Reason magazine’s June issue features an interesting piece on the Free State Project in New Hampshire, which seeks to infuse libertarian views on the state to change the relationship between government and the citizenry. About 14,000 of them now make New Hampshire their home, and they’re getting things done.
Another victory for the Free Staters came in 2010, when state Rep. Jenn Coffey (R) managed to pass a bill that repealed all of New Hampshire’s knife laws with astounding ease. Until Coffey’s legislation passed, the state’s knife restrictions were stricter in some cases than its gun laws. Stilettos, switch blades, daggers, and other collectible knives were poorly defined in the relevant statutes. Coffey’s legislation passed unanimously through both chambers and was quickly signed into law. It was accompanied by another law barring municipalities from passing restrictions reversing Coffey’s legislation.
So what’s going on?
“It’s come a long way and it’s gaining more traction and more steam,” says Free State Foundation Board President Carla Gericke. “Part of [our] success is we chose the right state. There is that rugged individualism here. It’s almost like we’re awakening the natives who might have been totally disengaged and they’re reawakening to these ideas of liberty.”
