By AnneMarie Timmins/NH Bulletin
You can continue pronouncing Concord however you like and use adhesive rodent traps, but brass knuckles remain illegal and you’ll still need a permit to adopt a kangaroo.
Each was the subject of legislation filed this year. As was ending daylight saving time in New Hampshire if Congress gives states the green light, an effort that failed. And unlike some states, every bill among the nearly 1,000 filed by lawmakers got at least one public hearing.
Here’s how the under-the-radar bills shook out.
Rep. Eric Gallagher, a Concord Democrat, wanted state law to require that New Hampshire and the capital be pronounced according to the International Phonetic Alphabet. Lawmakers disagreed and rewrote his bill to clean up statutory language governing professional licensing.
A bipartisan bill that sought to put an end to “glue traps” for rodents had the support of at least the 142 people who submitted testimony urging lawmakers to pass it. They included a Stoddard woman who submitted a three-page, single-spaced letter arguing “… adhesive-based rodent traps are INHUMANE, INDISCRIMINATE, and INEFFECTIVE.” Lawmakers rejected the bill.
As they have before, lawmakers also killed a bill that would have legalized the possession and use of brass knuckles and blackjacks. In the Live Free or Die state, such a prohibition runs contrary to the state’s belief “in self ownership and the ability to defend oneself,” a Pembroke man told lawmakers.
There are dozens of animals Granite Staters can’t own without a permit. Kangaroos, monkeys, raccoons, and skunks will remain on the list, along with wolverines and hyenas. Lawmakers sided with opponents in rejecting a bill from Republicans seeking to lift the permit requirements.
Much of the opposition came from out of state, including this from Animal Welfare Institute: “Kangaroos, whose kicks can kill a human, have escaped from U.S. homes multiple times, requiring extended police chases to recapture them.”
Lawmakers didn’t say no to everything. You’ll be able to carry your alcohol from the hotel lounge to your room under a bill that’s passed both chambers. Should the governor sign it, there will be limits: one drink per each guest in a room who is at least 21.
