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NH House Passes Constitutional Carry Bill; Governor Will Veto

The New Hampshire House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill Wednesday that allows its citizens to carry a concealed gun without a license, but Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan indicated that she intends to veto it once it lands on her desk.

As the Concord Monitor reports, Senate Bill 116 passed the Republican-controlled House by a vote of 212-150. It already passed the Senate — where the Republicans also have a majority — in a 14-9 vote.

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The Granite State currently allows open carry. In other words, anybody who is legally able to own a gun can carry it in the open without a license. Constitutional carry, however, is another matter. According to the Concord Monitor, current state law dictates that gun owners must obtain a concealed carry license in order to carry a gun hidden beneath a coat or in a purse. Police departments grant licenses to residents. Those who are rejected must go to court to appeal the decision.

Just before the House voted on SB 116, Gov. Hassan issued a statement declaring her intention to veto the bill, saying the state’s concealed carry law “has worked well for nearly a century” and there is no need to change it.

“Law enforcement, as well as citizens across New Hampshire, have strong public safety concerns about allowing people to carry concealed guns without a license and oppose removing the protections that the licensing process offers to help ensure that potentially dangerous individuals are not allowed to carry hidden weapons,” Hassan wrote.

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The fight over constitutional carry doesn’t end there. As Guns.com notes, the governor’s veto can be overridden if the bill is passed by a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate once it is sent back to those legislative chambers.

Read more: http://www.vnews.com

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