CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire lawmakers are convening a new legislative session with a familiar debate on whether to allow guns in the House chamber.

Two years ago, Republicans took control of the House and lifted a ban on deadly weapons that had been in place for 40 years. Democrats regained control in November and propose re-instituting the ban in the chamber, gallery and adjacent area.

House Speaker Terie Norelli, a Portsmouth Democrat, said the proposed ban being voted on Wednesday would not extend beyond the House chamber and nearby area.

A joint House-Senate committee has control over the rest of the Statehouse, and Republicans lifted a similar ban in the Statehouse complex two years ago. Senate President Peter Bragdon, a Milford Republican, opposes banning guns in the complex.

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