Proposals include concerns over mental health records and protection orders as well as firearm possession laws.
Security guard Bradley Haas was killed in November at New Hampshire Hospital in Concord by a former patient at the facility. The associate medical director of the hospital detailed the frightening experience that began in the lobby with the encounter between the assailant and the unarmed guard.
Addressing the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, Dr. Samantha Swetter recalled having a coworker shot and killed steps away from her office. “Then I had to sit there while other people I loved were in danger, and I could do very little to help them.”
Her call for more gun control was countered by Kimberly Morin, a Second Amendment supporter with the Women’s Defense League. She decried the effort by some lawmakers to pass more restrictions on gun rights while ignoring the root cause of the tragedy.
“Rather than pushing more discriminatory gun confiscation bills, why don’t we actually do something to address the serious mental health issues we have?”
As debate raged over access to guns for the mentally ill, Morin questioned the wisdom of granting freedom to those at risk of harming others.
“If someone is violently mentally ill, why would they be even released from a secure mental health facility?”
New Hampshire boasts some of the nation’s best support for gun rights, particularly considering the region it is located in.
There is no licensing requirement to purchase any handgun, rifle or shotgun. Its citizens also enjoy concealed carry rights as it is legal to carry a loaded pistol on your person or in any vehicle.
A carry license good for five years may be obtained for $10 — usually for reciprocal purposes in other states — and it is entirely voluntary. A license must be issued within 14 days of application. If it is denied, a written notification explaining the reason for the decision must be forwarded to the license applicant.
It was in this setting that legislators held public hearings on several bills. Some sought to restrict access to defensive weapons while others urged lawmakers to expand gun rights.
One measure that enjoyed bipartisan support was “Bradley’s Law.” Federal law bans those who have been involuntarily committed to a psychiatric institution from possessing firearms. However, New Hampshire at present does not provide mental health records to the database employed by gun retailers to conduct background checks.
This proposal would mandate the submission of these records. Further, it would create a process through which gun rights would be restored when the person committed to the facility no longer presents a threat to themselves or others.
The House committee heard from proponents for changing the law to make it easier for gun owners to keep their weapons in their vehicles while at work. Another would simplify the process for those who were once subject to a domestic violence protective order to reacquire their firearms.
Still another advocated for allowing a gun owner to voluntarily add themselves to the federal background check database if they experienced a mental health crisis. Speakers who supported this move told panelists that a person who previously considered suicide may want to protect themselves in the future.
Donna Morin told legislators about the suicide death of her 21-year-old son two years ago. She said it would not have saved his life but could have protected hers as his passing brought on feelings of ending her life.
“I’m speaking publicly about this even though it’s terrifying because I really feel that this bill is that important. The goal of this bill is to allow a person like myself to make a decision when they are in a calm mind and not in emotional distress.”
Morin said she wanted to avoid a moment of weakness when she would think life is not worth living, “because it is.”
New Hampshire lawmakers will further consider these gun control-related provisions as the session moves forward.
