Clinton County joined several other Kentucky counties in support of the Second Amendment rights for citizens to bear arms as they approved a non-binding resolution declaring Clinton County a Second Amendment Sanctuary.

The action came before a packed house in the upstairs Eddie C. Lovelace courtroom of the courthouse last Thursday evening, January 16, at the regular monthly meeting of Clinton Fiscal Court.

All court members were present for the meeting.

The passage of the motion drew an applause from those in attendance who have been a part of the Clinton County Chapter of Kentucky United, a group formed to support Second Amendment rights following some legislative challenges to existing gun laws in other states.

One spectator, following the vote, did say he wished there had been a “rider” to the resolution which addressed the issue of capacity restrictions.

Assistant County Attorney Gary Little noted, however, that since the resolution had already been presented in its current form and passed, that could not be added at this time, but did say the court could look at that issue and bring it back up in the future.

Later in the meeting, Clinton County Sheriff Jeff Vincent, who is also an advocate of the Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution, noted that it “was not a law” and gun regulations, such as bringing firearms into a courtroom, etc. still existed and would have to be adhered to.

The Second Amendment Sanctuary county status has been adopted now in several Kentucky counties and the list is growing almost weekly in support of citizens gun rights.

The motion to approve the resolution declaring Clinton County a Second Amendment Sanctuary was made by magistrate Gary Ferguson, was seconded by magistrate Terry Buster and passed by unanimous approval of all six magistrates.

The local resolution reads as follows:

“Whereas, the Right of the People to Keep and Bear Arms is guaranteed as an individual Right and under the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and under the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and;

“Whereas, the United States Supreme Court has affirmed an individual’s right to possess firearms.

“Whereas, the United States Supreme Court has affirmed that the right of an individual to “keep and bear arms” as protected under the Second Amendment, is incorporated by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment against the states, and

“Whereas, the Clinton County Fiscal Court is concerned about the passage of any bill containing language which could be interpreted as infringing the rights of the citizens of Clinton County to keep and bear arms, thereby jeopardizing the common defense, general welfare and liberty of its citizens, and

“Whereas, the Clinton County Fiscal Court wishes to express opposition to any law that would unconstitutionally restrict the rights of the citizens of Clinton County to keep and bear arms, and

“Whereas, the Clinton County Fiscal Court wishes to express its intent to stand as a Sanctuary County for Second Amendment Rights and to oppose, within the limits of the Constitution of the United States and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, any efforts to unconstitutionally, restrict such rights,

“Therefore, Be It Resolved, the People of Clinton County, Kentucky, through their duly elected Fiscal Court hereby designate Clinton County a Second Amendment Sanctuary in order to preserve for the People of Clinton County, their rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America.”

Several other issues were discussed at last week’s fiscal court session and a separate article on the meeting can be found beginning on page 1.