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Boston Globe
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Sig Sauer, faced with lawsuits over a popular pistol, gets protection in New Hampshire
Advertisement Those who have sued Sig Sauer in New Hampshire and elsewhere include police, federal law enforcement officers, and other experienced gun users from multiple states who say they were wounded by the gun. Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up The manufacturer has prevailed in some cases. It is appealing two recent multimillion-dollar verdicts against it, in Pennsylvania and Georgia. George Abrahams a U.S. Army veteran and painting contractor in Philadelphia who won his case, said he had holstered his P320, put it in the pocket of his athletic pants and zipped it up before going downstairs. 'All I did was come down the stairway and there was a loud explosion, and then the excruciating pain and bleeding,' he told The Associated Press in 2022. He said the bullet tore through his right thigh. The company, which employs over 2,000 people in a state with permissive gun laws, says the P320 has internal safety mechanisms and 'has undergone the most rigorous testing and evaluation of any firearm, by military and law enforcement agencies around the world.' It says the problem is user error or incompatible holsters, not the design. Advertisement 'Do you want people to be able to sue car manufacturers because they sell cars that don't have air conditioning?' state Rep. Terry Roy, a Republican from Deerfield, told the House during debate in May. Opponents criticized the bill as a special exemption in liability law that has never been granted to any other New Hampshire company. 'I think there is a difference between helping out a large employer and creating an exemption that actually hurts people and doesn't give them their day in court,' state Rep. David Meuse, a Democrat from Portsmouth, said in an interview. His district covers Newington, where Sig Sauer is headquartered. A 2005 federal law gives the gun industry broad legal immunity. New Hampshire was already among 32 states that have adopted gun immunity laws in some form, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Some states also have repealed gun industry immunity statutes or weakened them. Sig Sauer seeks help A Sig Sauer executive asked New Hampshire lawmakers for help in April, two weeks after a Pennsylvania-based law firm filed its most recent lawsuit in federal court in Concord on March 26 over the design of the P320. The firm represents over 100 people who have filed such lawsuits, including more than 70 in New Hampshire. 'We're fighting all these court cases out of town and every single court case we have to fight takes away money from Granite State residents and workers that we can employ and technology,' testified Bobby Cox, vice president of governmental affairs for the company. Advertisement The measure took effect once Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed it on May 23. Legislators said it doesn't apply to the current lawsuits. However, lawyers for Sig Sauer mentioned it as part of their argument to dismiss the March case or break up and transfer the claims of 22 plaintiffs to court districts where they live. A hearing on the matter is set for July 21. Ayotte's office did not respond to an AP request seeking comment, but it told The Keene Sentinel that she's 'proud to protect New Hampshire companies that create thousands of good-paying jobs from frivolous lawsuits.' 'Out-of-state trial lawyers looking to make money will not find a venue in New Hampshire,' Ayotte's office said in an emailed statement to the newspaper. Robert Zimmerman, the plaintiffs' lead attorney in Pennsylvania, said the goal of the lawsuits is to get the weapon's design changed so that it's safe for the people who use it. New Hampshire was the chosen location because federal rules allow lawsuits against a company in its home state, Zimmerman said. Those lawsuits have been assigned to one federal judge in Concord. 'Sig is trying to strategically decentralize this case and make every client go to 100 different courthouses and slow down the process for both sides to get a just outcome, which is a trial that is decided on the merits,' Zimmerman said in an interview. Sig Sauer gets protection The lawsuits accuse Sig Sauer of defective product design and marketing and negligence. During the House debate, Roy said he owns a P320 and it's one of his favorite guns, 'but you can buy them with or without safeties.' Advertisement The plaintiffs say 'the vast majority' of P320 models sold don't come with the safety, 'even as an option.' Sig Sauer says some users prefer the faster draw time granted by the absence of an external safety; others want the feature for added security. Sig Sauer offered a 'voluntary upgrade' in 2017 to include an alternate design that reduces the weight of the trigger, among other features. The plaintiffs' lawyers say the upgrade did not stop unintentional discharges. States, industries and immunity 'It's not a great look' when a manufacturer can carve out a statutory exemption for itself, but it's also not unusual, said Daniel Pi, an assistant professor at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill in 2023 following a deadly school shooting that gives gun and ammunition dealers, manufacturers and sellers additional protections against lawsuits. This year, Tennessee lawmakers passed another bill to further limit liability for gun companies. In a different industry — pesticides — governors in North Dakota and Georgia signed laws this year providing legal protections to Bayer, the maker of Roundup, a popular weed killer. Bayer has been hit with 181,000 claims alleging that the key ingredient in Roundup causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Bayer disputes those claims. The Louisiana Legislature passed a bill that would protect nursing homes from most lawsuits and cap damages. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry hasn't acted on it yet.
