University of New Hampshire students widely oppose a bill that would allow students to openly carry firearms.
A Student Senate survey with 2,361 responses from UNH’s Durham campus shows 81.8% “strongly oppose” HB 1793 while 3.5% are “somewhat opposed.” The bill, if passed, would prohibit the state’s colleges and universities from regulating possession of firearms or non-lethal weapons on campus. The survey noted 10.8% of respondents strongly support it.
In the Granite State, both open and concealed carry are legal for adults aged 18 and older without a license, though public colleges within the University System of New Hampshire enforce gun-free zones. The New Hampshire House of Representatives bill states public college and university policies against law-abiding citizens carrying firearms are “inconsistent” with the state’s Constitution.
The survey found 85.9% of respondents would have been “less likely” to enroll at UNH if the proposed legislation were the law, compared to the 3.9% of students who said they would “more likely” to attend the school and 7.8% reporting it would not affect their decision.
UNH’s administration has come out in opposition to the bill. UNH previously issued a statement, saying, “We are deeply worried about the impact of adding armed civilians to our campus communities when our campus police officers face life or death decisions to protect the safety of all.”
What does UNH’s policy against firearms on campus say?
The use and possession of all firearms by all is banned on all three UNH campuses in Concord, Durham and Manchester. Permission to carry a firearm may be granted in writing from the school’s police chief for “instructional or other qualified purposes and in other special circumstances and conditions,” according to the college’s policy.
House lawmakers passed the bill in a 188-165 vote last month, advancing it to the state Senate.
HB 1793 cites 2005 U.S. Supreme Court ruling
HB 1793 says “the government has no duty to protect individuals from private harm,” citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2005 decision in Castle Rock v. Gonzales. The high court ruled police in Castle Rock, Colorado, did not violate a mother’s right to due process by not enforcing her restraining order against her estranged husband, who abducted and killed their three children in 1999.
“Preventing lawful students from carrying only ensures that potential victims are left defenseless against unlawful aggression … New Hampshire should secure and protect the right of law-abiding college students, faculty, staff, and visitors at public institutions of higher education to exercise their constitutional right to carry firearms, consistent with existing state law,” HB 1793 states.
The bill’s prime sponsor is Rep. Samuel Farrington, R-Rochester, a current UNH student.
National Rifle Association of America shares supports for HB 1793
The National Rifle Association of America’s Institute for Legislative Action has urged supporters to back the New Hampshire bill.
“H.B. 1793 would ensure that law-abiding students and members of the public who enter public university campuses are not left defenseless because unelected officials circumvented the legislature in creating gun-free zones through local rules,” the association wrote. “In addition to restricting public colleges from prohibiting the carrying of firearms on campus, H.B. 1793 would similarly prohibit those institutions from regulating the possession of non-lethal weapons, commonly carried in self-defense including pepper spray, mace, stun guns and tasers.”
In February, upon the bill’s passage in the House of Representatives, UNH shared its stance against the initiative.
“As residential campuses, we believe this long-standing policy supports community safety and helps most students, faculty, and staff feel comfortable in their living, learning, and working environment,” a university statement read. “The university system has shared this position with lawmakers and will continue to do so.”
“At this time, UNH’s policy remains in effect. If House Bill 1793 were to become law, the university would communicate in a timely fashion about our next steps,” the school added.
The bill is pending before the state Senate’s Judiciary Committee.
The University of New Hampshire Survey Center assisted the school’s Student Senate in finalizing its report. The findings were shared with university administrators March 13 by the university’s student body vice president, Ben Doyle.
Reporting by Ian Lenahan, Portsmouth Herald / Portsmouth Herald
