Eight years ago, weeks after a gunman opened fire at a school in Parkland, Fla., a bipartisan group of New Hampshire lawmakers rejected a proposal to allow firearms on college campuses.
On Thursday, they reversed course. The House of Representatives voted, 188-165, to advance legislation that would prevent publicly funded colleges from restricting the lawful possession or use of weapons on campus, including guns and non-lethal tools like tasers and pepper spray.
State Rep. Samuel Farrington, a Republican from Rochester and UNH student, led the charge. He argued that someone’s right to carry a firearm shouldn’t dissolve once they step onto a campus and that the restrictions unfairly target young people.
“College students are adults, deserving of an equal protection of the law as it already stands here in New Hampshire,” Farrington said.
Although students are the largest population on college campuses, Rep. David Meuse, a Portsmouth Democrat, challenged the idea that a prohibition on bearing arms on campus targets them. Guns aren’t just prohibited for students, he said, but for faculty, employees and visitors, as well.
“These restrictions apply to everyone on campus, regardless of age,” Meuse said. “In short, they have absolutely nothing to do with who you are and everything to do with where you are.”
Some college students told lawmakers at a public hearing last month that, since they’re old enough to vote and serve in the military, their right to carry a gun shouldn’t be infringed upon in any setting. Others argued that the idea of guns on campus, especially in cramped spaces like dorms and classrooms, makes them fearful.
New Hampshire allows both open and concealed carry, meaning residents may possess and use a firearm without a permit. Like many states, however, it has historically left safety protocols up to individual colleges. About a dozen states currently allow campus carry.
What’s next: House Bill 1793 will head to the House Finance Committee, which will assess the fiscal impact of the bill. If it’s approved, it’ll make its way to the Senate.