ICYMI: Rep. Terie Norelli: Sununu chooses the NRA over Granite Staters every time

In case you missed it, the Union Leader published an op-ed from former Speaker of the NH House Rep. Terie Norelli about Governor Sununu’s attendance at the NRA leadership forum on Friday — just one day after New Hampshire schools were closed due to credible threats of gun violence, and mere days after two horrific mass shootings.

Read the full op-ed here.

Union Leader: Sununu chooses the NRA over Granite Staters every time

By Speaker Terie Norelli

AFTER THE recent, horrific shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville where six people were brutally murdered — including 3 children — Granite Staters from all walks of life called on Gov. Chris Sununu to cancel his commitment to deliver a keynote speech at a major NRA leadership forum this past weekend.

Those demands were met with silence from the governor.

In the mere days since the tragedy in Nashville, there has already been another in Louisville, Kentucky where five people lost their lives due to senseless gun violence. Sununu has remained silent.

His decision to follow through on participating in this major NRA event so soon after such a shocking act of gun violence tells Granite Staters all we need to know about Sununu’s priorities — he will always choose his political ambitions over his constituents.

The NRA is a lobbying group that consistently puts the interests of gun manufacturers and gun owners above public safety, and Sununu’s support for this organization is a clear indication of where his priorities lie.

Sununu has a long record of consistently opposing common-sense gun safety measures that could save lives. He has opposed universal background checks, which are supported by over 90% of Americans and would help keep guns out of the hands of criminals who wish to hurt others. He has also opposed red flag laws, which allow law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms from individuals who have been deemed a danger to themselves or others.

This is how Sununu has spent his entire career. The very first bill Sununu signed into law as governor was anti-gun safety legislation that the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police called “dangerous.” He has signed into law bills that allow people to carry concealed firearms without a permit and prevent towns from banning guns in certain public places. He has vetoed three separate pieces of gun safety legislation and signed legislation that repealed licensing requirements on carrying a concealed firearm.

After the tragic mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were murdered by a gunman, Sununu said that “we aren’t looking to make any changes in firearms policy.” Exactly one month after that horrible tragedy, he signed a bill blocking any federal law or executive order regarding gun safety in New Hampshire.

It is time for Sununu to put Granite Staters before his political career. By attending this event, he sends the message that he values the interests of gun manufacturers and gun owners above the safety of the people he was elected to serve. It is time for him to take a stand for common-sense gun safety measures that could save lives and prevent senseless tragedies.