Dr. John Lott recently wrote an op-ed in the New Hampshire’s largest newspaper, the Union Leader, with New Hampshire state Representative Samuel Farrington (R), who is the primary sponsor of the Campus Carry. While this isn’t perfect, every movement in the right direction helps. Democrats strongly opposed faculty carrying, and their concerns about faculty carrying will be proven wrong, just as their claims about Constitutional Carry and the changes over the years with right-to-carry laws were proven wrong. Gun control advocates lose credibility each time they make these claims.
The Senate passed an amended version of the bill by a 14–8 party-line vote. One Republican senator, Daniel Innis, recused himself from voting. The version that passed was narrower than the original House bill:
— It would allow faculty at public colleges and universities to carry firearms on campus.
— It would not extend campus carry to students.
— It also creates a study committee to examine broader campus carry for students in the future.
The main Democratic points were:
- Universities and campus police opposed the bill. Democrats repeatedly cited testimony from university leaders, students, faculty, and law enforcement officials who said campus carry would increase danger rather than reduce it.
- Mental-health and suicide concerns. Opponents argued college campuses have high levels of stress, depression, and alcohol use, and that easier firearm access could worsen suicides or impulsive violence. One student opponent referenced “major life transitions when many people struggle with mental health.”
- Fear and campus climate. Democrats argued many students would feel intimidated or unsafe knowing professors or students could be armed. The Concord Monitor summarized the opposition view as: firearms on campus create “more danger and fear, not safety.”
- Active-shooter confusion. Campus officials and police reportedly argued that armed civilians during an incident could complicate law-enforcement response and identification of the actual shooter.
- Enrollment and parental concerns. Sen. Tara Reardon said parents had told her they might avoid sending their children to New Hampshire public universities if campus carry became law.
Sen. Donovan Fenton (D-Keene) was especially blunt today. Even after Republicans narrowed the bill to faculty-only carry, he called the proposal: “an unattainable, unsafe and unserious concept.”
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