After Mitchell, a freshman lawmaker, introduced it in a contentious Montana House meeting on Feb. 16, most of the bill’s Republican co-sponsors yanked their names from the measure.

“He misbehaved. He got a little out of control in committee and I think most of the co-sponsors pulled out then,” one of those 32 former co-sponsors, Republican Rep. Larry Brewster, told The Daily Beast. “I suspect the co-sponsors pulled out as a way to censure him.”…

A representative asked Mitchell whether he had consulted with law enforcement on the bill—he had not. Another questioned why Mitchell had claimed in his opening remarks that the bill was bipartisan, when no Democrats had signed onto it

“I was making a joke on the bill,” Mitchell replied. But not even his Republican peers were laughing.

“Representative, we don’t necessarily think that this is a joking matter,” the committee’s Republican chair replied. “This is a House bill being brought before our committee on behalf of the citizens of Montana.”