Gun bills moving through Montana Legislature

Gov. Steve Bullock vetoed two gun bills and signed a third on March 28 while two more gun bills moved through the Montana Legislature.

The Democratic governor, who says he’s a “staunch supporter of our Second Amendment rights,” has vetoed four bills in his first session and sent two back to the legislature with suggested changes.

Bullock vetoed House Bill 302, which would have prohibited state and local police from enforcing any federal gun bans. Sponsored by Rep. Krayton Kerns, R-Laurel, the bill had passed in the House by 62-35 and in the Senate by 56-42.

In his veto message, Bullock said the bill would turn state and local police into criminals for not cooperating with federal officers, as they are required to do. He called HB 302 “unnecessary political theater” because it doesn’t appear Congress will pass an assault weapon ban.

The bill was supported in the legislature along party lines and may not get the two-thirds support it needs to override Bullocks’ veto.

The governor also vetoed House Bill 27, which would allow wolf hunters to use silencers on their rifles. Sponsored by Rep. Ted Washburn, R-Bozeman, the bill had passed in the House by 63-33 and in the Senate by 29-20.

Supporters of the bill said the intent was to protect the hunters’ ears from loud noise and make wolf hunting less disturbing to neighbors. Bullock, however, noted in his veto message that an effective revision of wolf hunting regulations had already been passed in the legislature.

Bullock signed Senate Bill 145, which will keep the state’s list of concealed-weapon permit-holders confidential. The bill had strong support in the legislature. Sponsored by Sen. Eric Moore, R-Miles City, the bill passed in the Senate by 37-13 and in the House by 88-9.

Another gun bill has cleared both chambers and is heading to the governor’s desk. House Bill 304, which would allow anyone to carry concealed weapons without a permit if they are otherwise qualified to get the permit, was also sponsored by Rep. Kerns.

The bill was passed in the House by 58-41 and in the Senate by 30-19. Opponents said they wanted people seeking a concealed-carry permit to go through the proper channels at their local sheriff’s office. Supporters said law-abiding people should have the freedom to carry concealed weapons if they so choose.

One more gun bill is still working its way through the legislature. Senate Bill 133 would allow people to carry concealed weapons in public places. Sponsored by Sen. Matthew Rosendale, R-Glendive, the bill passed in the Senate by 44-5 but it stalled in the House.

The original version of the bill only allowed public defenders to carry concealed weapons in public buildings, but it was expanded to include anyone with a concealed weapons permit. An amended version has been sent to a House-Senate conference committee.

Meanwhile, a measure titled “Federal law enforcement officers should communicate with sheriff” and sponsored by Rep. Kerns, was rejected in the House by 53-47 in its third and final reading.

The bill would have required federal agents to get a local sheriff’s permission before carrying out local arrests and searching or seizing property. Federal agents who failed to comply could be prosecuted. The bill would have been placed on the 2014 ballot for voter approval if it passed in the legislature.