Arizona County Declares Itself A “Second Amendment Sanctuary”

An Arizona county which borders Nevada, California and Utah has declared itself a ‘Second Amendment Sanctuary County’ in a largely symbolic move.

“The Board affirms its support of the Second Amendment to the U. S. Constitution, and declares Mohave County a Second Amendment Sanctuary County,” reads a resolution approved unanimously on November 4 by the Mohave County Board of Supervisors.

“We have the support of the sheriff, and if it ever gets to the point where the courts would have to get involved because of gun laws implemented by the feds or the state, we would step up and fight them,” said Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Hildy Angius.

Those opposed to the new declaration say it’s illegal.

Mohave County’s new resolution doesn’t appear to elicit any actual changes in law. If it did, that could be illegal, according to Gerry Hills, the founder of Arizonans for Gun Safety, who pointed out that state preemption law blocks cities or counties from making gun policies that are different from state law.

“Either they’re going to enforce gun laws, or they’re not going to enforce gun laws,” Hills said. “And if it’s their policy not to enforce gun laws, then that’s a violation of the preemption law. Municipalities don’t get to pick and choose which laws they want to follow.”

That law, ARS 13-3108, bans local firearms laws that are “inconsistent with or more restrictive than state law.” –Phoenix New Times

“Although this is symbolic in nature, this reaffirms the county’s commitment, as well as mine, to support and defend the U.S. and Arizona constitutions,” said State Senator Sonny Borrelli.

According to the Phoenix New Times, the move follows a recent trend across the southern and western United States for rural municipalities to reaffirm their support for gun rights by calling themselves “sanctuaries.”

Last week, Parker County, Texas similarly declared its 2A Sanctuary status – while on October 9, Hood County, Texas did the same according to Breitbart.

In early July, the California town of Needles – which borders Mohave County, also declared itself a “2nd Amendment Sanctuary City,” which was more or less a symbolic affirmation of support for gun owners. The move had no immediate impact on the city’s 5,000 or so residents, and instead resulted in the authorization of a request to California legislators to allow licensed gun owners from other states to carry their firearms in town.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Arizona, voters in the liberal city of Tucson overwhelmingly voted to reject a plan to become a sanctuary city.