YES ON HB 278

YES ON HB 278

 

 

Please send a message to the House State Administration Committee, where this bill is stalled out.

http://leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/62nd/legwebmessage.asp

 

 

Ask them to vote “YES” on HB 278, which provides for a volunteer Montana Home Guard as part of our organized state militia.

I believe this bill is stalled because Committee members are spooked by the word “militia”.

 

 

All recent governors have learned that they cannot rely on state National Guard units for in-state needs to address problems such as wildfires, prison riots, flooding and more, because National Guard units are federalized and often gone when needed.

 

Our Montana Constitution specifies that all able-bodied citizens are members of the militia.  Our organized militia is divided into the Montana National Guard and the Montana Home Guard. Statutes on the Home Guard are very brief.

 

Please vote –  ask the Committee to vote “YES” on HB 278 to flesh out these statutes and to provide for the Home Guard as an important safety resource for our citizens.