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A Montana House Committee has tabled a controversial bill that would have allowed non-tribal members to hunt on privately owned lands within Native American reservations.
The House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee voted 13 to five to table House Bill 241 in a bipartisan vote Thursday (Feb. 11) afternoon.
The House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee heard heated argument on the bill Tuesday night (Feb. 9).
Bill sponsor Republican Rep. Joe Read from Ronan said the bill was about private property ownership and was not intended to infringe on the rights of tribal nations. Other bill proponents from the Flathead area spoke about their desire to be allowed to legally hunt and manage wildlife on their own land.
Hunting outfitters turned out in force at the Capitol on Tuesday to support a bill that would guarantee them a percentage of nonresident deer and elk licenses for their clients.
Muzzleloaders would be restricted to iron sights and traditional firearms such as flintlock and matchlock designs rather than modern muzzleloaders with scopes.
As House Bill 112 moved through the Montana House Judiciary Committee on Thursday morning, the chorus of voices against the legislation grew louder.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and dozens of Montana civil rights groups have joined in opposition to HB 112 and House Bill 113, both of which are pieces of anti-trans legislation.
The Judiciary Committee will vote on HB 113 on Friday morning.
The HRC is the largest LGBTQ+ organization in the country. A Montana coalition against anti-transgender legislation, called the Free and Fair Coalition, is comprised of the Montana Human Rights Network, Montana Women Vote, ACLU of Montana, Empower Montana, Forward Montana, the Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Montana Gender Alliance, the Montana Chapter of the National Social Workers Association, the Montana Racial Equity Project, the Indigenous Organizers Collective, Planned Parenthood of Montana, Pride Foundation, and Trans