Backers of stronger gun background checks say they'll continue push in NH
Gun advocate says NH is safe state
Gun advocate says NH is safe state
Gun advocate says NH is safe state
Proponents of gun background check laws in New Hampshire said they are planning to push for new measures despite vetoes from the governor.
Last month, Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed three firearm regulation bills, including one on background checks.
"I've been doing this for 20 years, and the same stuff comes back over and over and over again," said Mitch Kopacz, of Gun Owners of New Hampshire. "New Hampshire is a safe place. We don't have a gun problem here."
State Rep. Katherine Rogers, D-Concord, was a sponsor of the vetoed bills.
"There's a lot of misinformation out there," Rogers said. "There's unneeded fear about this. A law-abiding person in this state, a person who wants to do this right, they wouldn't have been affected."
New Hampshire is a "partial point of contact" state, meaning firearms dealers selling handguns must conduct a background check. But private sellers who are not licensed dealers do not have to do a check when transferring a firearm.
Rogers said criminals can take advantage of those loopholes.
"People can obtain them online," she said. "People can obtain them at gun shows through private sales. What we seek to do is close those loopholes so that people who shouldn't have weapons won't have them."
"Is it possible for people to do something in a parking lot? Sure," Kopacz said. "Can they do it down here on Elm Street? Yeah. But criminals don't get their guns at gun shows."
Despite a vast legislative distance between both sides, each agrees that improving services for drug addiction and mental health could help further the discussion.
"This is not an easy issue, but it's not the guns' fault," Kopacz said. "Taking firearms away from law-abiding citizens is not going to solve this issue that they're talking about. Nobody wants people killed. We all want people to feel safe."
"No one particular thing is going to stop gun violence," Rogers said. "It has to be a mosaic number of things together. But background checks can be very vital."
Rogers said she has refiled the gun legislation bill vetoed by the governor and will continue to do so if it fails to pass again.