Dear MSSA Friends,
Two MSSA bills have been scheduled for public hearings.
HB 203, which passed the House, MSSA’s bill to prevent state and local employees from enforcing any new federal gun and magazine bans, Is scheduled for its public hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, February 23. Along about next weekend, you will need to get messages to members of the SJC to please support HB 203. I’ll remind you.
HB 505, MSSA’s safe travel to work bill, is scheduled for its public hearing on Wednesday, February 18th, before the House Judiciary Committee, on the same day as MSSA’s HB 457 (RKBA referendum). NOW is time to get messages to HJC members to please support both HB 505 and HB 547.
A bad bill has been introduced, HB 539, to create the crime of careless firearm handling in a public place. This bill is reputed to have arisen because of unenforced range rules at a shooting range located on property owned by the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The bill fails to define what constitutes careless firearm handling, or what a public place is. It would make a law subject to infinite abuse by whoever the enforcers might be (also unexplained). This bill is assigned to the House Judiciary Committee, and a hearing date has been set for March 5th. I’ll remind you again to get messages to HJC members shortly before the hearing.
If you can come to Helena to support these bills, that will be outstanding. If so, please review my advice for testifying before a committee at:
http://progunleaders.org/Legislative%20Process/hearing.html
If you can’t get to Helena to support these bills, please contact members of the Senate Judiciary Committee or House Judiciary Committee 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
Best wishes,
Gary Marbut, President
Montana Shooting Sports Association
https://www.mtssa.org
Author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.MTPublish.com