Governor sues over Montana Air National Guard’s loss of mission
June 15, 2012
Gov. Brian Schweitzer filed a lawsuit against the Defense Department on Friday to block any plans to take away the state’s Air National Guard mission without a suitable replacement.
Attorney General Steve Bullock filed the complaint Friday in U.S. District Court in Great Falls. It asks the court to place a hold on the military’s plan to transfer 15 fighter jets to California. It argues that the transfer would violate federal law that requires the governor’s permission before the federal government can make a change in a state guard’s organization.
Schweitzer, as commander in chief of the Montana Air National Guard, is the plaintiff in the lawsuit.
