Preemption cure bill introduced

Rep. Matt Regier has introduced HB 325, the bill to cure the abuse of Montana’s “preemption” law by some local governments such as Missoula and Helena.  The plan is that this bill will be assigned to the House Judiciary Committee and scheduled for a public hearing in that Committee on Friday (2/1) morning at 9 AM.

The plan is also that there will be two measures, this one and a companion and identical referendum.  This is so that if we get HB 325 to Governor Bullock’s desk and he vetoes it, then the same thing as a referendum will go on the next General Election ballot for a vote of the people.  The referendum is being prepared and may also get introduced in time to be also scheduled for its public hearing before House Judiciary on Friday.

Folks, this is a very important bill, if we can get it done.  Other communities are watching Missoula and its prohibition of unregistered private firearm sales to see if Missoula can get away with that.  That issue has now gone to the Montana Supreme Court.  I predict that the Montana Supreme Court will figure out some imaginative way to allow Missoula to enforce whatever gun control it wants, despite our reservation of the right to keep or bear arms in the Montana Constitution.

So, the real solution to this policy debate is the Legislature, and therefore HB 325 – for the Legislature to withdraw from local governments any power that they might stretch all out of shape to invoke local gun control across Montana.

To prevent this creeping gun control by local governments in Montana, we need your full support in getting HB 325 passed, along with its to-be-introduced, companion referendum.

Please show up on Friday if you can for the public hearing on HB 325.  If you can come, be sure to review:
http://progunleaders.org/Legislative%20Process/hearing.html

If you can’t be there, get messages to the House Judiciary Committee members asking them to support HB 325.

Thanks loads for your help.

Best wishes,