Senator Jason Ellsworth
Senate District 43, Hamilton
Senate President Pro Tempore, Republican
As legislators work to serve you each day in Helena, our responsibility to Montanans is to help empower people to defend themselves from harm, whether it be physical or financial, without infringing on the freedoms that make Montana the Last Best Place.
Two important pieces of legislation are currently making their way through the legislature to protect all Montanans and make the Treasure State a safer, more secure place to live.
I’m sponsoring Senate Bill 114 to protect Montanans’ homes by increasing the homestead exemption limit by $100,000 – a 40% increase in your protected property value.
Currently, Montana Homestead Declaration protects up to $250,000 in home value against most creditors’ claims. Filing a homestead exemption can help you stay in your home if you fall on serious financial hard times. However, with Montana housing prices and property values rising so rapidly, it’s clear that the current exemption amount isn’t high enough.
That’s why I spearheaded the effort to raise the Homestead exemption to $350,000. SB 114 will take care of homeowners facing bankruptcy and ensure Montanans get a fair shake from creditors in times of hardship. The Senate recognized this as common sense and needed and supported my bill unanimously this week.
In addition to looking after Montanans’ homes and pocketbooks, legislative Republicans are strengthening your 2nd Amendment rights by supporting a ‘permitless’ carry gun bill, House Bill 102.
HB 102 will remove state barriers for individuals to exercise their constitutional right to self-defense and modernize Montana’s antiquated permitted and permitless carry laws to reflect safe carrying of firearms in the 21st Century.
HB 102 will enhance our safety by expanding the legal ability to provide for our defense and eliminating government-mandated places where only criminals are armed and where citizens are unable to exercise their fundamental right to defend themselves and others.
All of Montana’s neighboring states have some form of permitless carry, and conceal carry is proven to be safer than open carry in modern times. HB 102 brings Montana up to speed with the rest of the region, makes firearm carrying safer in the 21st Century, bolsters our 2nd Amendment right to bear arms, and preserves the right of self-defense.
As these two bills make their way to Governor Gianforte’s desk, legislative Republicans are putting the protection of Montanans first and moving Montana forward while upholding the rugged, individualistic spirit that defines our treasured way of life. I’m proud to help protect life and property this legislative session.