Why You Should Support LR-130

LR-130 (Legislative Referendum # 130) is essential to save our gun rights.  The Title for the measure is:  "AN ACT REVISING FIREARMS LAWS TO SECURE THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS AND TO PREVENT A PATCHWORK OF RESTRICTIONS BY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ACROSS THE STATE."

In the Montana Constitution, the people reserved for themselves the right to keep and bear arms.  This was intended to prevent government entities from restricting that liberty.  The Montana "preemption law" was enacted by the Legislature to implement our constitutional protection by preventing local governments from enforcing local firearm restrictions.

Some local governments in Montana have exploited alleged loopholes in the preemption law, loopholes that would ultimately allow any and all firearms restrictions imposed by cities and counties in Montana.  LR-130 closes those loopholes.

LR-130 was put on the 2020 ballot by a majority vote of the Legislature, to amend Montana laws in order to prevent local governments from exploiting any possible loopholes in existing law that may allow them to enforce local gun control.

As its Title declares, LR-130 is intended to prevent local governments from enforcing a patchwork of anti-gun laws in their local jurisdiction, local laws that would violate the Montana Constitution and be a legal minefield for people traveling around Montana.

Imagine traveling across Montana on I-90 or Highway 2.  Imagine being stopped for some minor infraction and learning a firearm in your car is illegal locally, because it has a magazine that holds more than six rounds, because it has a carrying handle, because you don't have proof of ownership with you, because it wasn’t registered with local police, or for some other ridiculous reason.  Imagine being informed subsequently by the FBI that you have lost your right to keep and bear arms forever under federal law because you have been convicted of what the FBI sees as a local "gun crime."

This is one scenario that LR-130 is intended to prevent.

LR-130 is essential to maintaining the right to keep and bear arms that the people have reserved to themselves from government interference in the Montana Constitution.