By Josh Claywell
Friday, January 17, 2020 at 11:39 am
Taylor County became the latest Kentucky county to become a Second Amendment sanctuary Tuesday night in front of a packed room at the Taylor County Courthouse.
The discussion lasted less than two minutes in all and was approved unanimously by the Taylor County Fiscal Court.
There was some confusion in the closing moments of the regularly scheduled fiscal court meeting, as the resolution that made the county a sanctuary was not read out loud before it was passed.
Taylor County Judge-Executive Barry Smith moved to the next item of the agenda, but none of the magistrates had a committee report to give. District 2 Magistrate John Gaines asked Smith if he would go back and read the resolution so the audience would know what was passed, but Smith noted that copies of it had been distributed to members of the audience in the courthouse.
One audience member asked if a signed copy would be available at the courthouse, and Smith said a copy would be on the county’s website first thing Wednesday morning.
That response drew a round of applause from the many residents in attendance, with another audience member telling the magistrates “the citizens of Taylor County thank you all.”
The resolution reads as follows:
“Whereas, the Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of our nation, and
Whereas, The Second Amendment to the Constitution states “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, the United States Supreme Court has affirmed an Individual’s rights to possess firearms, unconnected with service in a militia, for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home, and
Whereas, The United States Supreme Court has affirmed that the right of an individual to “keep and bear arms” as protected under the Second Amendment, is incorporated by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment against the states, and
Whereas, The United States Supreme Court in United States v. Miller (1939) stated that firearms that are part of the ordinary military equipment with use that could contribute to the common defense are protected by the Second Amendment, and
Whereas, the Taylor County Fiscal Court is concerned about the passage of any bill containing language which could be interpreted as infringing the rights of the citizens of Taylor County to keep and bear arms, and
Whereas, the Taylor County Fiscal Court wishes to express its deep commitment to the rights of all citizens of Taylor County to keep and bear arms, and
Whereas, the Taylor County Fiscal Court wishes to express its intent to stand as a Sanctuary County for Second Amendment rights and to oppose, within the limits of the Constitution of the United States and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, any efforts to unconstitutionally restrict such rights.
Therefore, Be It Resolved, the People of Taylor County, through their duly elected Fiscal Court hereby designate Taylor County a Second Amendment Sanctuary in order to preserve for the People of, on, and in Taylor County, their rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America, furthermore
That the Taylor County Fiscal Court hereby expresses its intent to uphold the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of Taylor County, Kentucky, and furthermore
That the Taylor County Fiscal Court hereby declares its intent to oppose any infringement on the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms.
We, the People of Taylor County, Kentucky, through this resolution hereby declare our rights, our freedom and our liberty as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America.
Adopted this 14th day of January, 2020.”
