HELENA – A Republican lawmaker says it is time to remove from the books an obsolete Montana law declaring homosexual acts illegal.
State Sen. John Brueggeman says he is requesting a draft of a bill to strike down the law. The bill would be considered by the 2011 Legislature, which convenes in January.
Brueggeman’s statement Monday comes after an Associated Press report detailed how the Montana GOP’s official platform still supports the law even after the state Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional in 1997.
The Legislature never officially repealed the law, even though it is no longer enforceable.
The Polson Republican has criticized the GOP platform statement. He now says Montana shouldn’t have such a discriminatory law, even if it can’t be enforced.