Rep. Pete Nielsen, R-Mountain Home, today persuaded the House to vote 61-9 in favor of his legislation, HB 229, to declare that during a state of "extreme emergency" including martial law, invasion or insurrection, "No government authority will have the right to come and pick up our arms and ammunition." Rep. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, spoke against the bill, saying no one ever expects to see an invasion or a declaration by the governor of martial law, but no one expected to see planes crashing into the World Trade Center either. "We're meddling here with one of the most fundamental and necessary powers, and I think we need to be very careful how we do that," he told the House. Nielsen responded, "I don't see where we're limiting the governor at all. In fact, I think it even helps him to know that he's got the public out there in helping him to maintain law and order." The bill passed, and now heads to the Senate.

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