Mecklenburg Co. VA, adopt “Second Amendment Sanctuary” status

By: David Tripp
9 Dec 2019

Standing room only, the Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors voted to adopt the status of “Second Amendment Sanctuary”, the vote passed with 8-1.

Verification Citation/Source: Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors
Resolution date passed: 9 Dec 2019
Vote Count: 8-1
Nay: Claudia Lundy

RESOLUTION OF THE MECKLENBURG COUNTY

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

IN SUPPORT OF SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS

WHEREAS, the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed;” and

WHEREAS, Article I, Section 13 of the Constitution of Virginia provides “that a well-regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free state, therefore, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; that standing armies, in time of peace, should be avoided as dangerous to liberty; and that in all cases the military should be under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power”; and

WHEREAS, certain legislation introduced in the 2019 session of the Virginia General Assembly, and certain legislation introduced in the current session of the United States Congress could have the effect of infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms, as guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution; and

WHEREAS, the Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors is concerned about the passage of any bill containing language which unconstitutionally infringes upon the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of Mecklenburg County; and

WHEREAS, the Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors wishes to express its deep commitment to the rights of all citizens of Mecklenburg County to keep and bear arms; and

WHEREAS, the Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors wishes to express opposition to any law that would unconstitutionally restrict the rights under the Second Amendment of the citizens of Mecklenburg County to keep and bear arms; and

WHEREAS, the Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors wishes to express its intent to stand as a Sanctuary County for Second Amendment rights and to oppose, within the limits of the Constitutions of the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia, any efforts to unconstitutionally restrict the constitutional rights of the citizens to keep and bear arms.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE MECKLENBURG BOARD OF SUPERVISORS hereby expresses its intent to uphold the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of Mecklenburg County and hereby expresses its intent that public funds of the County not be used to unconstitutionally restrict Second Amendment rights or to aid in the unconstitutional restriction of the rights under the Second Amendment of the citizens of Mecklenburg County to keep and bear arms; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors hereby declares its intent to oppose unconstitutional restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms, and that the Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors hereby declares the County a “Second Amendment Sanctuary”; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution shall be forwarded by the County staff to the Governor of Virginia, to Virginia legislators who represent Mecklenburg County, and to the Virginia Association of Counties.