Linda Burnap: Recent passage of HB 1793 makes NH campuses less safe

To The Daily Sun,

The United States leads the world in school shootings by a staggering margin. Government data from 2000 to 2025 show more than 850 deaths and 2,100 injuries in school shootings. Are legislative choices making schools and campuses less safe?

On Feb. 5, the New Hampshire House passed the “campus carry” bill, HB 1793, by a vote of 188-165. The bill allows weapons on campus without requiring special state or institutional permits, registration, or notification to the school, meaning institutions may have no knowledge of how many guns are present on campus. It also creates the right for “aggrieved” individuals to sue institutions for a minimum of $10,000 plus attorney’s fees.

Schools, churches, and other public gatherings are targeted. Who benefits from expanding unpermitted carry on college campuses? Not the students trying to learn, the professors trying to teach, or the families who trust campuses to keep their loved ones safe.

Will learning institutions become NRA-approved gun ranges?

University of New Hampshire Student Senate survey found 85.9% of respondents would be less likely to attend New Hampshire universities if the bill passes, with more than 81% vehemently opposing it.

Despite 20 hours of public testimony and thousands of comments from students, professors, parents, and law enforcement warning of increased risks, Reps. Katy Peternel and John MacDonald, along with the Republican majority, voted for the bill — disregarding those concerns. When warnings this clear are dismissed, it is more than a policy disagreement — it is a failure of judgment and an act of moral turpitude, flagrantly abdicating the responsibility to protect the public.

If the worst happens, it will be measured in lost lives, shattered families, and devastated communities asking why the warning signs were ignored.

Our representatives have dismissed us for now, but we'll dismiss them in November.

Linda Burnap

Wolfeboro