Burnet County approves Second Amendment ‘sanctuary’ resolution

Burnet County became the 75th county in the state of Texas to adopt a Second Amendment support resolution. The Burnet County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the resolution during its Tuesday, March 9, meeting. 

Proponents say these resolutions protect against attempts to curb gun rights. In January, Gov. Greg Abbott said he wanted to make Texas a Second Amendment sanctuary state.

Burnet County resident Mark McDonald initially proposed his own version of a resolution; however, after a review, commissioners and Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd opted for one similar to Montgomery County’s resolution. 

Boyd told commissioners he was apprehensive about some of the political items included in McDonald’s version.

The Montgomery County resolution, the sheriff explained, has been used by commissioners courts across the state when adopting Second Amendment support measures. 

“I feel like this is a serious resolution,” Boyd said about the county’s version. “It explains what the Constitution is and what we’ll do. We’ll follow the Constitution, obviously.”

According to the approved resolution, Burnet County residents  “through their duly elected Commissioners Court and their Sheriff, resolve that Burnet County, Texas hereby supports the Second Amendment.”

Burnet County Judge James Oakley said the resolution will hold the line against entities attempting to curb gun rights.

“There’s been some infringing already,” he said. 

Boyd, who describes himself as a Constitutional sheriff, believes many rules, such as red flag laws, go against the Second Amendment. Under red flag laws, courts can issue protection orders that allow law enforcement to confiscate firearms from someone a court or judge deems a danger to themselves or others.

Currently, Texas does not have a red flag law.

McDonald admitted that his version of the resolution was political but said everything is political these days. His version addressed topics such as mental health red flag laws and universal background checks.

Those things are coming, McDonald told the Commissioners Court. He pointed out that items in his resolution came right from actions working their way through Austin and Washington, D.C.

Boyd said he didn’t see any reason the Commissioners Court couldn’t add to the county’s resolution if necessary.

SECOND AMENDMENT

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.

daniel@thepicayune.com