MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - Earlier this month, a group of concerned citizens approached the Marquette County Board of Commissioners with a resolution for the county to become a Second Amendment sanctuary county.
The board said it does not have the authority to make that declaration, but that commissioners will uphold the second amendment, as they swore to uphold the Constitution when they took their positions on the board.
"We believe it to be where our local elected officials will back the people, regardless of what laws are passed in Lansing, to support us and not come and take our guns when Lansing says to come take our guns, said Chair of Marquette County for Second Amendment Sanctuary County, John Kovarik.
Following the board meeting, Kovarik reached out to the Marquette County Sheriff, Greg Zyburt, and the Marquette County Prosecutor, Matt Wiese, asking for them to declare support for becoming a sanctuary county.
Zyburt and Wiese sent out a press release Tuesday, stating that they cannot make the declaration due to their positions.
"It was rather disturbing and I'm not happy about it. I know there's a lot of gun owners out there that are not going to be happy about it, Kovarik added.
Wiese says to declare public support for a Second Amendment sanctuary county would be unlawful and against the oath he took as Marquette County's prosecutor.
"I know there's a lot of alarm out there because of what went on in Virginia last week, but we're not talking about that. We can't take a pledge to say that if they pass this law that somehow limits firearms, that we say we're not going to enforce it because by doing that, we're violating our oath of office, said Wiese.
Zyburt has taken the same stance as Wiese on the issue.
"We swore to an oath for the second, the first, the third, the fifth amendments and both the State and the Constitution, and we're going to follow it. We're not going to be bullied. This is our position, and it's a legal position, and that's why the prosecutor and I have put out this release, Zyburt said.
Kovarik adds that he and people in his group are prepared to vote out elected officials that do not support becoming a sanctuary county. Both Wiese and Zyburt add that voters have the right to do so, but that they hope people wont only consider this one issue while voting.
Kovarik says his group will continue pushing for the second amendment, and for Marquette County becoming a Second Amendment sanctuary.
If you let your rights go, then youre going to be in trouble, Kovarik said.
To view the press release from Zyburt and Wiese, go to the Related Links section of this article.
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