Efforts toward allowing guns at New Hampshire colleges took a big step forward on Thursday after the Senate added a compromise amendment that will clear faculty, but not students, to carry firearms within campus limits.
Republicans in the Senate initially sought to punt House Bill 1793 to a study committee for further review, but landed on a middle ground after pressure from the bill’s sponsor, UNH student and Rochester Rep. Sam Farrington, and gun rights advocacy groups.
Some in the GOP pushed for the version passed by the House, which would’ve prevented any publicly-funded college from restricting the lawful possession or use of any weapons on campus, including guns. Ultimately, they settled for a step toward the end goal.
“I want to protect our rights. I believe in that,” said Sen. Howard Pearl, a Republican from Loudon. “But I understand that sometimes we have to take what we can get, and today, this is what we can get.”
Under an amendment from Sen. Bill Gannon, a Sandown Republican, campus carry would only apply to public institutions: the University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State University, Keene State College and the state’s community colleges.
Proponents of campus carry argue that college students should not lose their Second Amendment rights as soon as they step onto campus and that students should be allowed to defend themselves with a firearm in case of an active shooter. Those who oppose it argue that allowing firearms creates more danger and fear, not safety.
The bill, which passed 14-8 on party lines, prohibits these colleges from restricting the possession, carry or lawful use of firearms by faculty members. It also keeps the study committee for student use.
Republican Sen. Daniel Innis of Bradford, who’s a professor at UNH, recused himself from the vote.
In the meantime, students and visitors would have no restrictions on non-lethal weapons like pepper spray or stun guns. When it comes to firearms, Gannon said, he ran into questions over insurance liability and how guns would be stored and secured in different places on campus.
Democrats have unanimously opposed campus carry, citing pushback and safety concerns from university leaders, students, faculty and law enforcement. While one Democratic senator called Gannon’s amendment “harm reduction” for weakening the bill, they said no level of firearm access on campus should be allowed.
“There’s a saying about, ‘No amount of polish can turn something into a diamond,’ and I believe this applies to this bill. There’s no amount of polish that’s going to make this bill better,” said Sen. Donovan Fenton, a Keene Democrat. “This is an unattainable, unsafe and unserious concept.”
One more hurdle remains before campus carry hits the desk of Gov. Kelly Ayotte. Since the Senate made changes, the House must either vote to agree with them or form a committee of conference, where lawmakers from both bodies meet to hash out their differences.
Farrington, who sponsored the bill, is gunning for the latter.
“There’s no reason to allow professor carry but not student carry. College students are legal adults, and they are not second-class citizens,” Farrington wrote in a post on X. “We still have time to work this out. I look forward to working with the Senators to address their concerns. It ain’t over till it’s over.”
