Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee Preview: February and March
The death penalty. Gun violence prevention. Cannabis legalization. Criminal justice reform. In February and March, all of these critical issues will be debated in the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Here’s a quick overview of some of the more controversial bills we’ll be considering and information on how you can make your voice heard. As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly with your concerns or for information on how to testify.
HB-481-FN: Cannabis legalization and regulation
Hearing date and time: Wednesday February 5, 1:00 p.m.
Place: Representatives Hall in the State House
Description: This bill would legalize and regulate the growth, sale, and distribution of marijuana and other cannabis products. This bill was guided by a 2018 report created by a bipartisan legislative cannabis study commission. While the report didn’t make a specific recommendation on legalization, it did look into the experiences of other states and lists a series of other recommendations should the state decide to pursue legalization.
HB 109-FN: Background checks for commercial firearms sales
Hearing date and time: Wednesday February 13, 1:00 p.m.
Place: Room 210-211 Legislative Office Building, Concord, NH
Description: This bill requires commercial firearms sales or transfers in New Hampshire to be subject to a criminal background check. It also provides a criminal penalty for a violation. The bill excludes private, noncommercial sales or transfers between individuals, provided neither is prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm under state or federal law.
HB 514-FN: 7 day waiting period for certain firearms purchases
Hearing date and time: Wednesday February 13, 2:30 p.m.
Place: Room 210-211 Legislative Office Building, Concord, NH
Description: This bill would impose a 7 day waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a firearm. It wouldn’t apply to people purchasing rifles or shotguns who complete a 16-hour hunter safety course. Law enforcement personnel or active duty military personnel are also exempt when purchasing rifles or shotguns.
HB-455-FN: Death penalty repeal
Hearing date and time: Wednesday February 19, 1:00 p.m.
Place: Representatives Hall, NH State House, Concord, NH
Description: This bill changes the penalty for capital murder to life imprisonment without the possibility for parole.
HB-687-FN: Extreme risk protection orders
Hearing date and time: Tuesday March 5, 1:00 p.m.
Place: Room 204 Legislative Office Building, Concord, NH
Description: This bill establishes a procedure for issuing extreme risk protection orders to protect against persons who pose an immediate risk of harm to themselves or others. It allows a law enforcement officer, family or household member, or intimate partner to have firearms and ammunition removed from a person who poses a significant risk of causing bodily injury to himself or herself or others by having a firearm or any ammunition in his or her custody or control.
How to Make Your Voice Heard
One way to weigh in on these issues is to email all of the members of the committee with your concerns at HouseCriminalJusticeandPublicSafety@leg.state.nh.us. However, if you want your concerns to be part of the public record, you must either testify or submit written testimony during the public hearing.
If you’ve never testified before, don’t worry. It’s easier than it sounds!
Plan on arriving early to find a parking space and to fill out a pink card. The sponsoring legislator always testifies first. But after that, members of the public get their chance in the order the committee clerk receives the pink cards. So the sooner you complete your pink card, the sooner you’ll be called on.
It’s OK to read from a printed statement if that makes you feel more comfortable. You also have the option of submitting a written statement without testifying, submitting a written statement and paraphrasing your testimony, or testifying with no prepared remarks.
After your testimony, committee members may have questions. You get to decide if you’ll accept questions from committee members. Keep in mind committee members are not allowed to cross-examine you. We can only ask questions to clarify your testimony or to get additional information in an area relevant to your testimony. Not comfortable answering questions? Then you don’t have to.
If you don’t want to testify, but you do want to come to the hearing to support or oppose a bill, make sure to sign in on the blue sheet on the table near the committee. At the end of the hearing, the results will be tallied and the names of supporters or opponents will be announced.
The bills listed above are just a small sampling of the bills my committee will be considering in this session. Here’s the full list so far. Hope to see you in Concord!