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Proposed bill would fine NH districts that ban guns in schools

The state of New Hampshire has some of the least restrictive gun laws in the country, and while state laws allow guns to be brought on school property, many districts feel differently.

Districts that oppose the state's gun laws have decided to prohibit weapons from being brought onto school grounds.

Some, however, are saying the districts with self-imposed gun bans are breaking the law, and a proposed bill would impose a fine of up to $5,000 to any municipality that violates the law.

"If a school district doesn't want guns in their school they should be able to make that decision and not be imposed a fine," said Mike Tardin of Londonderry.

"That is concerning, what parent would want to send their kids to school with guns knowing they'd be there," said Tara Cronin, of Nashua.

Republican State Representative J.R Hoell is the lead sponsor for the bill.

"When we write statutes for civilians regarding laws, we put enforcement mechanisms; penalties in place," said Hoell. "And while this doesn't rise to the level of a criminal penalty, it rises to the level of a civil penalty."

Milford and Lebanon are named on the bill as examples of towns in violation of the 2003 statute.

The Lebanon School Board Chair Jeff Peavey says they have successfully enforced the ban that applies to staff and parents and points out they support the state school board association.

"You have students in the school building, we don't want to have an open field for people to come in with weapons or knives," said Peavey. "It'd be similar to what happened in Connecticut."

Yet, gun advocates like Hoell say bans don't make anyone safer.

"Last time I checked, criminals don't seem to want to obey the laws, so it's a false hope that this will actually stop the crimes that they're worried about stopping," Hoell said.

The bill is currently in committee and Governor Sununu's office says they are carefully reviewing the proposed bill.