PREBLE COUNTY — The Preble County Commissioners passed a resolution proclaiming Preble County as a Second Amendment Sanctuary County during a meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
The resolution states, “The Board of Preble County Commissioners is concerned about the passage of any bill containing language which would be interpreted as infringing the rights of the citizens of Preble County to keep and bear arms;
“Whereas, the Board of Preble County Commissioners wishes to express its deep commitment to the rights of all citizens of Preble County to keep and bear arms;
“Whereas, The Board of Preble County Commissioners wishes to express opposition to any law that would unconstitutionally restrict the rights of the citizens of Preble County to keep and bear arms;
“Whereas, The Board of Preble County Commissioners 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 state of Ohio, any efforts to unconstitutionally restrict such rights, and to use such legal means at its disposal to protect the rights of the citizens of Preble County to keep and bear arms, including through legal action, the power to appropriate public funds, the right to petition for redress of grievances, and the power to direct the law enforcement and employees of Preble County to not enforce any unconstitutional law, now, therefore be it resolved, that the Board of Preble County Commissioners does hereby proclaim Preble County, Ohio as a ‘Second Amendment Sanctuary County’ and hereby expresses its intent to uphold the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of Preble County, Ohio. The Board also hereby expresses its intent that the public funds of the county not be used to restrict the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of Preble County, or to aid federal or state agencies in the restriction of said rights. The Board hereby proclaims its intent to oppose any infringement on the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms using such legal means as may be expedient, including, without limitation, court action.”
“I’m glad we’re taking a stance and I’m glad our county is saying it’s going to support the Constitution and Second Amendment,” Commissioner Rodney Creech said.
The resolution passed unanimously.
Ohio Stands United founder Michael Hiles said, “The resolution is a symbolic statement that the county is not going to be complacent or endorse any infringing act, presumably against the second. It is basically sending out a message to the world at large that Preble County intends to uphold the citizen’s second amendment rights.”
He added, a total of 10 counties throughout Ohio have adopted the Second Amendment Sanctuary Resolution.
However, this isn’t the end of Ohio Stands United in Preble County. The group held its first meeting on Saturday, Jan. 18 to talk about the resolution. Almost 100 individuals attended that meeting, with only days notice.
“One of the objectives of this entire project was to identify folks in local communities all across the State to develop activist, grassroots, coalition. That would potentially be a framework to carry signatures for direct petition for either a Statewide measure or an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Ohio,” Hiles said.
“It’s definitely not over. I view what we’ve done in Preble [County] as the first step towards invigorating an activist base and really mobilizing rights-focused folks who are less concerned with partisan politics than they are about their rights. That really is the focus here — this doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with party-politics, but about pushing back against the encroachment of State, in particular against our rights.
“It is still important for folks to get active in their communities and continue to put the pressure on locally. I’ve gotten confirmation from multiple State Representatives and Senators that a county adopting this resolution is very meaningful to them in terms of sending that political message.”
