Also on today’s menu:
AGs Oppose Restrictions On Private Firearms Sales
Executive Council Approves $1 Million For Trail Repairs
New Hampshire State Police officers came to Hanover, bearing riot gear, on the evening of May 1 in response to students gathering on the Dartmouth College Green to protest Israel’s war in Gaza. They took 90 people into custody for offenses such as criminal trespass and resisting arrest. State police told NHPR that they “deployed personnel and various resources to the University of New Hampshire and Dartmouth College campuses in response to illegal activity and at the request of local law enforcement.”
The Dartmouth encampment formed after a “Labor for Liberation Celebration” earlier in the day. Amidst speeches, protesters waved Palestinian flags and chanted “Divest Not Arrest” while students encircled the encampment to make it more difficult for police to reach the protesters in tents inside the perimeter.
Provost David F. Kotz sent a warning that school policies “specifically prohibit the use of tents and encampments on the Green and other areas of campus” and warned that “Students, employees, and organizations in violation of Dartmouth policies or local laws will be immediately subject to Dartmouth’s disciplinary processes, which could include separation and expulsion. Students and employees violating local laws may also be subject to law enforcement action based on Hanover ordinances.”
Discussion: Campus police handed out fliers as the protesters built their encampment, notifying them of what were “allowable activities” — including “speech”, “expressing viewpoints”, and “holding signs in hands” — and which were “prohibited items and activities” — “amplified sound”, “tents of any kind”, “demonstrations inside buildings”, and “sleeping”. Placing restrictions that do not interfere with First Amendment rights are reasonable responses to the protests, but calling in officers in riot gear to enforce those rules when there has been no indication of violence is not a reasonable response, and is likely to escalate the tensions.
AGs Oppose Restrictions On Private Firearms Sales
Attorney-General John M. Formella is part of a multi-state coalition of attorneys-general suing the federal government over a new rule by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives that expands the definition of “purchase” and “sale” of firearms to include sales by private citizens. It requires anyone selling a firearm to obtain a license and to conduct background checks of the buyer.
“This new rule represents an illegal overreach by unelected federal officials and the unlawful suppression of the private transfer of firearms by law-abiding citizens,” Formella said. “The US Congress has clearly defined what it means to sell firearms in our nation and the ATF has no legal authority to change that definition.” He noted that the rule could make a felon of a gun hobbyist who sells a firearm to another family member, or a hunter who trades a firearm with a hunting partner.
The lawsuit, filed in Arkansas, argues that the rule is unconstitutionally vague, it violates the Second Amendment, and it circumvents Congress.
Discussion: The National League of Cities says the new rule supports its longstanding policy calling for an expansion of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to require anyone selling or transferring a gun to ensure that the buyer is not someone prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm.
Executive Council Approves $1 Million For Trail Repairs
The Executive Council has approved spending $1 million to repair and improve the statewide trail system for all-terrain vehicles. The historic amount of rain and flooding that occurred in 2023 damaged the trail network, especially the sections within Pittsburg and Swanzey. The initial damage was compounded during the December 18 storm when there was extensive trail damage in the Berlin, Gorham, and Randolph areas, particularly within Jericho Mountain State Park.
“The thousands of miles that make up New Hampshire’s trail system play such an important role in New Hampshire’s outdoor economy,” Governor Chris Sununu said. “Following storm damage over the last few months, we’re moving quickly to provide local clubs with the financial support needed to repair hundreds of miles of trails.”
The money will be distributed to local snowmobile and Off Highway Recreational Vehicle clubs through the Grant-In-Aid Program, with no match required. The program is funded through OHRV and snowmobile registrations, along with gas taxes. Income from OHRV and snowmobiles have reached all-time highs, with snowmobiling alone generating $500 million in revenue each year.
Discussion: Eighty percent of the statewide trail network is located on private lands, with landowners granting permission for the ATV enthusiasts to use and maintain the trails. Information on submitting grant applications is posted on the NH State Parks website.
Café Chatter
On A Second Swearing-In: You know that we grew up in the protest against the war situation. The Civil Rights movement. And a funny one, but bras as a woman’s statement about how we were and now again being treated. I think, that there is a difference. An understanding of the Middle East differences is complicated. Listening to the answers to questions about the conflict, some knew nothing of HAMAS murdering innocents. They didn’t know that HAMAS were not letting Palestinians leave the north using them as human shields. I feel certain that it wasn’t a large amount of students at Columbia and other colleges who are uninformed. However, calls for killing Jews. Calls for support for HAMAS! On campus. Jewish students were advised by their Rabbi at Columbia to leave the campus as it isn’t safe for them there. To Zoom classes. That reminds me of the South and integration of schools. How whites treated young children.
— Candace Skurnik