Dear MSSA Friends,
MSSA’s bill, HB 371, to cure restrictions on "Prohibited Places," where a person may not exercise a CWP, stalled today on the House Floor on a 50-50 vote (it needs at least 51 votes out of 100 to pass).
All Democrats voted against HB 371, plus eight Republicans:
Christie Clark
Rob Cook
Geraldine Custer
Steve Fitzpatrick
Kelly Flynn
Daniel Salomon
Ray Shaw
Jeffrey Welborn
If we pull out the stops and engage all of these eight Representatives with messages asking them to support HB 371, we might be able to recover HB 371 tomorrow with a Motion to Reconsider, but ONLY if all of you get with the program and get messages to these legislators.
You might mention that HB 371 only applies to sheriff-certified good people who have taken training and had a background check to obtain a concealed weapon permit. You might mention that current law allows unlicensed people to carry openly in these places. You could mention that current law does not exempt police, so if a police officer enters a police station (public building) with a coat on, he or she becomes a lawbreaker. You could mention that CWP-holders have the lowest rate of criminality or misadventure with firearms of any demographic group, including police and legislators – they are worthy of trust.
Please contact these Representatives via the Message Center, 444-4800, or the Online Message Form at:
http://leg.mt.gov/css/About-the-Legislature/Lawmaking-Process/contact-legislators.asp#email
These Representative must get their message to support HB 371 by 8AM tomorrow (Saturday). Be brief. Be firm. Be polite.
Thanks loads!!!
Gary Marbut, President
Montana Shooting Sports Association
https://www.mtssa.org
Author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.MTPublish.com