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Montana Moms, Everytown Condemn Passage of Dangerous Gun Bill; Urge Governor Bullock to Veto HB 533

4.14.2015

HB 533 Would Eliminate the Crime of Concealed Carry Without a Permit or Safety Training; Governor Bullock Vetoed Bill With Same Impact – HB 298 – Earlier in Legislative Session

83 Percent of Montanans Support Requiring a Permit to Carry Concealed Handguns in Public

Helena, Mont. – The Montana chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today released the following statement condemning the passage of House Bill 533, a dangerous piece of legislation that would allow the public carry of concealed handguns with no permit and no safety training. By removing the crime for carrying without a permit, HB 533 eliminates Montana’s concealed weapons permit requirement—and would even allow the public carry of hidden guns by people convicted of sexual assault and other violent crimes. Recent polling shows 83 percent of Montanans support requiring a permit to carry a concealed handgun in public. In addition, HB 533 would also allow people to carry concealed weapons into restaurants that serve alcohol.

The House’s passage of HB 533 comes on the heels of Governor Bullock’s veto of House Bill 298, another dangerous bill that would have also effectively eliminated Montana’s concealed carry permitting system. In his veto letter to the legislature, Governor Bullock called the bill an “absurd concept that threatens the safety our of communities.”

STATEMENT FROM PAMELA OWEN, VOLUNTEER CHAPTER LEADER FOR THE MONTANA CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION:

“Today the House defied 83 percent of Montanans who agree that anyone carrying a concealed, loaded handgun in public should first have basic safety training and obtain a permit. If HB 533 is signed into law, it would undo this common-sense system by removing the crime of concealed carry without safety training and a permit. Further, this bill also allows concealed weapons into restaurants that serve alcohol; we know that guns and alcohol simply do not mix. That’s why moms across Montana are now calling on Governor Bullock – as he has already done earlier this legislative session – to veto this dangerous bill. Our nearly 7,600 supporters in Montana are counting on the Governor to once again stand on the side of public safety.”