By: Nick Altmire
February 04, 2020 11:30 p.m.
A crowd estimated at over 300 people turned out for a meeting of the Lewis County Board of Legislators this evening, as a citizen group’s proposal urging county lawmakers to pass a local law to declare Lewis County a Second Amendment Sanctuary was presented to the board. The crowd spilled out of the second floor legislative boardroom at the Lewis County Court House, filling the hallways outside and streaming down the staircase and stretching back to the security entrance in the lobby.
The vast majority of the crowd was there in support of the proposal, as seen by their applause and reactions to the speakers in favor of the proposal. A total of 7 people signed up to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting. Of those, five spoke in favor of the proposal. Two others spoke in opposition to the proposal. Lewis County Sheriff Michael Carpinelli then addressed the board and the crowd, speaking in favor of the proposal, earning a standing ovation from the crowd after concluding his remarks.
The Facebook group Lewis County and Towns 2A Sanctuary organized a petition drive in favor of the proposal, where they say 2,961 signatures were collected at 37 local businesses since the group started in early January.
