Surrounded by law enforcement officers and the family of police officer Michael Briggs, who was killed in the line of duty, Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed a bill repealing New Hampshire’s death penalty on Friday morning.
This is the second time in his governorship that Sununu has vetoed a death penalty repeal, the first time being in 2018. However, this year, with Democratic majorities in both legislative bodies, the bills originally passed with more than enough votes to overturn Sununu’s veto – 279 to 88 in the House and 17 to 6 in the Senate.
“New Hampshire has always shown prudence and responsibility in its application of the death penalty,” said Sununu, in a press release Friday. “This bill is an injustice to not only Officer Briggs and his family, but to law enforcement and victims of violent crime around the state. God bless Officer Briggs and his family.”
Currently, the only person on death row in New Hampshire is Michael Addison, who was convicted of Briggs’ murder in 2008. If the veto is overturned, the repeal would not apply to Addison’s case.
“If a repeal occurs, there will be no penalty for murdering a police officer,” said Mark Chase, president of the New Hampshire Chiefs of Police Association at Friday’s veto ceremony. “The New Hampshire Chief’s Police Association finds that unacceptable.”
“New Hampshire is one of the safest states in the country, and we’d like to keep it that way,” said Marc Beaudoin, president of the New Hampshire Troopers Association at the event. “We support Gov. Sununu in his effort to maintain the safety here in the state and we stand behind him 100 percent.”
Sen. Jeanne Dietsch (D-Peterborough) said she was confident the Senate would be able to overturn the veto.
“I’ve been a supporter of repealing the death penalty, and I’m pleased to say our veto-proof majority will hold,” Dietsch said. “And I’m hoping the House is the same.”
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.