Legislative Referendum No. 130 - An Act Referred By The Legislature

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 and providing that local governments may not regulate the carrying of concealed weapons; providing that the proposed act be submitted to the qualified electors of montana; amending sections 7-1-111 and 45-8-351, mca; and providing an effective date. The 2019 legislature submitted this proposal for a vote. Lr-130 generally restricts a county, city, town, consolidated local government, or other local government unit's authority to regulate the carrying of firearms. It removes a local government unit's power to regulate the carrying of permitted concealed weapons or to restrict the carrying of unconcealed firearms except in publicly owned and occupied buildings under the local government unit's jurisdiction. It repeals a local government unit's authority to prevent or suppress the possession of firearms by convicted felons, adjudicated mental incompetents, illegal aliens, and minors. Federal and other state firearm restrictions would remain unchanged, including for these individuals. Local firearm ordinances that conflict with lr-130 could not be enforced.