Collin County also passed a resolution on Monday with a similar intent — to reaffirm their support for the Constitution and the Second Amendment.
The resolutions have gained traction recently because many Texans have expressed concerns about future unconstitutional firearm restrictions being passed into law at either the state or federal level.
“Red flag” laws, expanded background checks, and outright firearm confiscation have all been proposed by elected officials or candidates.
To reassure residents that they will stand by the Constitution and Second Amendment, county commissioners have begun passing resolutions declaring that they will not “authorize or appropriate government funds or resources … for the purpose of enforcing law that unconstitutionally infringes on the right of the people to keep and bear arms.”
Eastland and Erath counties are among the most recent to pass resolutions that adopt such language.
Wood and Montgomery counties passed similar resolutions last week.
Other counties include Edwards, Hudspeth, Presidio, Mitchell, Hood, Parker, Smith, Ellis, Kaufman, Stephens, Palo Pinto, Throckmorton, Nolan, and Upshur counties.
The resolution passed by Collin County is different, though, in that it avoids using the terminology of a “sanctuary county” and does not explicitly state that the county will not authorize resources to enforce unconstitutional gun restrictions.
“Leftists have long used the terms ‘sanctuary city,’ ‘sanctuary county,’ and even ‘sanctuary state’ to declare their disregard for and disobedience to laws they don’t like,” said Collin County Judge Chris Hill in an email explaining why their resolution was avoiding the term.
“They establish themselves as kings, ignoring the legislative process while violating their oath of office. By contrast, we declare our support for the laws of our state and nation, and our commitment to those liberties endowed by our Creator and enshrined in our Constitution,” wrote Hill.
The resolution introduced to the county court on Monday was simply a reaffirmation of oath to uphold the Constitution that is sworn by all elected officials in Texas.
However, Hill made it clear that the resolution was in response to citizens concerned about whether or not the county officials would uphold the Constitution in light of proposed gun restrictions seen by many as clear violations of the Second Amendment.
As a result, several spoke out against the resolution reaffirming the constitutional oath sworn by each of the commissioners.
Several called the resolution “divisive” and said that instead, the court should pass a resolution declaring their support for gun control regulations like red flag laws or expanded background checks, similar to the one passed by Harris County a few weeks ago.
Nevertheless, Hill remained firm in his position.
Referencing former presidential candidate Beto O Rourke’s call to confiscate firearms, Hill said that many constituents — not just his own, but citizens across the country — want to know, “Will you, as our elected officials, keep the oath of office that you took, or will you side with taking lawful firearms from folks by executive fiat — in essence breaking your oath?”
The resolution he introduced to reaffirm the oath to the Constitution was meant to answer that question.
The commissioners approved it unanimously.
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Daniel Friend
Daniel Friend is the Marketing and Media Manager for The Texan. After graduating with a double-major in Political Science and Humanities, he wrote for The Texan as a reporter through June 2022. In his spare time, you're likely to find him working on The Testimony of Calvin Lewis, an Abolition of Man-inspired novel and theatrical podcast.