How will YOU celebrate this year? Let us know here!
Dear MSSA Friends,
Many of you wrote to say you liked my story about the political fix for storage of powder and primers in sporting goods stores. Thanks.
Since you liked that story, here’s one about the genesis of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms week of celebration coming up beginning on March 2nd.
In 1989 we had our first bill before the Legislature to give Montana a “shall issue” concealed weapon permit system. Up until then, there were very few permits issued in Montana. We lost that bill in 1989 because of some political chicanery – too long a story to tell here.
So, we came back to the 1991 legislative session with an improved bill and an improved plan to get it passed. I was very frustrated that it was difficult to get legislators’ attention to talk about our CCW bill. The Democrats had a majority in both the Senate and House and were using that power to cram through legislation opposed by Republicans. One particularly contentious bill, bitterly debated, was one to create a paid state holiday to celebrate civil rights activist Martin Luther King.
I had no position about King and the proposed holiday, although Rosa Parks is more my idea of a civil rights hero. The problem was that legislators were so wrapped up in the contention about the proposed King holiday that they couldn’t hold still to talk about our CCW bill.
I was sitting in the rotunda of the Capitol, waiting for the floor sessions of Senate and House to finish so I could find legislators I wanted to talk to about CCW. It occurred to me that given the relevance of the issues here in Montana, if we were to have a day to celebrate King, we should have a whole week to celebrate the RKBA and another week to celebrate our hunting heritage. So, sitting in the rotunda, I got out a legal pad and wrote two bills, one for a week in March to celebrate our RKBA and another for a week in September to celebrate hunting.
I handed off my two draft bills to legislator friends. Republicans loved these bills as a way to regain some political space lost over the King contest. Both bills flew through the Legislature and were signed into law by Governor Stan Stephens. So, Montana law ever since has set aside a full week to celebrate our RKBA, beginning with the first Monday in March of each year. Here’s the law in Montana:
1-1-224. Observance of right to keep and bear arms. The week beginning the first Monday in March is an official week of observance to commemorate Montana’s valued heritage of the right of each person to keep and bear arms in the defense of the person’s home, person, or property or in aid of civil power. During this week, all Montanans are urged to reflect on their right to keep and bear arms and to celebrate this right in lawful ways.
Oh, and we finally did get Montana’s “shall issue” CWP law passed and signed into law that session, maybe providing even more reason to celebrate our RKBA.
That’s the story and I’m sticking to it. Now you know what to celebrate in your area in the upcoming first week of March.
Best wishes,
Gary Marbut, President
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
Author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com
#RKBA #RKBAWEEK #MTSSA #MSSA #MTSHOOTINGSPORTSASSOCIATION
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