PSLA MEETS THURSDAY
Gun-Sanctuary
Resolution To Go
Before Committee
By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
COOPERSTOWN – Below is the text of the resolution that would declare Otsego County a gun-law sanctuary, where the state’s SAFE Act would not be enforced.
The resolution will be considered Thursday by the county board’s Public Safety & Legal Affairs Committee. Dan Wilber, R-Burlington, committee chairman, hasn’t been available to discuss the matter.
Scheduled for noon, the meeting may be viewed via Zoom on the county’s Facebook page.
According to other committee members, PSLA has been awaiting a legal opinion from County Attorney Ellen Coccoma.
Here is the resolution:
RESOLUTION OF OTSEGO COUNTY
BOARD OF REPRESENTATIVES
WHEREAS, the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” and,
WHEREAS, Article I, Section 1, of the Constitution of New York “ No member of this state shall be disfranchised, or deprived of any of the rights or privileges secured to any citizen thereof, unless by the law of the land, or the judgment of his or her peers, except that the legislature may provide that there shall be no primary election held to nominate candidates for public office or to elect persons to party positions for any political party or parties in any unit of representation of the state from which such candidates or persons are nominated or elected whenever there is no contest or contests for such nominations or election as may be prescribed by general law. (Amended by vote of the people November 3, 1959; November 6, 2001.)”, and,
WHEREAS, the Otsego County Board opposes the SAFE Act of 2013 as an example of the county’s support for the Second Amendment Rights; and,
WHEREAS, the Otsego County Board will continue to oppose any infringement on the Second Amendment such as, but not limited to, long gun registration, social media and search engine history background checks, magazine capacity limitations, requiring gun owners to purchase insurance before gun is legally owned, and/or restrictions that otherwise impair the civil liberties of lawful gun owners; and,
WHEREAS, the Otsego County Board wishes to express opposition to any law that would unconstitutionally restrict the rights under the Second Amendment of the citizens of Otsego County to keep and bear arms; and,
WHEREAS, the Otsego County Board wishes to express its intent to stand as a Sanctuary County for Second Amendment rights and to oppose, within the limits of the Constitutions of the United States and the State of New York, any efforts to unconstitutionally restrict such rights, and to use such legal means at its disposal to protect the right of the citizens to keep and bear arms, including through legal action, the power of appropriation of public funds, and the right to petition for redress of grievances.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF REPRESENTATIVES OF OTSEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK:
That the Board of Representatives hereby expresses its intent to uphold the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of Otsego County and its intent that public funds of the County not be used to restrict Second Amendment rights or to aid in the unnecessary and unconstitutional restriction of the rights under the Second Amendment of the citizens of Otsego County to keep and bear arms; and
That the Board hereby declares its intent to oppose unconstitutional restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms through such legal means as may be expedient, including without limitation court action; and,
Thank you, it’s about time someone actually stood behind the oath they swore to uphold.
What is all that nonsense about voting rights in the second paragraph? How does that belong to this resolution?
smart idea
Stop this insanity.
This is a terrible idea! Pleas vote NO!
This is standing up to the down state thinking about firearms. Compared to down state we have much less crime and I bet per capita we have more fire arms. Maybe this is why we have lass crime.
I do not understand the necessity for guns all over the place. The second amendment allows the People (a plural usage), not individuals, to keep and carry arms when serving in the militia. Period!!! Read the Preamble and the Second Amendment back-to-back. Congress passed laws in 1792 and l903 delegating the authority to organize militias (and after 1903 the National Guard) to the respective states but NOT to individual citizens.
Unfortunately the NRA has gone far beyond the America of my childhood by advancing unrestricted gun ownership. Think about it–it is now all about MONEY(not only guns, but alcohol, drugs, gambling, cigarettes, and vaping)!! Guns are sold not only to our citizens (about 40% without a background check) but they are sold around the world to our allies and as well as our enemies. Is this what we want?
Gun control does not mean people are going to take away your guns. It means that proper and effective control over the purchase of weapons is what is best serves honest and fair Americans. It also means that individuals respect what our Constitution actually says and not misstate the words for their own personal satisfaction and gain. I’m not an anti-gun nut, as my family owned shotguns and a pistol (with license to carry), and no one worried about that….but this petition to be a gun
sanctuary reminds me of the white nationalists who follow our president. Let our village and county remain as it is.
…or deprived of any of the rights or privileges secured to any citizen thereof, unless by the law of the land, or the judgment of his or her peers, except
Big waste of the boards time! There are so many more serious concerns in our county now.
Nobody is threatening to take guns away from citizens who want to hunt or believe they need guns in their homes to protect themselves! Nobody!
So stop making believe that gunowners are threatened and stop this crazy proposal. STOP IT here and now!
A brilliant step to show support of the 2nd Amendment to which the representative oaths have sworn.
Thank you to all that started this movement mr brockway mr wilber and all 2a members and Christian who has answered alot of my questions this is great news also law enforcement who has respected our concerns
Is this seriously what the county board is spending their time on? In the middle of a pandemic, in the middle of a budget crisis? This is a joke and the board should be embarrassed of themselves. There was a lot of rhetoric about things that were supposed to happen once the SAFE Act started — guns being rounded up, your hunting rifle being made illegal and none of that has come to pass. These are common sense laws that protect the public. No one is taking away your guns, gun owners need to stop playing the oppressed victim just because they have to fill out a little more paper work.
No thanks. We don’t need a local Ruby Ridge.