Idaho Senate Passes Bill to Repeal Ban on Private Militias

The Idaho Senate approved a bill that would repeal a state law banning private militias and paramilitary organizations.

The current law that would be supplanted by the measure under consideration forbids “a body of men,” other than the National Guard, to “associate themselves together as a military company or organization, or parade in public with firearms in any city or town” in Idaho.

State Senator Dan Foreman (R-Moscow) is the lead sponsor of the bill and he reportedly introduced the measure so as to prevent the right to keep and bear arms from being infringed by the state law.

“We will unfortunately always have those among us who will break the law and seek to cause unrest,” Foreman said, as reported in the Idaho Statesman. “However, the response to that should be one of due process. Our response should not be based in fear that leads to the abridgment of constitutional rights.”

Voting on the bill almost broke along party lines, with only two Republicans voting against the measure.

link