All around the nation, anti-gun states are taking steps to enable lawsuits against the firearm industry, lawsuits intended to circumvent the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.
Montana, however, went a different direction.
Instead, a new law provides protection for the gun industry, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation is thrilled to see it.
Montana’s Gov. Greg Gianforte is giving firearm industry members more reason to consider the Big Sky State as a home from which to do business. Gov. Gianforte just signed legislation revising the state’s public nuisance law and adding protections to keep gun control activists from enacting “lawfare” against firearm and ammunition businesses.
Gov. Gianforte signed HB 791 into law on May 8. The law clarifies that the design, manufacturing, selling, labelling or marketing of firearms, firearm accessories or ammunition or its components, are not considered a public nuisance. Additionally, state law preempts local municipal laws and ordinances from overriding state law. Gov. Gianforte’s signature on this law will prevent the attempts to skirt the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) that has been witnessed in other states.
“Governor Gianforte, and Montana’s lawmakers, are sending a clear message that gun control lawfare targeted against our industry, which is critical to Montana’s economy and the nation’s heritage of Second Amendment freedoms, will not be tolerated,” said Nephi Cole, NSSF Director of Government Relations – State Affairs. “The firearm industry is grateful for state Representative Anthony Nicastro for shepherding this bill through the legislature and for Governor Gianforte’s leadership in signing this important protection into law.”
Let’s understand that these lawsuits aren’t about punishing the firearm industry for its actual sins. They’re about trying to bankrupt the industry should they continue to sell firearms to private citizens.
That’s it.
Montana’s new law, much like a similar measure in Tennessee, offers protection for these industries so they can continue to provide the tools we need in order to enjoy our Second Amendment rights.
Personally, I’m glad to see it, and I think we’re going to start seeing measures like this pop up in other pro-gun states throughout the nation. After all, as anti-gun states continue to try and declare war on the firearm industry, including trying to infringe on the rights of people who live in other states whenever they can, this is a sane, rational response that’s absolutely in keeping with federal law.
More and more states are going to introduce measures like this, and it’s going to be difficult for anti-gun lawmakers to stand against these bills. It’s kind of hard to justify suing a company for the actions of a third party.
I will absolutely be glad to see it happen.
The problem is that it won’t happen fast enough for my satisfaction, but that’s probably because what I want isn’t realistic.
But I do think it will happen, and then things are going to get interesting as people try to figure out how to navigate the different laws and try to figure out how to sue, only to see them shut down.
And honestly, that’s how it should happen. The fact that we need this is dumb, as is the argument that there’s something wrong with the PLCAA because most other industries don’t have that kind of protection.
Other industries don’t need that kind of protection. No one sues Toyota for drunk drivers, after all.
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