Cedar County votes to become a Second Amendment sanctuary – Southernminn.com

TIPTON Cedar County on Tuesday became the third county in Iowa to be voted a Second Amendment Sanctuary County, which codifies the countys stance against violations of the Constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

It was after much discussion, including comments both for and against the resolution, during the Cedar County Supervisors meeting that the supervisors voted unanimously to approve the resolution. Supervisor Dawn Smith said while she did not feel passionately either way about the resolution, a social media polling she did found Cedar County residents favored approval of the resolution about 6:1.

There was some concern countywide among our residents that they feel that this administration might do something to change gun laws, either by administrative rules or other things rather than taking it through the proper channels. Smith said. There is a push throughout Iowa, as well as around the nation, about this.

Smith said it was the first time in years that many people turned out to a supervisors meeting to give comments about an issue.

The county joins Jasper and Hardin counties, which approved resolutions making themselves sanctuary counties earlier this month. Throughout the country, over 1,200 local governments have declared themselves sanctuaries from state and federal laws governing gun ownership.

The resolution is not a law or ordinance and not legally binding. It emphasizes the county's opposition to any laws deemed unconstitutional that govern legal gun ownership on Cedar County citizens, including by administrative rule and executive orders. Cedar County Sheriff Warren Wethington who brought the resolution to the board, explained it includes presidential executive orders being approved as laws as well as changing the definition of a firearm to include something that is not a firearm.

Laws are made by legislators, not by a single person, Wethington, also an executive member of the Iowa Firearms Coalition, said.

The countys sanctuary status will not change day-to-day operations.

On July 21, during a CNN town hall meeting, President Joe Biden said: The idea that you need a weapon that can have the ability to fire 20, 30, 40, 50, 120 shots from that weapon whether its a 9 mm pistol or whether its a rifle is ridiculous. Im continuing to push to eliminate those things, but Im not lucky enough to get that done in a near term. Biden has not introduced legislation regarding this.

Wethington said the definition Biden gave would include many squirrel and rabbit guns, as well as most handguns, that use double stacked magazines. He believes modifications to firearm laws, up to and including confiscation, is a possibility if we dont stay on our toes. He said while he didnt believe the Biden administration would be able to bring any such law into action, the intent was there.

I was on the fence about it, Smith said. She said the large number of residents supporting the resolution had encouraged her to vote to approve it. Im not against it. I have a gun permit. I strongly believe people should have the right to defend themselves, and I dont think it should be the governments place to take those weapons away. I also feel strongly that people who arent supposed to have guns shouldnt have them. It takes someone willing to enforce that in order to see that happens.

Link:
Cedar County votes to become a Second Amendment sanctuary - Southernminn.com