As Promised, New Hampshire's Governor Vetoes Gun Control Bills

CONCORD, NH — Earlier this year, thousands of 2nd Amendment advocates in the state of New Hampshire asked Gov. Chris Sununu, R-NH, to "hold the line," and veto gun control bills that they believed would infringe on their rights. On Friday, the governor did just that. HB 109, a background check bill, HB 514, a waiting period proposal, and HB 564, a bill banning weapons from schools, were all vetoed by Sununu.

In his veto statement on the bills, Sununu called New Hampshire was one of the safest states in the United States with "a long and proud tradition of responsible firearm stewardship" that already had laws in place that preserved individual freedom while also ensured a culture of responsible ownership. Instead of gun control laws, the nation needed to address the root causes of hate and violence, Sununu said. New Hampshire had already taken steps to address mental health needs, established a school safety task force, and was working to crate a more welcoming and tolerant state, he added.

The bills, Sununu said, would not prevent "evil individuals from doing harm, but they would further restrict the constitutional rights of law-abiding New Hampshire citizens."

Senate Democrats, however, criticized the vetoes, especially in the wake of a number of mass casualty incidents, including two perpetrated last week by assailants advocating both extreme right and left political views. Senate President Donna Soucy, D-Manchester, called the vetoes "deeply disappointing" and said the governor was holding back progress on violence prevention.

"Senate Democrats continue to stand with the majority of Granite Staters who are calling for common sense gun violence prevention," she added. "Together, we will make a difference."

Martha Hennessey, D-Hanover, the chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, added that leaders "worked hard" to create legislation to prevent a tragic event like the ones happening around the nation from occurring in the Granite State.

"Unfortunately, Governor Sununu is once again standing with the NRA to the detriment of public safety," she said.

House Republican Leader Dick Hinch, R-Merrimack, however, applauded the vetoes, calling the bills "excessive government overreach" that had "the potential to make criminals out of responsible gun owners."

The Women's Defense League of New Hampshire, which delivered postcards requesting the bills be vetoed, also commended Sununu's decisions to not roll back 245 years of history allowing citizens to defend themselves.

"It’s no surprise Bloomberg-funded Democrats were able to pass these destructive gun-control bills in the Dem-controlled NH Legislature," said Susan Olsen, the director of legislation for the org. "What’s hypocritical is that the sponsorof two of these bills – convicted of assault – and two more Democrat state representatives, who were caught on video threatening a private citizen, and supported these bills – want law-abiding citizens disarmed."

Other Bills Vetoed

The governor also vetoed bills that would increase the minimum wage and create an independent redistricting commission.

Concerning SB 10, the minimum wage bill, Sununu wrote in his veto message, it "would have a detrimental effect not only on the Granite Staters it purports to help, but also the New Hampshire Advantage." Since the 0.0015 percent of employees in the state earned the minimum wage and the state had low unemployment and poverty rates, the increase wasn't needed – and might reduce a worker's chances of getting a job, he claimed. Advocates have said, in the past, that about 12,000 people in the state earn the minimum wage.

Soucy countered that she remained "committed to this fight" and thanked supporters and advocates for raising the issue during the last session.

"New Hampshire values work – it’s far past time for us to guarantee that hardworking Granite Staters earn enough to support themselves and their families," she said.

Hinch called SB 10 a "job-killing" bill that was "a no-win situation" that would negatively impact businesses in the state.

The redistricting bill proposed an independent commission of political leaders – instead of state representatives and senators – to redraw the state's political districts, in the hope that it would limit or prevent gerrymandered seats.

Sununu, however, vetoed the bill because the state constitution required the Legislature – not a commission that was "unelected and unaccountable to the voters" – to redraw the districts.

"While I do not question the sincerity of the legislators who support House Bill 706, one of the partisan out-of-state organizations pushing for this legislation states that its mission is to 'favorably position Democrats for the redistricting process,'" Sununu added. "This is very concerning and undermines House Bill 706's stated goal of creating 'fair' electoral districts."

State Sen. Shannon Chandley, D-Amherst, countered that the bill, which received bipartisan support and might have enough votes to overturn the veto, was a "beacon of hope" during a time when the country was politically polarized.

"My colleagues in the House and Senate – particularly Representative Smith, Senator Gray, and Senator Birdsell – worked across the aisle to advance fairness and equality in our elections for the good of the people," she said. "The governor’s veto today disregards the work of the Legislature and the will of New Hampshire voters."

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