Montana bill to prohibit protesters from covering their faces is killed
HELENA — A legislative committee Monday killed a bill that would have prohibited protesters from covering their faces.
House Bill 571, carried by Rep. Barry Usher, R-Billings, would have made it a crime for a person to partially or fully conceal their face to avoid being able to be identified during protests that become violent or get out of hand.
Eleven members of the House Judiciary Committee voted against the bill and eight voted for it.
Some law enforcement organizations spoke in support of the bill during a hearing in front of the House Judiciary Committee last week, saying people who wear masks at protests tend to be the ones who cause violent behavior. Those who opposed the bill said it violated civil rights.
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