A legislative hearing Tuesday on a bill to ban local governments from enacting sanctuary city laws veered off course when the committee chair shut down opponents to the bill for suggesting the legislation is rooted in racism.
The 19-member House Judiciary Committee was considering House Bill 200, which would stop state agencies or local governments from enacting laws to disengage from federal law enforcement on immigration matters. Montana has no sanctuary cities, said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Kenneth Holmlund, R-Miles City, but the legislation would be "proactive." The same committee will hear another bill, House Bill 223, on Wednesday. It would authorize local law enforcement to take up federal immigration enforcement duties.