N.H. bills would end gun license requirement

By Norma Love; Associated Press

February 08, 2011 2:00 AM

CONCORD — Competing bills have been filed to eliminate New Hampshire’s license requirement for carrying concealed weapons, dividing the pro-gun community.

Some are lining up behind state Rep. J.R. Hoell, a Dunbarton Republican, and others behind state Rep. Jennifer Coffey, a Republican from Andover.

Both of their bills allow anyone to carry a firearm openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, with or without a license. Coffey’s bill also removes the requirement that nonresidents obtain a license to possess a firearm while in New Hampshire.

House Speaker William O’Brien, House Republican Leader D.J. Bettencourt, Senate Republican Leader Jeb Bradley and others who back Coffey’s bill said it is not as extreme as Hoell’s bill.

O’Brien, R-Mont Vernon, said last week he was disappointed he couldn’t persuade Hoell to withdraw his bill, which Hoell said deserves a hearing.

“While I am a strong advocate for the state and federal constitutional right to own and carry firearms, including the right of constitutional carry, this legislation vastly exceeds any reasonable standard of an individual’s right to bear arms,” O’Brien said in a statement. “This bill would make New Hampshire less safe and would create an unacceptable risk for our citizens.”

Hoell’s bill would establish a criminal penalty for interfering with someone’s right to carry and would repeal a prohibition against citizens carrying a gun in a courthouse. The bill includes a definition of a suitable person eligible for what would become an optional license needed to carry in other states. For example, a suitable person could not be a felon.

Hoell said he wants judges and others to be allowed to carry firearms in courthouses to defend themselves.

“Judges should be allowed to carry at work,” he said.

He said he included the penalty because some local officials responsible for issuing licenses have been slow to issue them or not issued them at all.

Hoell said he is open to some revisions to the initial draft of the bill, but felt O’Brien was wrong in asking him to withdraw it. Supporters of his proposals should be heard at a public hearing, he said.

“I think citizens expect transparency in government,” Hoell said.

Coffey could not be reached for comment.