New Hampshire's overwhelming support for 'Constitutional Carry' - Granite Grok

New Hampshire’s overwhelming support for ‘Constitutional Carry’

susanolsenYesterday was the Senate Judiciary Committee on SB 116. A bill that makes getting a pistol license optional, allowing legal gun owners to concealed carry without having to go through the license process. There was 4.5 hours of testimony throughout the day. Only four people stood in opposition to the bill and three of them were paid representatives of organizations; the fourth was a person who doesn’t believe in individual rights over the ‘collective’. There were hours of testimony from Granite Staters who took the day off from work to support SB 116.

Senator Jeb Bradley, the bill’s main sponsor was the first speaker and discussed the “modest bill” and answered questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee consisting of Chairman Sharon Carson (R) and committee members Bette Laskey (D), David Pierce (D), Gary Daniels (R) and Sam Cataldo (R). Speaker of the House Shawn Jasper gave the go ahead for Senator Carson to use Representatives Hall for the hearing as the turnout was expected to be large and indeed it was.

Susan Olsen represented the Women’s Defense League of New Hampshire and spoke to Allie Morris at the Concord Monitor:

Susan Olsen grew up around the coal mining business, an industry that inadvertently helped spark her interest in guns. Her father and his partners had a stake in several mines, she said, and once during a labor strike, some union workers fired a couple of shots at Olsen.

“It didn’t hit me. It was intended to frighten me,” she said. “Ever since, I have been able to defend myself.”

Now, Olsen is one of several supporters backing a bill that would allow anyone who can legally own a gun to conceal that firearm without a state-issued license.

“Women armed with a weapon of any kind fare better against assailants,” said Olsen, who represents the Women’s Defense League of New Hampshire, during a five-hour hearing on the bill before the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday. It “gives women the opportunity to level the playing field.”

Eddie Cutler, President of Gun Owners of Vermont also testified. Vermont is a Constitutional Carrystate and he explained that Vermont is the second safest place in the world next to only Switzerland. Cutler pointed out that SB 116 would prevent Vermont citizens from unintentionally breaking the law if they lived near the border.

There was speaker after speaker after speaker all in support of this bill. Some represented the various firearms organizations in the state and others told stories of why they believed it was important that they freely be able to practice their rights. This author spoke about this bill from the pro-choice, pro-women’s point of view. Many representatives all spoke in support of the bill.

There will be a follow up article about the few opponents to the bill that were there but what struck many was the absolutely overwhelming support for Constitutional Carry in the Granite State. The majority of people at the hearing had to take a day off from work to be there. The majority were just regular people who live in New Hampshire and simply want to be able to practice their rights as guaranteed under the Bill of Rights and the Constitution.

The bill will now have to be voted on by the committee and that will probably happen within the next couple of weeks. From there it will be sent to the entire senate to be voted on. If you were to base the support of New Hampshire on the attendance at the hearing yesterday, you’d come to the conclusion that Granite Staters overwhelmingly support this bill. Aside from the hearing, many have also been contacting their senators to support SB 116 as well. Only time will tell if the senate indeed represents their constituents in this matter.

Cross-posted from Examiner

NOTE: CALL/EMAIL/WRITE the Judiciary Committee to show your support!!

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