Should NH ban the sale of realistic-looking toy guns?

A New Jersey lawmaker, Sheila Oliver, has proposed a bill that would prohibit the sale of toy guns that resemble actual weapons. The bill specifies that replica guns must be made in a color other than black, silver or aluminum, and must have a non-removable one inch wide orange stripe along the barrel.

Similar laws are already in place in New York and California. There is currently no such bill proposed in New Hampshire. Federal law already requires that realistic-looking toy weapons sold in the US have a bright orange tip.

Oliver, who sponsored the bill, said it was a response to the shooting of 12-year old Cleveland boy Tamar Rice, who was killed by police while holding an air pellet gun.

Supporters argue that the bill will help reduce the risk of police mistaking toy or replica weapons for a genuine threat, thereby helping to prevent the accidental shooting of unarmed civilians.

Opponents expressed concerns that criminals could make their real weapons look like replicas by adding the required markings, thereby putting law enforcement officers at risk.

UPDATE: Read our Citizen Voices℠ report and find out where New Hampshire stands on this issue.