Gov. Chris Sununu recently vetoed his 40th bill. My first thought was that this must be simply because he is a Republican governor with Democrats in the majority in both the House and the Senate. So I did a little research. It turns out that 40 vetoes is four times the average for our recent previous governors.
John Lynch vetoed 15 in 2012, contending with Republican majorities in both the House and Senate.
The Legislature overrode Sununu’s veto of the death penalty repeal bill by a close margin, allowing us to join the civilized world, in my opinion. It was Jeanne Shaheen who vetoed the repeal previously.
The vetoes that bother me most are the efforts to make it harder for college students and new residents to vote. It seems to me that Republicans are simply trying to cut Democratic votes any way they can without regard to principles. Now with the need for sensible gun legislation to prevent impulsive gun purchases by angry or suicidal people, I hope Sununu will not continue to stick to the traditional Republican NRA positions.
Perhaps now that Trump has finally said that we must act to change gun laws that could give Sununu some cover, until Trump unsays what he said.
DAVID ERIKSON
Weare