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| -Land of the Free |
| Montana Becomes 18th Constitutional Carry State |
| 2021-02-21 |
| [BearingArms] Just a few days after Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed Constitutional Carry legislation, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has followed suit, signing HB 102 into law on Thursday and making Montana the 18th state in the nation to recognize the right of legal gun owners to lawfully bear arms without a government permission slip. The right-to-carry bill also allows for the legal carrying of firearms on college campuses for those possessing a Montana carry license, though that provision of the law will not take effect until June 1st. The other provisions in the Constitutional Carry law took effect upon Gianforte’s signature, and the politician who authored the bill says he’s glad to see the Second Amendment rights of residents have been expanded and secured. No state that’s adopted campus carry (or Constitutional Carry, for that matter) has repealed the measure because of unintended consequences or a rise in violence as a result of the carry law. In fact, there’s been no evidence that allowing those with concealed carry licenses to lawfully carry on a university campus has led to any increase in violence or suicides anywhere the law’s been put into effect. The signing of HB 102 is a huge step forward for Montanans, but it’s also a significant boost for the right to keep and bear arms for all Americans. Eighteen states have now passed Constitutional or permitless carry laws, while only eight states still maintain restrictive and draconian "may-issue" concealed carry laws that prevent the average citizen from being able to carry a firearm in self-defense. With the Supreme Court set to consider whether or not to accept a challenge to New York’s carry laws in the coming weeks, the addition of Montana and Utah to the ranks of Constitutional Carry states serves to highlight the fact that there are still some states, including New York, where the right to bear arms is treated as a privilege instead. That may provide another push for the Court to accept the case of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association vs. Cortlett, along with the split in the various appellate courts on the issue. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |