein case and whether it was correlated, Trump responded: 'You got to be kidding with that.' 'No, had nothing to do with it,' Trump told the reporter. 'Only you would think that.' The White House sees the new law as a clear political boon, sending Vance to promote it in swing congressional districts that will determine whether Republicans retain their House majority next year. The northeastern Pennsylvania stop is in the district represented by Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan, a first-term lawmaker who knocked off a six-time Democratic incumbent last fall. On Monday, Vance will be in the district of Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes, who is a top target for the National Republican Congressional Committee this cycle. Polls before the bill's passage showed that it largely remained unpopular, although the public approves of some individual provisions such as increasing the child tax credit and allowing workers to deduct more of their tips on taxes.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Prediction: Quantum Computing Stock Will Be Worth This Much in 2030
Key Points Quantum Computing has emerged alongside other popular quantum stocks such as IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and D-Wave Quantum over the last year. While the company's approach to building quantum applications is interesting, past ambitions in other markets and an inconsistent financial profile should make investors pause before blindly buying the hype narrative. Although Quantum Computing has interesting potential, the amount of unknowns surrounding the company's future are hard to ignore. 10 stocks we like better than Quantum Computing › One of the more curious companies that has piqued investor intrigue in the quantum computing market is a business called (wait for it!) Quantum Computing (NASDAQ: QUBT). With a name like that, I wonder how it landed on so many radars. Sarcasm aside, Quantum Computing (the business) deserves a look -- and not just because of its 2,400% share price gains over the last year. To me, the company's technological promises and its actual business just don't align. Let's explore how Quantum Computing is attempting to disrupt the artificial intelligence (AI) realm and then dig into whether or not the company has what it takes to fulfill its lofty ambitions. Is Quantum Computing the next multibagger AI stock? Read on to find out. Quantum Computing might look like an exciting company on the surface, but... Quantum-based applications have the potential to transform the computing industry thanks to their fundamentally differentiated architectures. In simple terms, classical computing is based on binary code, written through a series of bits expressed as 1 or 0. Quantum computing uses qubits, which means they can exist as both 1 and 0 at the same time -- a process known as superposition. This allows for more complex information processing compared to today's classical computers. There are multiple ways that companies are developing qubits. IonQ relies on a process called trapped-ion, which essentially uses lasers to trap atoms and use them as the foundation of a qubit. Meanwhile, other competitors such as Rigetti Computing and D-Wave Quantum use superconducting circuits and quantum annealing techniques to make qubits. Quantum Computing, on the other hand, is using light (photons) as opposed to Rigetti and D-Wave's electricity-based foundation or IonQ's trapped atom technology. In theory, photonic qubits may be more energy efficient and easier to scale than other approaches that are heavily reliant on sophisticated cooling systems. ... there are quite a few red flags to point out Before buying into the idea that Quantum Computing is on the verge of a technological breakthrough, consider the following: Quantum Computing was once known as Innovative Beverage Group Holdings (IBGH). Why did the company pivot from beverages to qubits? Well, consider that IBGH went out of business, and the leftover management team decided to acquire a small company called QPhoton and completely shift its focus to quantum computing. Over the last year, Quantum Computing has generated $385,000 in sales. While the idea of photonic qubits is interesting, Quantum Computing is far from building a competitive moat over its rivals. The company's nominal revenue base and unproven roadmap hint at possible liquidity crunches down the road. For now, Quantum Computing appears to be relying on issuing stock as a means to raise cash and fund the operation. Despite these red flags, Quantum Computing has seen its market value climb from $55 million to $2.4 billion in just one year. The company's valuation is far higher than what investors witnessed during prior stock market bubbles during the internet boom and the COVID-19 stock market euphoria. Where will Quantum Computing stock be in five years? Given the ideas explored above, it's clear that Quantum Computing has virtually nothing to show for its supposed innovative photonic processes. The lack of strategic partners and product-market fit has me thinking that Quantum Computing offers more along the lines of vaporware than anything groundbreaking at this time. With ongoing research and development (R&D) and capital expenditures (capex) required to explore quantum technology, Quantum Computing is likely going to continue tapping the capital markets for liquidity unless some transformative deals begin to take shape -- which I suspect is highly unlikely. In my eyes, Quantum Computing stock is benefiting for one reason above all else. The company's name isn't just associated with one of AI's hottest new themes -- it's literally the name of the actual trend. To me, this is a case study revolving around the idea of investors blindly chasing narratives over sound fundamentals. I think that Quantum Computing is headed toward insolvency and could wind up bankrupt by 2030 (if not sooner). Alternatively, regulators could begin to scrutinize the company more heavily, and Quantum Computing could end up as a delisted stock. Regardless of how things shake out, I think Quantum Computing's equity value will diminish significantly in the coming years. For this reason, I think the company will have little-to-no value by the end of the decade. Should you buy stock in Quantum Computing right now? Before you buy stock in Quantum Computing, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Quantum Computing wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,063,471!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,041% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 21, 2025 Adam Spatacco has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Prediction: Quantum Computing Stock Will Be Worth This Much in 2030 was originally published by The Motley Fool
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Republicans plan to use threat of third Trump impeachment as key issue to boost their standing in midterm races
Republican strategists say they plan to make a major midterm talking point from the threat of a third impeachment against Donald Trump that could come if Democrats retake the House. 'We know what the stakes are in the midterm elections,' John McLaughlin, a Trump pollster, told NBC News. 'If we don't succeed, Democrats will begin persecuting President Trump again. They would go for impeachment.' Right now, Republicans hold an eight-seat advantage in the House, walling the president off from a third impeachment, but that could change if the Democrats surge in 2026, as the president's party typically suffers during midterm elections. Still, according to Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who led the party's second impeachment against Trump over the January 6 insurrection, the Democrats themselves plan to focus more on what they see as the president's 'terrible agenda.' 'We've already impeached him twice,' Raskin told NBC. 'So obviously that's not a complete solution, given that he is able to beat the two-thirds constitutional spread. So I don't think anybody thinks that's going to be the utopian solution to our problems.' Both House impeachments — first for an alleged offer of quid pro quo with Ukraine to go after Joe Biden, then for the Capitol riot — did not have enough votes to secure convictions in the Senate. During the second Trump administration, the president has continued to face attempts to initiate new impeachment trials, including from Michigan Democrat Shri Thanedar in the spring and a June effort over the administration's Iran strikes, though none of these have come to pass. Impeachments may not be coming any time soon, but Republicans face a variety of other risks to their three-party majority control of the federal government. The president's job approval rating has dipped to 37 percent, according to Gallup, the lowest of this term and just above Trump's lowest-ever approval rating, driven by hemorrhaging support from independent voters. A majority of Americans also oppose his signature One Big, Beautiful Bill, which contains a series of tax cuts and restrictions on social programs like Medicaid. The party also continues to face fallout and internal division over the White House's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files scandal, in which Trump and his allies campaigned on releasing materials related to the notorious financier's sexual misconduct, only to backtrack as more information concerning Epstein and Trump's long-time friendship came to light. The president has lashed out at his own base for seeking information about the scandal, which he calls a Democratic 'hoax,' while House Speaker Mike Johnson effectively ended business in the lower house until after its upcoming summer recess to avoid Democratic amendments calling for the release of the files. Meanwhile, former White House ally (and GOP mega-donor) Elon Musk has vowed to form his own political party, in the face of disagreements with the Trump administration over spending policy and the Epstein saga. There could also be blowback to economic conditions if the Trump administration's repeatedly delayed double-digit tariffs take full effect on major U.S. trading partners.
