New Hampshire says thanks, but no thanks, to President Biden’s gun control proposals.
The president seized upon the third anniversary of the Parkland school shooting to promote expansive gun control policies at the federal level. During the campaign, Biden promised action on guns within the first 100 days of his presidency.
New Hampshire, controlled by Republicans, has other ideas.
Biden called on Congress to pass several ‘common sense’ gun control laws including an “assault weapons” ban, a magazine capacity limit, ending immunity for gun manufacturers, and mandating background checks on all firearm sales – even private transfers.
“We owe it to all those we’ve lost and to all those left behind to grieve to make a change,” Biden said. “The time to act is now.”
New Hampshire’s response? Not so fast.
“President Biden is obviously pandering to the far left members of his party,” Alan Rice, GOA-NH State Director told NHJournal.
And Chris Ager, Republican National Committeeman for New Hampshire, says “Thanks, but no thanks,” to Biden’s gun control plan. “What we need is criminal control, not gun control.”
“We’re very safe here. We have Second Amendment freedoms and a safe environment – we don’t need Joe Biden’s help.” Ager told NHJournal.
Indeed, New Hampshire is consistently one of the safest states in the country – despite its far-from-stringent gun laws. New Hampshire has the second-highest number of guns per capita in the country.
JR Hoell, a former state rep from Dunbarton, said Biden’s policies create more harm than good.
“It is unfortunate that our President wants to encourage more violence on his watch and go after the law-abiding by taking away their natural rights,” Hoell told NHJournal.
“The only way to truly prevent future mass murders in schools is to make sure that the schools have staff ready and willing to protect our children. Every day the President goes around with a group of armed men dedicated to protecting the Biden family.
“Our children are just as valuable and deserve the same level of protection,” Hoell said.
On the presidential campaign trail, Biden announced he would put former Rep. Beto O’Rourke in charge of his gun policy. O’Rourke was a vocal advocate of a mandatory gun buyback program. Biden says he only supports a voluntary buyback, and he has notably declined to give O’Rourke a position in his administration thus far.
Both Granite State U.S. Senators support a ban on the sale and manufacture of rifles with certain military-style features, sometimes referred to as “assault weapons.”
While the focus will be on stopping federal-level gun control, New Hampshire legislators are working on expanding and protecting Second Amendment rights.
A constitutional amendment was filed by a Republican Representative, Terry Roy (R-Deerfield) that would essentially make New Hampshire a ‘second-amendment sanctuary state’ – prohibiting state police from enforcing federal gun policy. A separate bill filed by Sen. Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) accomplishes the same.
Yet another bill, passed by the Criminal Justice Committee last week and expected to pass at the full House session next week, expands Constitutional Carry to persons on snowmobiles and OHRV’s. An oversight in the original Constitutional Carry law, passed in 2017, didn’t correct Fish & Game statutes that prohibited such practices.
