Rochester voters to consider gun restrictions at Special Town Meeting

ROCHESTER — On Dec. 30, the Select Board recommended that voters at the upcoming Special Town Meeting consider an article aimed at reversing a recent state law that bans licensed gun owners from carrying firearms in municipal administrative buildings.

The state law, named An Act to Modernize Firearms Laws, took effect on Aug. 2, 2024 and prohibits firearms on all government properties with the exemption of state-owned public land used for hunting. 

Municipalities have the option to also exempt municipal administrative buildings, such as libraries, police stations and Town Hall for licensed owners, which is what voters will consider at the upcoming Special Town Meeting.

Police Chief Michael Assad was present at the Dec. 30 meeting and voiced his support for the exemption, titled Article 11 on the Special Town Meeting agenda. 

Assad described a hypothetical in which a person fleeing an emergency enters a police station for help while carrying a firearm. In that scenario, Assad said, the person would be in violation of the law. 

“That doesn’t sit right with me," Assad said. “If you're duly licensed to carry a firearm, I think you should be able to walk into a town building.” 

Vice Chair Adam Murphy agreed with Assad but both emphasized that the exemption has nothing to do with schools, where firearms not carried by police officers are strictly prohibited. 

Town Administrator Cameron Durant explained that essentially, voters will consider whether they want to go back to Aug. 1, 2024, before the law took effect. 

“What I’m proposing is that we go back to Aug. 1,” Assad said. 

Voters will make that decision Jan. 27 at the Special Town Meeting.