H475 allows a group of people to assemble with firearms or parade in public with firearms. Under current state statute, it is illegal for people to “associate together as a military company or organization” or “parade in public with firearms in any city or town of this state” unless they are “called into service of the state.” Ultimately, this bill allows for private militias to protect against tyranny.
The Idaho State House of Representatives passed H475 on February 23, 2022 by a vote of 57 to 13. We have assigned the pluses to the ayes because the fundamental right of the American people to keep and bear arms is protected by the U.S. Constitution, particularly in the 2nd, 9th, and 10th Amendments, and should not be infringed. The Constitution does not state where you can or cannot possess a firearm or limit how many people can gather with them.