NH Women Gun Owners To Sununu: Veto Bills, 'Hold The Line'

CONCORD, NH — Gun rights activists held a press conference on April 25, 2019, at the Legislative Office Building and then met with the governor’s office to request that he veto bills they said would put women and schools in the Granite State in danger. The Women’s Defense League of NH and a few of their supporters in the Legislature submitted two boxes of postcards as well as two signed posters requesting Gov. Chris Sununu “hold the line” against the bills. Specifically, members of the organization were critical of HB 109, a background check bill, HB 514, a waiting period bill, and HB 564, which seeks to ban weapons from schools.

Susan Olsen of the Women’s Defense League of NH noted that the bills were not about safety but “served a progressive agenda of citizen disarmament.” She called on Sununu to veto the bills and fulfill a promise he made after he was first elected to preserve the rights of Granite Staters.

“There are so many bad ones,” State Rep. Jeanine Notter, R-Merrimack, added saying the anti-2nd Amendment bills “criminalize law-abiding citizens.”

Notter spoke specifically about the HB 564 and noted that there had been no school shootings in New Hampshire, one of the safest states in the nation.

“I look forward to seeing our governor take out his red pen and veto, veto, veto, every one of these bad gun-grabbing bills,” Notter stated.

Kimberly Morin, the president of the Women’s Defense League of NH, was critical of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for using special interest money to finance campaigns in New Hampshire to flip the House of Representatives and state Senate from red to blue to target the freedoms of New Hampshire residents.

“The Women’s Defense League will continue to fight for women’s rights and the rights of all Granite Staters to practice their protected, fundamental human right to self-defense,” she said.

The org has been collecting the postcards and signature since its rally at the Statehouse in February. After the press conference, they delivered the postcards and posters to the governor’s office.

Ben Vihstadt, a spokesperson for the governor, said in an email that the governor welcomes all visitors to the Statehouse to share their views on issues of importance.

"New Hampshire has a long and proud tradition of firearms stewardship, and as the governor has previously stated, he is not looking to make any changes to New Hampshire’s gun laws," Vihstadt stated.

HB 109, sponsored by state Rep. Katherine Rogers, D-Concord, was approved in the House last month by a 203-148 vote. Advocates say the bill will save lives by preventing impulsive acts of violence and suicide.