[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6221478,"mediaKeyId","3613324-05b143799f26641b5ce4590d2af7b2ed","parentId",3613324,"title","Candidates differ on enforcement of federal gun law and the sheriff's lawsuit","audioSeconds",2582,"startMs",1209000,"endMs",3791000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3613324-05b143799f26641b5ce4590d2af7b2ed&start=1209&end=3791","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3613324-05b143799f26641b5ce4590d2af7b2ed/thumbnail_1209000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6221478/Missoula/Missoula-County/Montana/Candidates-differ-on-enforcement-of-federal-gun-law-and-the-sheriffs-lawsuit","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221478-f54e5adceaea41380c3f1836f560a577/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189181&Signature=mnNYWdIwtxQeFi2iWHWgN0pmS1JuX7mcCsopwo46EZ6KU5RCXq-m3m7sNRKkNxht6s0n0yeuzaZGF-M81dUE0NJkts1CoAPlIi91WleGdZfGXIF4~ublq-8u3D7IkHAvYF4ecuah2SgC3sA83pyEGIS2fJx7-BTVtxTzMlqXVZAj3~lm7Eb1ycMHE41~51gjMefzyATRzflqgzQwV8yPWTZYXHgrXxeUosioW5vRbV3UkNTv9kQMZwJb90elQSHmCES4ZaHkcqW0JIlHMBk1Y1ORUJ29c4jDozrRo-q3d3IamcAjBUCNv7pnOu~gyBQh-7dQ91Rmg-co5un8Mh82Dg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Missoula, MT","date","2025-05-30T18:11:29Z","article","The two candidates for Montana attorney general addressed enforcement of the federal Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and a related local legal challenge by a county sheriff.

Joe Mazurek said his office declined to take the lead defending Sheriff Prince's challenge to the federal law because it was not a matter in which the state was named and because of resource considerations. “We simply felt it was a matter of, allocation of resources, that it was not a fight that we were named in,” Mazurek said on the program.

Mazurek added that the state assembled a working group to help local officials implement federal requirements if the law was upheld; “we did assemble a working group to try to make the law work that was there in the event it was gonna be upheld,” he said. He also described the legal process as ongoing and said compliance would follow final rulings.

Sen. Larry Baer responded to callers asking whether he would enforce the Brady law if elected: “It will be my duty and responsibility to enforce every law upon the books,” Baer said. When pressed about a sheriff who had refused to enforce the five‑day waiting provision, Baer described the sheriff’s right to challenge a law but reinforced that elected law‑enforcement officials have a duty to enforce law as directed.

Why it matters: How the state attorney general’s office chooses to allocate legal resources, whether it defends statutes or assists local officials, and how it responds to local officials who refuse to enforce federal requirements are decisions with legal and political consequences.

Context: The Brady Act is a federal statute; Mazurek framed the office’s role as responding within resource constraints and urging local compliance if the law survives judicial review. Baer emphasized a straightforward enforcement position and urged those opposed to laws to seek legislative change.

