Big Lie Country: Anti-gun Interests Work to Deceive Montanans

[Elderberry]

NRA-ILA Monday, October 12, 2020

Gun control advocates know that Montanans cherish their right to keep and bear arms. That’s why this election season, out-of-state anti-gun interests are working to deceive rather than win over Montana voters. Case in point is the deceptive messaging of the gun control supporters opposed to pro-Second Amendment ballot measure LR-130.

Reflecting the state’s overwhelming respect for the Second Amendment, Montana’s gun laws generally respect gun ownership and the Right-to-Carry for self-defense. However, a deficiency in the state’s firearms preemption statute has permitted politically-motivated local governments to undermine the Second Amendment by creating a confusing patchwork of laws that places well-meaning gun owners in legal peril simply for exercising their Right-to-Carry.

At present, Montana Code Annotated Section 7-1-111 restricts a local government unit with self-government powers from exercising “any power that applies to or affects the right to keep or bear arms.” However, the statute provides an exemption to this prohibition which states, “a local government has the power to regulate the carrying of concealed weapons.” Therefore, a local government entity with self-governing powers has some authority to restrict the Right-to-Carry.

Moreover, Section 45-8-351(2)(a) empowers a “county, city, town, consolidated local government” to restrict the Right-to-Carry at “a public assembly, publicly owned building, park under its jurisdiction, or school.”

LR-130 would amend Section 7-11-111 to remove a local government unit with self-government powers’ authority to restrict the Right-to-Carry. The measure would also curtail the power of a county, city, town, or consolidated local government to create gun-free zones. Under the proposed legislation, a locality could still restrict the open carry and unpermitted concealed carry at a “publicly owned and occupied building,” such as a school. Another statute, Section 45-8-361, also prohibits firearms in school buildings. LR-130 would create a predictable framework that would allow Montanans to exercise their Right-to-Carry with confidence while moving about the state.

More: https://www.nraila.org/articles/20201012/big-lie-country-anti-gun-interests-work-to-deceive-montanans

[roamer_1]

Open carry, concealed carry with permit (though not really enforceable)

No carry in government buildings (county, state, or federal), banks, posted on private land or privately owned public establishments, bars and logging camps.

It makes sense, more or less... with the exception of there being no legal demand that places that do abridge the right to carry, should also necessarily provide a place to check the weapon and pick it up upon exit. Used to be that my bank did that... The security guard at the entrance off the alley (by the parking lot) was at a table by the door, and you could check your weapons right there.

Same with schools in my youth. I have in my lifetime checked my hunting rifle at the high school office, ready to check it out and hit the bush at the last bell.