WASHINGTON – Montana’s congressional delegation is praising the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision affirming an individual’s right to own handguns.
Montana Sen. Jon Tester said the decision was “one heckuva victory” for gun rights.
Tester, a Democrat, filed a brief in February along with Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas that urged the justices to strike down the ban and assert that the Second Amendment gives individuals the right to own guns for their protection.
Fifty-five senators and 250 representatives signed the brief, including Montana Sen. Max Baucus, a Democrat, and Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg, a Republican.
Baucus said after the ruling that all citizens should have the right to bear arms, whether it’s for hunting or protection. Rehberg agreed, saying the right to own a firearm is a fundamental part of the Bill of Rights.