Ryan Zinke on Gun Control

Fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms

I believe, as the Supreme Court confirmed in the Heller and McDonald decisions, that the Second Amendment guarantees our God-given right to self defense. This right should be extended to our national parks, national forests and other public lands.

Montana is famous for its hunting heritage. As a hunter myself, I will continue to oppose efforts by special interests to stop hunting. This includes efforts by radical groups to ban traditional ammunition. Big government continues to overstep local authority. This is not the Montana I know and love! I'm firmly against federal gun registration and a federal database of gun ownership or purchases.

Background checks are prudent; military weapons aren't

A: Yes.

Q: Should a license be required for gun possession?

A: No. I strongly support the right to bear arms for hunting and personal protection. I believe that background checks are prudent & necessary. I also believe that the sale of specialized military weapons should be banned for public use. I believe that in areas of high security, such as courtrooms, airports, and military bases, that concealed weapons should not be allowed."

Opposes restricting guns, according to Faith2Action.

Faith2Action.org is "the nation's largest network of pro-family groups." They provide election resources for each state, including Voter Guides and Congressional Scorecards excerpted here. The F2A survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: 'Guns: Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?'

Opposes restricting guns, according to PVS rating.

Project VoteSmart infers summary responses from campaign statements and news reports The PVS survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: 'Guns: Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?'

Interstate transportation of firearms is federally prote.

Congressional Summary: On interstate transportation of firearms or ammunition:

• Require that a firearm and ammunition shall be in a locked container.
• Does not permit transportation of firearms or ammunition with the intent to commit a crime.
• Prohibits detention of a person for violation of any local gun law unless there is probable cause.

Supporters reasons for voting YEA: (NRA Institute for Legal Action, 1/16/15): Current federal law guarantees the right of law-abiding persons to transport firearms, regardless of state or local laws. Unfortunately, anti-gun local officials are using overly restrictive state licensing laws to harass and prosecute travelers who have made every effort to comply with the law, resulting in seized guns and sometimes arrests. HR 131 would make clear that I, including activities incidental to the trip such as temporary lodging.

Opponents reasons for voting NAY: (PopVox blog postings on HR 131):

• CA-19: I oppose HR131 because it is overly burdensome on law abiding individuals and attempts to fix an issue that is not documented to be a problem or responsible for any amount of crime today.
• SD-0: I oppose HR131 because this encourages illegal hunting. Gun laws already differ in each state. The last thing we want is increase of breaching of laws as one is "unaware" of the law of that state.
• AZ-5: I oppose HR131 because travelling can be dangerous. A firearm is useless for defense if it is locked in a box.
• MO-7: I oppose HR131 because it attempts to once again federally mandate a standard across all states which poses as a protection to gun owners, but could be abused by law enforcement.
• NH-2: I oppose HR131 because this is not only unnecessary, but impractical in many situations. We already have more than enough poorly constructed firearms laws on the books.