It was already legal to carry openly in New Hampshire without a permit. But state Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley saw no reason why concealing the handgun should suddenly require a "permit."

(For starters, allowing open carry but restricting concealed carry tends to discriminate against women, whose clothing styles may not lend themselves to hip holsters, who often prefer to carry in a purse — and who are of course more likely to need an "equalizer" if stalked or assaulted. Proliferation of concealed carry also does a better job of discouraging thieves and assailants in general, since they can never be sure which prospective victims are armed.)

New Hampshire is the first state to enact permit-free carry – "Constitutional carry" — since the Missouri Legislature overrode Democrat Gov. Jay Nixon's veto last September. It's the 12th state to adopt some form of permit-free carry since 2003.