The bill passed easily with six Republicans joining all 12 Democrats in opposing it.
“It’s a Second Amendment issue and for me, the Second Amendment Right doesn’t stop at the door of a school,” said Rep Chad Christensen (R-Iona), who sponsors the bill. “It just doesn’t.”
Proponents say more guns in schools could help prevent a mass shooting.
Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger (R-Lewiston), an Army veteran and occasional substitute teacher, said he’d potentially be able to respond to a shooting faster than a school resource officer.
“If I’m not the first one to go down, I can react properly and professionally as the situation warrants,” von Ehlinger said.
Campus Carry Bill Sails through the House and into the Senate
Berglee, a champion pistol marksman and U.S. Army veteran, described the focus of his bill.
“The first thing that it does is what I consider to be permitless carry so it allows you to concealed carry in most of the areas where you can currently open carry,” said Berglee. “So to me, Montana law is very prohibitive of concealed carry but very open on open carry. Concealed carry to me, coming from a strategic or tactical safety background, where negative public impact if you re in a tourist type area, concealed carry makes a lot more sense. I think it s a better and safer way to carry.”