Gov. Sununu Vetoes Death Penalty Repeal Bill

CONCORD, NH — As expected, Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed HB 455 today, a bill repealing the death penalty in the state of New Hampshire. Sununu vetoed the bill at the Michael Briggs Community Center at the Manchester Police Athletic League while surrounded by members of the Granite State’s law enforcement community as well as Briggs family. Briggs — an officer from Epsom who also lived in Concord and worked in Manchester — was shot and killed by Michael Addison in 2006.

Addison is the only prisoner in New Hampshire on death row.

"New Hampshire has always shown prudence and responsibility in its application of the death penalty," Sununu said. "This bill is an injustice to not only Officer Briggs and his family, but to law enforcement and victims of violent crime around the state. God Bless Officer Briggs and his family."

The veto ceremony was livestreamed on the governor’s Facebook site.

Members of law enforcement at the signing commended the governor for the veto.

“New Hampshire is one of the safest states in the country and we’d like to keep it that way,” said Marc Beaudoin, president of the New Hampshire Troopers Association. “We support Governor Sununu in his effort to maintain the safety here in the State and we stand behind him one hundred percent.”

Hillsborough County Sheriff James Hardy agreed.

“I respectfully ask on behalf of New Hampshire law enforcement officers that the legislators, the member of House and Senate respectfully take a second look at the issue and maintain the current law.

Sununu vetoed a similar bill, SB 593, in 2018.

The veto though may all be for naught. Both the House of Representatives and the state Senate approved the repeal with veto-proof majorities, according to previous news reports on Patch.

The last person executed in the state of New Hampshire was Howard Long in 1939, after he molested and murdered a boy in Laconia.

While Addison is the only prisoner on death row, the repeal can’t be retroactively applied to his death sentence.