In New Hampshire, felons are prohibited from possessing firearms and other deadly weapons such as brass knuckles and daggers. House Bill 1375 would change the law to ban only “violent” felons from possessing those weapons. That is a terrible idea.

What could be so bad about letting non-violent felons carry guns or other deadly weapons? They’re not violent, after all, right? Not necessarily.

Crimes currently defined as “non-violent” under state law include burglary, drug dealing and “trafficking in persons,” which includes sexual trafficking and pimping. This bill would allow a lot of bad guys to carry deadly weapons under state law.

Federal law, of course, bars all felons from owning firearms. As state law cannot supercede federal law, HB 1375 is pointless anyway. Everyone it would allow to carry deadly weapons would remain barred by federal law from carrying deadly weapons.

Derry Republican Rep. Andrew Manuse should have done his homework before sponsoring this bill. That would have saved the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, and the House itself, some time.