The Effingham County Board is considering a resolution opposing recent proposals in the state legislature for gun control measures.
The resolution started as a suggestion by local firearms owners and the businesses that cater to them, said Effingham County Board member David
Campbell. He modeled the legislation on a similar resolution passed by the Iroquois County Board on March 13.
Campbell consulted with Effingham County State's Attorney Bryan Kibler, who added a "sanctuary county" section, which attracted the most attention during legislative committee meeting on Monday.
Kibler explained the goal is to protect those people affected by future state legislation by prohibiting the county from enforcing "unconstitutional actions." He drew a parallel with actions in other fields.
"If you can be a sanctuary county for undocumented immigrants, why can't you be one for firearms?" Kibler said.
He explained that the section, like the rest of the resolution, is largely symbolic.
"I was in a really surly mood when they sent that to me," said Kibler.
The legislative committee voted 8-1 on Monday to advance the resolution to the full county board. Board Member Karen Luchtefeld voted no, saying she hadn't had enough time to review the resolution.
The rest of the resolution takes issues with four specific bills, any similar legislation and any bill where the General Assembly "desires to restrict the individual right of U.S. citizens as protected by the Second Amendment.
"This reaffirms that Effingham County does support our Second Amendment rights," Campbell said.
One bill, HB 1467, would ban the ownership of bump stocks and trigger cranks, which allow a semi-automatic weapon to fire at a rate close to that of an automatic weapon. One was used during the Las Vegas shooting, where 58 people were killed and 851 injured.
Campbell said in an interview he didn't support the mechanisms themselves, but is suspicious of future actions by the federal government to ban other elements, such as a reduction in magazine sizes.
One proposal, HB 1469, is in the statehouse. It would also limit the ownership of body armor, which the resolution said would unfairly affect those working in dangerous areas.
The resolution also targets a bill that would make it illegal to own an "assault weapon," which is defined in about 500 words of the legislation. The local resolution claims that the proposed laws are unclear.
One bill that would have required additional registration for gun shops was vetoed by Gov. Bruce Rauner. Members of the legislature are considering an override attempt.
"I don't want Chicago gun laws here, because they don't seem to be working there," said Effingham County Board Board Chairman Jim Niemann.
http://www.effinghamdailynews.com/news/local_news/effingham-county-considers-opposition-to-state-gun-legislation/article_03988c5d-35ec-5984-a122-38f461ea634a.html
