Governor Hassan's Veto Message Regarding HB 1266

Statement

Governor Maggie Hassan released the following message after today vetoing House Bill 1266:

"By the authority vested in me, pursuant to part II, Article 44 of the New Hampshire Constitution, on May 31, 2016, I have vetoed House Bill 1266, relative to legalizing firecrackers.

"Ensuring the health and safety of citizens is the first responsibility of state government. In New Hampshire we have a long tradition of a balanced regulatory approach when it comes to our fireworks industry, an approach that focuses on minimizing risk to public safety and protecting all citizens' quality of life. Our current approach prohibits the sale and use of firecrackers, and none of the proponents of this bill made a compelling argument for changing current law. House Bill 1266 repeals the prohibition on the sale and use of firecrackers in the State of New Hampshire, and in doing so, threatens our tradition of carefully balancing public safety with public access to this industry.

"The New Hampshire Association of Fire Chiefs and the New Hampshire Fire Marshal's Office oppose House Bill 1266, and I share their public safety concerns. According to estimates by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, firecrackers have previously accounted for up to 20 percent of all fireworks-related injuries nationwide. Additionally, because of their small size, firecrackers can also be used to create panic in a crowd, potentially resulting in disastrous consequences.

"It is unnecessary to change current law -- which already provides public access to fireworks while aiming to minimize public safety risks -- by repealing a prohibition on some of the most dangerous types of fireworks. Because of the threat it poses to public safety, high risk of injury and the potential disruption to other citizens, I have vetoed House Bill 1266."

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