Perhaps the flash points in Ferguson and Baltimore has put the question in front of everyone: do we want our police and law enforcement to become militarized, and to operate with the weapons of war?

Many states are fighting back and using cutting off local laws to cut police off from federal grants and military surplus equipment – including armored vehicles, grenade launchers, night vision goggles, weaponized drones and combat-configured aircraft.

Earlier this year, New Jersey passed a law requiring express local authorization for the receipt of military equipment under the Pentagon's 1033 surplus program.

Now Montana is going even further by banning receipt of 1033 surplus military equipment altogether. Is this a major blow to the mounting police state?