The Montana Legislature re-opens the debate over gun regulation on Tuesday. Republican Representative Art Wittich is sponsoring a bill that would prohibit state police from upholding federal laws that ban large ammo clips and semiautomatic weapons.
There is no federal ban now, but Wittich said his House Bill 203 is a necessary precaution.
“People in Montana value their ability to keep and bear guns. While we can’t control the Federal government, we can control ourselves.”
Democratic Representative Ellie Hill says it’s unconstitutional.
“Our most basic first year law school has an understanding of the United States constitution and the supremacy clause and it does appear unconstitutional."
A 2012 MSU Billings poll found 25 percent of Montanans want gun laws to be more strict, while 18 percent wanted laws to be less strict. Fifty-five percent want gun laws to remain the same.