Discussion vs. decision: The broadcast documented candidates’ positions and described a pending legal challenge; no new legal filings or enforcement actions occurred during the program.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","A Public Conversation May 2, 1996 Attorney General","oneSentenceSummary","In a Missoula radio interview, Attorney General Joe Mazurek said his office did not take the lead on Sheriff Prince’s challenge to the Brady Act because of resource allocation and local representation; State Sen. Larry Baer said he would enforce federal law as written if elected AG.","taxTitle","Missoula, Missoula County, Montana","taxId",4050,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6221483,"Candidates split on school-trust lands, mining permits and university land sales",497,1769000,2266000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3613324-05b143799f26641b5ce4590d2af7b2ed&start=1769&end=2266","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3613324-05b143799f26641b5ce4590d2af7b2ed/thumbnail_1769000.jpg","/articles/6221483/Missoula/Missoula-County/Montana/Candidates-split-on-school-trust-lands-mining-permits-and-university-land-sales","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221483-c5cb9225b88ae1e43633b227f17e072e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189181&Signature=UEO3nEzY0nyzXY~Krh4k-g9mbDMHrhfdrBylbkZsIYZBlHy-3hQvp3YaEC020~VFyYqmblJAcdOhBUmd066Po~KxhV55j5Qhcfl-aozhLoZ3--YbnFgXU7wwwy8kL6SSDmpo5Mmo3xyyHBtWIXto3KJ1c0cTIGKJIjGVCc4~UUS5e5JEP-xwH6pMfrlAjDdG8StZ-maPfc9kgpnCLMT-N-fY1MHBCEHXmQRmGIi4Ak1xhlDD~uMhQ~Y4fzy2-b7bc98uthS2mgHz7fcg3XjWPLTVIAQw~XF6p6jEvUoUHD5wXZgrcpZ75Mo1Qbybq05mXZ6HfcE4bXV33LizJWuj5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Attorney General Joe Mazurek and State Sen. Larry Baer gave contrasting accounts of how Montana should manage state trust lands and respond to allegations about past University of Montana land sales.

“the objective is to maximize income to the trust,” Mazurek said, describing the Land Board’s duty to fund the Common School Trust while balancing environmental and long-term asset concerns.

Why it matters: State-owned school trust lands and sales by constitutional bodies such as university regents determine revenue for K‑12 funding and can prompt legal, environmental and public-trust questions.

Mazurek said the Land Board must weigh “the value of the public asset itself as the land” against mineral interests and environmental impacts when considering leases or operating plans for mines that would operate on state land. He described the permitting decisions as primarily the work of the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Quality, with the Land Board reviewing operating plans for state-owned parcels.

On the question of a proposed gold-mining operation near Lincoln (the 7 Up Pete Mine), Mazurek said such projects are typically explored under lease and then the Land Board considers the operating plan and the potential adverse effects. The host referenced a company chart showing $55 million to Montana Tech over a mine’s life; Mazurek said trustees must consider both immediate revenue and long-term corpus protection.

The two disagreed about the recent investigative report Mazurek’s office issued about university land sales. Mazurek said many sales, though not technically compliant with every statutory step, “by and large, got reasonable prices for the land” and placed the proceeds into the university system; his office recommended legislative ratification as a pragmatic remedy. “I don't think that this investigation…was our conclusion that there were ethical violations,” Mazurek said.

Baer characterized the same set of land sales differently. “I believe the law should be adhered to… I don't think special favoritism should be given to anyone,” he said, and called post‑facto ratification “reprehensible” if it shields improper conduct.

Discussion vs. decision: The interview recorded candidates’ policy positions and the AG office’s investigative recommendation; no Land Board decision or legislative action occurred during the program.

Clarifying details: Mazurek said the Land Board will consider a forest-management plan at its June meeting, and noted that timber management should balance sustainable yield and public access. Baer said he would not sign a petition to loosen environmental protections that he said would repudiate his legislative votes.

What’s next: Mazurek said the Land Board and permitting agencies will continue case‑by‑case evaluations of operating plans; Baer said enforcement of statutory procedures should be pursued and, if necessary, corrected by legal means or legislative action.

