New Hampshire is now ever so close to repealing a state law that requires gun owners to obtain a license to carry a concealed handgun.
The New Hampshire House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 12 Thursday on a 200-97 vote. The bill would allow law-abiding gun owners to carry a concealed handgun without having to first obtain a permit.
The Union Leader reports many supporters, such as Rep. John Burt, were jubilant after the bill’s passing.
“Constitutional carry is now a done deal,” Burt said after the House vote.
Rep. Robert Elliot, one of the lawmakers opposed to the legislation, said he did not want the current law changed and feared that if signed into law, the bill may endanger citizens in a “society gone crazy.”
State lawmakers are reported to have largely ignored calls from gun control groups Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety, which said the legislation would “allow dangerous people to carry hidden, loaded firearms in public without a permit.”
NRA spokesperson Amy Hunter praised the bill’s passing, saying “this piece of legislation will allow New Hampshirites to carry firearms in the manner that best suits their needs. Despite the best efforts of Michael Bloomberg-funded groups to distort the truth, the New Hampshire legislature stood strong for freedom today.”
The bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Chris Sununu, who recently expressed support for the bill and is expected to sign the measure into law.
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