The New Hampshire House passed an amendment to legalize black jacks, slung shots and metallic knuckles to the state budget Thursday, adding a new opportunity for the repeatedly filed legislation to become law.
Currently, New Hampshire bans the sale or possession of black jacks, slung shots and metallic knuckles. A bill to repeal that ban, either fully or partially, has now passed the House three years in a row. But in both 2023 and 2024, it failed in the Senate.
This year, the legislation would repeal the prohibition for all except those under 18. It passed the House in February and had its first Senate hearing Thursday.
But another avenue to legalize these weapons was opened up after an amendment to do so was added to the state budget Thursday and passed by the House.
Floor Amendment 1560h included a section that would make it so any person under the age of 18 who carries any blackjack, slung shot, or metallic knuckles would be guilty of a violation, as would someone who sells the weapons to a minor.
Rep. David Meuse, D-Portsmouth, spoke against the provision, saying the weapons are “favored by generations of gangs and street thugs” and that the amendment as a whole, which also includes a provision to exempt firearms from regulations or taxes, would make New Hampshire less safe.
“If brass knuckles and blackjacks and slung shots were the weapons of gang members and street brawlers, one would think we’d actually had some arrests and confiscations of those in the last two decades,” responded Rep. James Spillane, R-Deerfield, who sponsored the amendment and the past three bills on the weapons. “But they haven’t.”
The amendment passed 203-167, and the budget passed 207-162.
What are slung shots, blackjacks, and metallic knuckles?
A slung shot is different from a sling shot: it is a weight attached to the end of a hand-held cord.
A blackjack is a weighted leather pouch or rod, usually 8-12 inches long, that can be concealed inside a pocket.
Metallic knuckles, often called brass knuckles, are metal ring-like weapons fitted to be worn around one’s knuckles.
Weapons confiscated from Collier County schools during the 2022-23 school year included stun guns, knives,propelled BB guns and brass knuckles.
Why legalize black jacks, slung shots and metallic knuckles?
Spillane said Thursday that he would like to make the laws on these weapons aligned with New Hampshire’s laws on things like knives, swords, and switch blades, which he said are even more dangerous.
“I believe that this is simply the situation has been overlooked, because most of these are antiques that people possess, and they possess illegally without knowing,” said Spillane.
In the House committee report in support of the bill, Rep. Jennifer Rhodes, R-Winchester, said that the current ban was a violation of the Second Amendment.
Opponents say that legalizing the weapons would hurt New Hampshire’s public safety.
What’s next for blackjacks and brass knuckles?
While the budget passed the House, it must still pass the Senate and be approved by Gov. Kelly Ayotte.
On Wednesday, Ayotte told reporters that she was hoping to work with the Senate to make a lot of changes to the House’s budget, including restoring a lot of the funding and programs cut by the House.
It’s unclear if Ayotte supports the provision to legalize blackjacks, slung shots and metallic knuckles, or if the Senate will accept the bill or the measure in the budget.
Last year, the Senate rejected the bill, with Sen. Bill Gannon, R-Sandown, saying that societal norms “no longer accept these weapons” and that they could raise the level of danger in conflicts like fist fights to a deadly level.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Could blackjacks, metallic knuckles become legal in NH this year?