","Attorney General Joe Mazurek and State Sen. Larry Baer discussed the Land Board’s fiduciary role, pending mining permits on state school trust lands and an investigation into university land sales; Mazurek emphasized balancing long-term trust income and environmental concerns, Baer argued for strict adherence to the law.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6221488,"Attorney general candidates debate youth violence, meth and prison capacity",244,920000,1164000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3613324-05b143799f26641b5ce4590d2af7b2ed&start=920&end=1164","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3613324-05b143799f26641b5ce4590d2af7b2ed/thumbnail_920000.jpg","/articles/6221488/Missoula/Missoula-County/Montana/Attorney-general-candidates-debate-youth-violence-meth-and-prison-capacity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221488-0a02b752751cb686c72cecaa1d30a039/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189181&Signature=UFRi1SFQH7uWrttHd5mOSy8S-g9B1qPRopVm8Fef0I9uh-xvx~PWUbJKp9~-cjj1oNC7~Tuc4-t2urGunTrkZAWTeMhWK6bvfBT3bl6fz42HdEGUSIGRaFOn9ZBKJaPQG9UYJLXiy9aMILKg7WPk-IIm3dkzzE0Feb1wN2T6rNkc4WUq390e~wdDZtuHlZrizXNqpnMOXV4M3Cm~hvHCOLeFmFR~Gs0d7-RMC3z9iRl2fLZ03bUchpUJ-3BVGZPlEM9wHocggN4Y70bkLq61FCfJqbO7clqzqyX1eOkGzBVogw-SrIUWQ8q8ORFMBTnRRwGEVVZGMdnN2So3nq3YYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Incumbent Attorney General Joe Mazurek said he is prioritizing a statewide response to rising youth violence and methamphetamine use and described a task force that will recommend actions for communities.

“we are in the process of completing a work of a task force … the Attorney General's Youth Violence Task Force,” Mazurek said, describing plans to “recommend a plan of action to communities to attack the increasing, incidents of violent crime committed by juveniles.”

Why it matters: Both candidates framed criminal-justice issues as immediate concerns for Montana law enforcement and taxpayers. Mazurek emphasized state support for local agencies and research-driven sentencing reviews, while Baer focused on the practical need for more prison space and stricter enforcement.

Mazurek, who described the Department of Justice’s role as “primarily in the law enforcement area,” outlined work with the state Sentencing Commission to examine sentencing practices and the costs of building prison capacity. “Before we spend lots and lots of money building new prisons, we need to make sure that the sentencing practices we use are what we really need,” he said, noting that many inmates sentenced to the state prison are instead being held in county jails.

Mazurek told the host the department has seen a rapid escalation in methamphetamine use across Montana, naming Billings, Missoula, Helena, Great Falls and Butte as places where the drug has appeared. He said methamphetamine “makes its users much more violent,” and described plans to train and support local law enforcement to respond.

State Sen. Larry Baer said the state must increase capacity and programming as sentences and commitments rise. “We can't just turn them loose on parole because we don't have the room for them,” Baer said, describing the practical pressures of housing an increased prison population. Baer also said he supports productive prison labor where constitutional rights are protected and favors building more facilities to hold inmates.

Both men addressed mandatory minimum sentences. Mazurek said, “depending on the offense… there are appropriate cases for mandatory minimum sentences,” and argued for a measured policy approach informed by sentencing data. Baer said he supported the \"three strikes\" approach passed in the Legislature while acknowledging it creates housing pressures.

Discussion vs. decision: The interview recorded policy positions and planned initiatives; no formal state actions, votes or executive directions resulted from the broadcast.

Context and budgetary notes: Mazurek described the Department of Justice budget and staffing while discussing these issues, saying the department’s appropriation was roughly $65 million and that his office directly employs a bit more than 30 attorneys, while the department overall counts roughly 650 employees. Baer emphasised administrative fixes and facility expansion as near-term priorities.

What’s next: Both candidates said they would press the Legislature and local officials for changes: Mazurek through task-force recommendations and sentencing-review data; Baer by prioritizing facility capacity and enforcement.

","Incumbent Attorney General Joe Mazurek and challenger State Sen. Larry Baer discussed juvenile violence, methamphetamine use, sentencing policy and prison capacity in a Missoula radio interview, with both calling for changes but differing on emphasis and solutions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Candidates differ on enforcement of federal gun law and the sheriff's lawsuit

Candidates split on school-trust lands, mining permits and university land sales

Attorney general candidates debate youth violence, meth and prison capacity