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Attacks against Minnesota lawmakers prompt concern, caution in New Hampshire
Advertisement 'I would suggest you stay continuously vigilant while going about your daily routines. Your situational awareness is your best tool for your personal safety,' he wrote. 'If you see something that doesn't look or feel right, say something.' Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up The New Hampshire Department of Safety said there was Representative Alexis Simpson of Exeter, the Democratic minority leader in the New Hampshire House, relayed guidance to her colleagues suggesting they 'consider keeping Advertisement Democratic US Senator Amy Klobuchar had been slated to attend a Flag Day Dinner in Manchester on Saturday, but she returned to Minnesota home after news of the attacks that claimed the life of In a joint 'Public service should never come with the threat of violence,' they said. 'We affirm our shared commitment to civility, safety, and the rule of law.' 'We know our country is divided on many issues, but in moments like these, we must remember what unites us,' they added. 'We must reject the forces of hatred, political violence, and extremism in all forms.' This article first appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, our free newsletter focused on the news you need to know about New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles from other places. If you'd like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, Steven Porter can be reached at
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Jon Kiper launches 2026 campaign for New Hampshire governor, this time as an independent
With only about $61,000 in total expenditures, Kiper's underdog campaign captured 9.5 percent of the vote in the bitter 2024 primary between Democratic contenders Cinde Warmington and Joyce Craig, who each reported spending more than $2.7 million during the primary. Advertisement Craig, a former mayor of Manchester, won the Democratic nomination but lost in the general election to Republican Kelly A. Ayotte, whose campaign reported this month that it still has more than $750,000 cash on hand. Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up Kiper presents himself as a frank-talking everyman. He campaigned in 2024 on calls to legalize marijuana for recreational use and allocate proceeds to fund affordable housing initiatives. He also spoke in favor of compensating state lawmakers, so the Legislature won't be so dominated by wealthy volunteers and retirees. Kiper is even willing to touch on a topic that many regard as a third rail in New Hampshire politics: sales and income taxes. He expressed openness to discussing a variety of options to offset the state's over-reliance on property tax revenues and better fund housing and education. Advertisement 'When you have a system that inherently rewards retired rich people and devalues working class people, working class people are leaving and the retired people are coming,' he said last year, 'and that's just a demographic formula for a bad economy.' Kiper said he learned after the 2024 primary that an appreciable number of Republicans had supported his candidacy in theory, though they couldn't cast a ballot for him in the primary because they weren't registered as Democrats or undeclared voters. This time around, by bypassing the primary, he said he's aiming to garner support from disaffected Republicans, independents, and Democrats who 'realize the leadership is useless.' A flag that hangs this month outside Kiper's eclectic eatery illustrates some of his political views, featuring both a rainbow and a ' It's not yet clear who will seek the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 2026, though Democrats note it's still relatively early. Some candidates who ultimately won their races — including Democratic former governors Jeanne Shaheen, John Lynch, and Maggie Hassan — waited until months later in the election cycle to launch their campaigns. Even so, Kiper said his early announcement aims to clear a lane for his own candidacy. 'I'm hoping,' he said, 'that by jumping out first I can scare off anyone serious.' Steven Porter can be reached at
Boston Globe
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Ayotte to nominate Caitlin Davis as N.H. education commissioner, marking major transition
If approved by the state's five-member Executive Council, Davis will succeed Frank Edelblut, a socially conservative businessman and politician who was named education commissioner by Governor Chris Sununu in 2017 after narrowly losing to Sununu in the GOP's 2016 gubernatorial primary. Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up Edelblut frequently drew ire from Democrats and teachers unions, as he advocated for New Hampshire's ' Advertisement Ayotte announced in March Advertisement 'Caitlin's collaborative, data-driven approach will help us continue delivering a best-in-class education for all of New Hampshire's students,' Ayotte said. In a statement, Edelblut lauded Davis as 'a pivotal member of our leadership team' who is experienced and respected. 'She recently oversaw the successful implementation of a new, statewide student information system, and she was instrumental in the adoption of Davis said she is honored to be nominated and looks forward to making sure the Education Department is 'well-run, transparent, and responsive to the needs of schools and students.' In addition to whatever shift in leadership style and priorities Davis might bring to New Hampshire's education systems, there will also be changes resulting from Ayotte's decisions on Tuesday to sign two Republican-backed legislative priorities into law: In fact, all three branches of state government got in on the education-related newsmaking action on Tuesday, as the New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled cities and towns with relatively high property values In a separate case, the court is still weighing another consequential legal question: whether the state must pony up at least $537 million more in education funding to meet its constitutional obligation to provide for an 'adequate' education. This article first appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, our free newsletter focused on the news you need to know about New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles from other places. If you'd like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, Advertisement Steven Porter can be reached at
Boston Globe
11-06-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
May was a ‘particularly deadly' month for suspected opioid overdoses in N.H.
Medics from AMR responded to 43 suspected opioid overdoses in Nashua and Manchester in May. But Stawasz said because Narcan is now widely available for free, it's likely there are many overdoses that continue to occur without 9-1-1 intervention. Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up The increase in suspected opioid overdose deaths come after months of positive indicators, with overdoses trending down in recent months compared to last year in both cities. Advertisement But Stawasz said those improvements 'by no means signal that the opioid epidemic is 'under control' or close to elimination.' 'It is always possible that the trend of lower numbers could change quickly — as evidenced this month,' he said. New Hampshire isn't the only state to see the sudden increase in deaths in May. Stawasz said Connecticut also saw a surge in both fatal and non-fatal overdoses around the state, with 61 suspected fatal overdoses between May 16 and June 6. Advertisement A bulletin from the 'That CT surge seems to correlate to the surge in deaths we experienced here in Nashua & Manchester,' Stawasz said in an email. 'The bulletin suggests that polysubstance combinations and higher concentrations of fentanyl may be contributing factors to the current spike in overdose deaths.' While overdose deaths in Manchester are trending about 13 percent less than last year, in Nashua, they're up nearly 70 percent this year, according to AMR. There were 20 opioid deaths in 2024, and there's already been 14 so far this year in Nashua. Meanwhile, in Manchester, the percentage of overdoses that were fatal shot up to 26 percent in May, more than double the rolling 12-month average of 11 percent. Amanda Gokee can be reached at
