The state House of Representatives is to debate today one gun bill that, although well-meaning, is deeply flawed, and two others not as scary as opponents make them out to be.

The poorly conceived House Bill 334 would reserve to the Legislature “exclusive authority and jurisdiction by statute over the sale, purchase, ownership, use, possession, transportation, licensing or permitting, taxation, or other matters pertaining to firearms, firearms components, ammunition, firearms supplies, and knives in the state.” It also would specifically prohibit any public or private entity from prohibiting firearms or knives on any property owned “in whole or in part” by the public.

It would, therefore, likely force the management of Manchester’s civic arena and baseball stadium (as well as other public venues statewide) to ban alcohol sales. Prohibited by state law from banning firearms from any concerts or sporting events, including high school tournaments, they might seek to keep families coming through the gates by prohibiting the mix of guns and beer. That would cut dramatically into revenue, which could financially hurt the City of Manchester.

The bill also would prohibit public universities from passing even the slightest regulation on firearms, such as allowing them on campus in general, but not at sporting events, or requiring that dorm rooms containing guns or ammunition be locked when unoccupied. If this bill passes, it will cause myriad problems, not the least being that as soon as anti-gun Democrats regain the Legislature, they will use the authority it grants legislators to ban guns everywhere this bill would allow them. The sensible policy is to let local managers decide.

House Bill 536 would let people carry firearms, concealed or otherwise, without obtaining a permit. Vermont does this, and the arguments that New Hampshire should not are unconvincing.

House Bill 194 would allow people to have rifles and shotguns in their vehicles as long as no round was in the firearm’s chamber. People could transport fully loaded weapons on their own property or someone else’s property with permission. Those are reasonable changes to the law, which currently prohibits loaded hunting weapons in vehicles.