For Immediate Release:
June 16, 2016
Concord, NH – Today, the Senate unanimously passed HB 1000, a bill that would extend the Granite Hammer program and drug interdiction efforts in New Hampshire.
“I am pleased that today, House and Senate members came together in a bipartisan way to do what’s right for the State of New Hampshire, voting to pass a bill allowing the successful Granite Hammer program to continue taking heroin dealers off of ours streets,” said Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro). “Granite Hammer, initiated by Manchester and State Police officers, has been extremely effective in removing deadly drugs from our communities, taking more than 25,000 doses of heroin off the streets in just a handful of operations. While we can’t be sure how many lives have been saved by the efforts of dedicated law enforcement as part of Granite Hammer and drug interdiction programs, we know that continuing and expanding this effort is the right thing to do. I appreciate how the Legislature worked together today, thinking first and foremost about people who are struggling with substance abuse.”
“We realize that none of the steps we’ve taken will alone end this crisis, however we believe that with each step we’ve taken, we are building a comprehensive approach to alleviate this crisis facing our communities,” said Bradley. “We’ve expedited this legislation to reach the Governor’s desk today and hope that she will sign this bill into law as soon as possible.”
“As the original sponsor of this legislation to continue the Granite Hammer program in our communities across the State, I am pleased to see it pass both bodies today,” said Senator Jeanie Forrester (R- Meredith). “We’ve made significant progress in finding solutions to curb the substance abuse crisis in New Hampshire, passing strong legislation aimed at prevention, treatment and recovery. This legislation specifically addresses the need to strengthen the ability for law enforcement across the state to eliminate drug dealers, effectively reducing the deadly supply of heroin and fentanyl making its way into the hands of our citizens. We’ve seen impressive results thus far and I look forward to seeing Granite Hammer’s continued success.”
“As a Senator representing Nashua, one of the larger cities in New Hampshire that has been dealing with the heroin crisis, I am especially pleased to see the legislation expanding the Granite Hammer program pass both the House and Senate today,” said Senator Kevin Avard (R-Nashua). “This program brings more law enforcement officers into our communities to target drug dealers has proven to be extremely successful in a short amount of time. By increasing our efforts to target illicit drug activity, we effectively limit the supply of deadly substances on our streets, and we will continue to work towards ending this crisis once and for all.”
