Senate kills self-defense billBy WALT WILLIAMS
HELENA -- The Senate shot down a bill that would have spelled out that people have a right to use guns to defend themselves Tuesday.
House Bill 693 by Rep. Jack Wells, R-Bozeman, died an unusual death. It was first amended by senators to strike out everything in the bill except one small section prohibiting employers from firing employees who keep guns in vehicles parked in the company parking lot. The Senate then moved to indefinitely postpone the bill because the amendment pretty much erased its entire purpose.
Sen. Mike Wheat, D-Bozeman, who suggested the amendment, was pleased to see the bill go down.
"We don't need to go down this road where everybody starts arming themselves and killing people," he said.
The final vote came after more than 90 minutes of debate with senators relating their own scary encounters while both armed and facing people who were armed.
Some lawmakers were bothered by language in the bill saying citizens had no duty to summon law enforcement when threatened with death or bodily injury.
It spelled out how people could defend themselves with guns, but it also ordered law enforcement to seek out all evidence of self-defense when that was used as a plea.
Sen. Joe Balyeat, R-Bozeman, supported the bill, relating recent news from Bozeman about a convenience store clerk who was raped while police encircled the store.
"There are many, many times when the police are ineffective because of the circumstances to deal with the situation at hand," he said.
The bill in its original form was opposed by law enforcement groups. It had since been trimmed back significantly to address their concerns.
http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2005/04/07/news/grabyourguns.txt*FW Note: At exactly what point during the process of being "threatened with death or bodily injury" is the correct time to take a break and summon law enforcement? When does one tell a burglar with a gun "Please, Just hold that thought..."?
"How a politician stands on the Second Amendment tells you how he or she views you as an individual... as a trustworthy and productive citizen, or as part of an unruly crowd that needs to be lorded over, controlled, supervised, and taken care of." ~~ Representative Suzanna Gratia Hupp (TX)
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