Free Speech in Danger [SB 120]
These bills could spell disaster for freedom of speech, regardless of WHAT your groups’ issues are.
From our allies at NHFC:
After we have successfully stopped the anti-gun bills being pushed through the State House, the Anti-Gun Elite are now trying to silence us!
Clearly, success comes with a price.
This past week, the “Election Law” committee voted SB120 Ought To Pass and this bill is scheduled for a full vote in the House on May 14th!
Senate Bill 120 is the ultimate “Incumbent Protection Act”. This bill is designed to specifically make it hard for grassroots organizations to report on how the NH Senators and Representatives are acting or voting in both committee and on the floor. SB120 is designed to shut us down and prevent us from telling you the inside story regarding the anti-gun actions of the politicians in Concord.
In order for NHFC to continue to inform you of threats to your Second Amendment rights SB 120 must be stopped; and fast.
The New Hampshire Firearms Coalition and its members and followers have done a good job at stopping the radical anti-gun agenda in Concord this past year.
For over ten years our grassroots, all volunteer organization has helped educate the citizens in the state and together we have successfully stopped literally dozens of bad anti-gun bills. In just this 2013/2014 session, we have seen anti-gun bills like HB135 (Repeal of Stand your Ground), SB244 (See a Shrink, lose your guns) and HB1589 (Sell a gun, go to jail) fail as the result of our members and friends taking action.
The ability of a group of like minded gun advocates frightens the Billionaire Bloomberg ilk. The anti-gun politicians are outraged that a relatively modest local organization can have such an impact! This insults their sense of entitlement to rule without being questioned or challenged in any way.
To attempt to shut us down, they have drafted and are pushing a bill that is designed to regulate the free speech of a grassroots group.
This bill would redefine non-profit organizations like ours as a “political committee” and subject us to endless accounting requirements and red tape. This would effectively silence our ability to let you know about critical votes and the last minute political maneuvering of Anti-Gun politicians.
As a 501c4 Non-Profit Corporation we are already required to report the sum of all of our receipts and expenditures to the IRS, yet now the anti-gun legislators want us to itemize how we spend our money so they can target us and target the vendors we work with.
By slowing us down and preventing you access to the fast moving information in Concord, you may not be able to act in time to prevent bad bills from becoming Bad Laws!
The only purpose of this bill is to make it harder for grassroots organizations to stay involved in the political fight!
Even worse, if NHFC is forced to disclose exactly how much we spend exposing each legislator’s record, they will be more inclined to disregard your phone calls, emails, letters and post cards when they think NHFC hasn’t spent enough to warrant their attention.
You have proven to the Legislature over the last decade that NH Gun Owners are not going to take assaults on your gun-rights lying down, so they are now trying to yank the rug out from under our First Amendment Rights, to make it more difficult to defend our Second Amendment Rights.
It has been said that the right to keep and bear arms is the right that guards the rest, and that is true.
But for firearms owners around the country, the ability to publicly criticize gun-grabbing politicians for undermining your rights is key to stopping their schemes.
You may wonder which Senators or Representatives would be so bold as to attempt such a blatant restriction on the right to freely criticize those in authority, the principle at the very heart of the First Amendment?
The answer is none other than the following sponsors of SB120: Sen. Bradley, Dist 3; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Odell, Dist 8; Rep. Jasper, Hills 37; Rep. G. Richardson, Merr 10
Rep. Shawn Jasper is the Representative who led the charge to get this bill passed through the Election Law Committee, and he has also been one of the ringleaders in throwing gun owners like you and me under the bus during prior legislative seasons. In 2012 he voted against the bill preventing state institutions from prohibiting firearms on their properties, (2012 HB334). That year he also voted against the repeal for discharge in a compact zone. (HB1341). You see, Jasper is so anti-gun, he even voted against HB536, (Constitutional Carry) when it passed out of the house 193 yea, 122 nay.
If Rep. Shawn Jasper succeeds in his attempt to muzzle the grassroots gun owner, it will be a massive blow to gun rights throughout the state.
That is why I need you to call Rep. Shawn Jasper today, at Home (603)-595-9621 and tell him that his blatant disregard for the right to free speech is unacceptable. Let him know you will not stand by idly while he attempts to silence those who would stand against his gun-grabbing ways.
Then I need you to call your State Representative as well.
Click here to find out who your Representative is.
Let them know that you will not stand by while your voice in support of Second Amendment Civil Rights and freedom in Concord is muzzled. Let them know that SB120 must be voted down!
Given the anti-gun sentiment of the majority of the house, you can be sure they all would love to see NHFC hampered in our ability to criticize their anti-gun votes.
Unless we come together right now, and make sure they know you will not accept any attack on grassroots organizations’ ability to criticize legislators for their anti-gun votes, you and I are going to face an uphill battle next year when they come to take your gun rights.
That is why I need you to call Rep. Shawn Jasper today, at Home (603)-595-9621 and your own Representative, today.
http://gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/wml.aspx
Demand that they vote SB 120 Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL) and stop this unconstitutional restriction on free speech.
In Liberty,
Jonathan R. Evans, Esq.
President – NHFC