Democrat legislators in new “Trifecta” states – states in which the House majority, Senate majority, and Governorship are all of the same political party – are trying to stampede through a far left agenda. High on the agenda, if not first on the agenda, are new gun control laws. Many sheriffs and counties, though, are pushing back hard.
As is the case in national policies, progressive liberals in urban population centers outnumber the more conservative, more rural counties and push through leftist policies affecting everyone.
The new gun control laws range from draconian prohibition of private gun sales to “Red Flag” laws. The “Red Flag” laws allow law enforcement to confiscate guns from individuals who are deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. The laws vary as to the process of confiscating guns, but they are all intent on first confiscating guns and then later engaging in some form of review or appeal.
But in many states, including – as of this writing – Colorado, New Mexico, Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, the sheriffs and counties are having none of it.
New Mexico’s gun-grabbing new Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D), for example, signed legislation to criminalize private gun sales. But 25 of New Mexico’s 33 counties have declared “Second Amendment Sanctuary Status” as a way of affirming that their county governments stand behind a sheriff’s decision to not enforce the gun control.
Five counties in Illinois declared sanctuary status for gun owners.
The resolutions are meant to put the Democratic-controlled Legislature on notice that if it passes a host of gun bills, including new age restrictions for certain weapons, a bump stock ban and size limit for gun magazines, the counties might bar their employees from enforcing the new laws.
Washington state followed Illinois’ lead. The public voted in a sweeping gun-control measure which includes raising the age limit for buying semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 and requiring buyers of those weapons to pass an enhanced background check, show proof of firearms-training and complete a 10-day waiting period before obtaining the weapon. Yet, 20 counties have said they will not enforce the overreaching laws forced upon law abiding citizens when I-1639 passed last November.
In Nevada, sheriffs of Churchill, Douglas, Elko. Eureka, Lyon, Nye, and Pershing counties have formally opposed SB 143. Several counties have proposed or discussed resolutions in support of Second Amendment Sanctuary status proposed by their commissioners. Rural Nevada is revolting against Las Vegas and Reno gun control, including Lander and White Pine.
Fremont, Montezuma, Otero, Weld and Custer counties, along with El Paso and Douglas counties in Colorado, have all passed resolutions to declare as 2A Sanctuary Counties in response to a proposed “Red Flag” law. The law would have law enforcement confiscate weapons, without due process, of individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others, or domestic abusers.
In Oregon, ten counties ran “Second Amendment Preservation Ordinances” on the ballot last election, and it passed in eight of them. These are similar to those in Nevada and Illinois.
The message is clear. Most Americans will not tolerate more nonsense, feel-good gun restrictions that will affect no one but the law-abiding citizen. Enough of shoving a disarmament agenda down our throats.
The other clear message, though, is that Democrats again prove that when given power they will overreach, grab, bulldog, and stampede through the most ghastly laws conceivable. We seem to forget this every few years.
This is our reminder.
Remember in 2020.