Montana Kills Militia Bill

Concerned the Legislature would be seen as endorsing armed extremist groups in Montana, a House committee on Thursday killed a measure calling for guidelines for citizen militias.

The resolution was rejected even after its sponsor, Rep. Matt Brainard, agreed to changes intended to make it more palatable to members of the State Administration Committee.

The first version urged Montanans to own firearms suitable for militia activity in the event an insurrection, invasion or some other emergency occurs when the National Guard is called away.

At a hearing on the proposal last week, Brainard said it was intended to encourage people to be equipped with proper firearms and ammunition to fight.

But opponents said the resolution would promote the dangerous trend toward formation of armed groups around the state that are dominated by people frustrated with government and suspicious of conspiracies.

The committee accepted Brainard’s rewrite of the resolution to tone it down. The new version asks the governor to develop guidelines for the education and training of the “unorganized militia” in Montana.