Sovereignty resolution draws fears of secession in Montana
Monday, April 27th, 2009Whether a resolution debated on the House floor Wednesday was a call for secession or an affirmation of the U.S. Constitution depended on who was doing the talking at any given moment.
House Resolution 3, sponsored by Rep. Michael More, R-Gallatin Gateway, was a sweeping statement on state rights.
“For those of you who would like the abbreviated version, here it is: The right to govern is derived from the consent of the governed. That is what this resolution is all about,” More said.
Among other things, the resolution states that “any acts of Congress that abridge protected individual freedoms are not law and are void” and “every state has a right to ignore or reject all unwarranted assumptions of power by other entities within its boundaries.”
Knowing the charges were coming, More said the resolution was not about seceding from the union, only an affirmation of the rights granted by the Constitution. (The resolution failed on a 50-50 vote. All 50 Republicans voted for the resolution. All 50 Democrats voted against.)
DANIEL PERSON
Bozeman Daily Chronicle
April 27, 2009