Washington County Fiscal Court to take up 2nd Amendment resolution again – The Springfield Sun

Editor's note: The story below has been edited to correct an error in the story that appeared in the Jan. 22 print edition of The Sun. Kentucky United spokesperson Sean Hall met with Washington County Judge-Executive Timothy Graves to review a proposed resolution, not County Attorney Bill Robinson. A correction will appear in the Jan. 29 edition of The Sun.

Update: Since this story went to press, the Nelson County Fiscal Court voted to pass a resolution in support of the Second Amendment.

A group that has pressured county governments across Kentucky to take action regarding the Second Amendment has set its sights on Washington County, resulting in the fiscal court planning to take up the issue for the second time Friday.

Magistrates heard comments at their Jan. 13 meeting, at which time County Judge-Executive Timothy Graves stated passing a resolution presented to the court by the group would be an illegal act.

Washington County Attorney Bill Robinson cited a Kentucky law that states local governments can make no ordinance in relation to the Second Amendment or gun issues in general.

The cited law says any action in regards to gun control is null and void and unenforceable.

Robinson said additionally, the county, the fiscal court, and individual magistrates would be subject to civil and criminal penalties if they took action of any kind.

But Graves said the matter did not die.

Following that meeting, the county attorney went to work drafting something we could act on, he said. He looked at what other counties are passing and how they worded it.

And Kentucky United did not give up. Members presented a second resolution to the fiscal court.

Bill (Robinson) looked it over and took some of the verbiage from it and merged that with the resolution he was drafting, Graves said. We believe we have come up with a resolution that we can pass that meets the desires of the group but does not put us in a position where we would be legally liable.

Sean Hall, a spokesperson for Kentucky United-Washington County, met with Graves over the weekend and was allowed to review the revised resolution.

Overall, Im OK with the new resolution, he said. Theres a little give and take to find something we can both agree on.

Hall said he posted the revised resolution for the group to review and the response has been pretty positive.

He said the resolution doesnt identify red flag laws directly but does cover what is included in those laws.

Hall said last Monday was the first time he and most of the other people who came to address the fiscal court had attended such an assembly and certainly had never participated in public meetings.

We thought there would be more discussion and a dialogue between us and the magistrates, he said.

Hall went on to say many of those in attendance felt their voices were not heard.

"The decision had been made before we got there," he said. "We were very unhappy when we left the courthouse on Monday.

Some members of Kentucky United took to Facebook to express their frustration at Washington County not taking action Jan. 13.

A member with the Facebook profile name Curry Haydon posted, Its an absolute shame that Washington county did not pass this, disappointed in my county is an understatement.

On a Facebook page called Washington County United, someone with the profile name Craig Settled posted, Man I hope WC fiscal court can educate themselves very quickly or well they are gonna have a 4 year stint in their elected positions. This is way more important than a certain road getting blacktopped and that magistrate lost his elected position. I wish them luck but if they need help I say some of the counties around them will help educate them and lend them a spine. Its funny how words are holding this up. I mean come on it dont take someone with that much education to re-write something. How hard is that?? If it thats hard get a English teacher to help them. No need of being scared because if youre scared then step out of the way and let the big boys and girls do the job.

Someone with the profile name C.D. Wandle said, Shame on our elected officials spineless,gutless,money handlers, and a profile with the name Papaw Baker posted, We need to make this a one term judge executive.

Kentucky United members have been the driving force behind a recent, so far unsuccessful, push to have a Second Amendment resolution passed in neighboring Nelson County. (Group members have said they will not support a compromise resolution proposed.)

Neighboring Marion and Boyle counties have both passed resolutions.

Hall said at the fiscal court's Jan. 13 meeting that Kentucky United is concerned about bills proposed in Virginia, and concerned that similar legislation could be passed in Kentucky.

Protesters spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Virginia's capital city protesting, many armed.

According to at least one post on the Kentucky United Facebook page, the protests are just the beginning.

Guys its happening the Governor of the state of Virginia has called a state of emergency starting Friday evening due to the threat of violence over our second amendment rights this is the tip of the iceberg, states a post by someone whose profile name is Mike Perraut.

Graves said his office had received a lot of feedback following the fiscal courts Jan. 13 meeting.

This is a hot-topic issue, he said, People are very passionate and vocal on both sides. We think we have come up with a resolution that provides a happy medium. And again, we want to do what is legal.

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Washington County Fiscal Court to take up 2nd Amendment resolution again - The Springfield Sun