NH Lawmakers Ban Guns From Statehouse

CONCORD, NH — New Hampshire lawmakers on Wednesday voted to ban guns from the statehouse — again. The House approved the measure by a vote of 220 to 163. It was one of the first acts by the new Democratic-controlled legislature.

Republicans said the ban is harmful.

"This amendment to House rules prohibits law abiding citizens from exercising their constitutionally protected right, and it lacks the necessary detail in process and procedures for the storage of weapons," House Republican Leader Richard Hinch, of Merrimack, said in a statement. "There have been several instances where members of this body have been threatened with physical violence against them or their families ... In our capacity as identifiable public officials in an environment of heightened political rhetoric, we are at greater risk for violence."

The gun ban has been reversed and reinstated several times over the last decade, depending on which party holds the majority in Concord. Most Democrats support the ban, while most Republicans oppose it.

In 2012, State Rep. Kyle Tasker, a Nottingham Republican, accidentally dropped his loaded pistol at the statehouse during a House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. The gun didn't discharge and no one was hurt.

The ban was supported by the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition.

"This vote is a step in the right direction," said coalition member Zandra Rice Hawkins in a statement. "Now the legislature needs to pass a package of common sense gun violence prevention laws, including closing background check loopholes, creating a waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a firearm, keeping guns out of our elementary, middle, and high schools, and passing the popular bipartisan extreme risk protection order which is improving public safety in states across the nation."

Democrats retook control of the legislature in the midterm election in November. In addition the gun ban, Democrats are expected to push for marijuana legalization and paid family leave —among other measures — in the coming year.

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