Illinois County Says It's a 'Sanctuary County' for Gun Owners, 'We're Taking a Stand'
Effingham County, located in southeast Illinois, voted on Monday to become a “sanctuary county” for the right to keep and bear arms.
The county board passed a resolution in an 8-1 vote, which directs its employees not to enforce any new state law that would “unconstitutionally restrict the Second Amendment.”
Effingham County board member David Campbell told Fox News that the governing panel decided to take a stand.
“We’re tired of seeing all these new House bills coming through attacking our Second Amendment rights, and we decided it’s time for someone to take a hard stand,” he said.
Effingham County State’s Attorney Bryan Kibler, who helped draft the resolution, told FNC the measure is largely symbolic.
“Obviously, if a state law violates the Second Amendment, federal Constitution, law enforcement is not going to be able to enforce it anyway,” Kibler stated.
Rather, he explained the main objective of the resolution is to say “this has become a major concern (of) our constituents.”
The officials said they decided to “flip the script” on what other local governments are doing for illegal immigrants.
“We’re making it known to the Illinois General Assembly that if they keep on this path of stripping away Second Amendment rights, there’s going to be blowback from the people of southern Illinois,” the attorney declared.
Kibler reported that their resolution passed in a neighboring county earlier this week and predicted it will pass in others in the region as early as next week.
He pointed to legislators from Chicago as the source of much of the new legislation.
Chicago CBS News affiliate WBBM reported that Illinois passed several new gun control measures in the immediate aftermath of the Parkland high school shooting in February.
One raised the age for the purchase of semi-automatic guns from 18 to 21.
Other changes included banning bump stocks or other devices that allow guns to fire more rapidly, requiring mental health screenings to purchase guns, and requiring gun dealers to obtain a state license in addition to a federal one.
Mayor Rahm Emmanuel declared Chicago a “sanctuary city” and has openly defied all efforts by the Trump administration’s calls to comply with federal immigration law.
Shortly after President Donald Trump’s election is November 2016, Emmanuel proclaimed, Chicago “always will be a sanctuary city.”
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