- Angelina: Jan. 28, 2020
- Calhoun: Jan. 29, 2020
- Clay: Jan. 27, 2020
- Colorado: Jan. 27, 2020
- Dawson: Jan. 28, 2020
- Marion: Feb. 10, 2020
- Milam: Feb. 10, 2020
- Victoria: Jan. 27, 2020
The vast majority of the 64 counties in the state to pass pro-Second Amendment resolutions have declared themselves Second Amendment “sanctuaries.”
Edwards County passed the first in 2018, which declared that any unconstitutional firearm restrictions would be considered unenforceable and that the county government would not “authorize or appropriate” resources to enforce the regulations.
While the resolution in Edwards County was largely overlooked by the media, the movement picked up more attention in July 2019 after Democratic commissioners court in Presidio County unanimously passed a similar resolution.
Its text was slightly different, lacking the specific pledge to not “authorize or appropriate” funds or resources, but it still declared that any unconstitutional laws would be “considered unenforceable.”
In September 2019, former presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke notoriously said during a debate, “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15.”
His comment sparked fury among some citizens who began looking for reassurance from their local leaders that law enforcement would not participate in the confiscation or any other unconstitutional gun regulations enacted by state or federal officials.
In early October, Hood County passed a resolution similar to the Edwards version, and two other counties followed suit at the end of the month.
The number of pro-Second Amendment resolutions declared by counties in Texas skyrocketed in the next two months, with at least 20 being declared in November and 24 in December.
The peak came on December 9, 2019, when 11 counties adopted resolutions on the same day.
While the majority of resolutions have followed the basic structure of the Edwards version, some counties have veered off of the well-worn path with unique variations or different approaches.
Montgomery County declared itself a “gun sanctuary” instead of a “Second Amendment sanctuary,” using a more detailed resolution.
Instead of passing a sanctuary resolution, Collin County passed a resolution that reaffirmed the county’s commitment to the Second Amendment.
Denton County followed a similar approach, but adopted a resolution to reaffirm their commitment to the entire Bill of Rights.
More recently, counties have followed the structure and content of the Edwards version, but have exchanged the vocabulary of “sanctuary” with terms including “safe haven” and “supporting county.”
This month, counties in Oklahoma have also begun declaring themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries, though the effort there has been initiated by county sheriffs instead of commissioners.
According to the Muskogee Politico, thirteen sheriffs in Oklahoma have declared their counties as Second Amendment sanctuaries.
Back in Texas, with only 10 confirmed counties passing pro-Second Amendment resolutions in January compared to December’s 24, the movement may have already seen its peak. But that could always change in a moment’s notice with any perceived threats to the constitutionally protected right to bear arms.
See below for a full list of counties in Texas to pass pro-Second Amendment resolutions and email [email protected] if you see any counties missing from the list.
- Angelina: Jan. 28, 2020
- Brown: Dec. 9, 2019
- Calhoun: Jan. 29, 2020
- Callahan: Nov. 12, 2019
- Cherokee: Nov. 26, 2019
- Clay: Jan. 27, 2020
- Coleman: Dec. 9, 2019
- *Collin: Nov. 25, 2019
- *Colorado: Jan. 27, 2020
- Coryell: Dec. 9, 2019
- Dawson: Jan. 28, 2020
- *Denton: Dec. 17, 2019
- Eastland: Nov. 25, 2019
- Edwards: June 12, 2018
- Ellis: Nov. 5, 2019
- Erath: Nov. 25, 2019
- Fannin: Nov. 26, 2019
- Freestone: Dec. 18, 2019
- *Gonzales: Jan. 13, 2020
- Grimes: Dec. 11, 2019
- Hood: Oct. 8, 2019
- Hopkins: Dec. 9, 2019
- Houston: Dec. 23, 2019
- Howard: Dec. 23, 2019
- Hudspeth: March 2019
- *Hunt: Dec. 10, 2019
- Hutchinson: Jan. 13, 2020
- Jack: Dec. 9, 2019
- *Jackson: Nov. 26, 2019
- *Johnson: Dec. 23, 2019
- Kaufman: Nov. 12, 2019
- Kinney: Nov. 2019
- Knox: Dec. 9, 2019
- Lamar: Jan. 13, 2020
- *Lavaca: Dec. 23, 2019
- Leon: Nov. 27, 2019
- Madison: Dec. 23, 2019
- Marion : Feb. 10, 2020
- McCulloch: Dec. 9, 2019
- Milam: Feb. 10, 2020
- Mitchell: September 2019
- Montgomery: Nov. 19, 2019
- Navarro: Dec. 9, 2019
- Nolan: Nov. 12, 2019
- *Palo Pinto: Nov. 12, 2019
- Panola: Dec. 31, 2019
- Parker: Oct. 28, 2019
- Presidio: July 10, 2019
- *Rockwall: Dec. 10, 2019
- Shackelford: Dec. 5, 2019
- Shelby: Jan. 15, 2019
- Smith: Oct. 29, 2019
- Stephens: Nov. 12, 2019
- Throckmorton: Nov. 12, 2019
- Titus: Dec. 9, 2019
- Upshur: Nov. 15, 2019
- Van Zandt: Dec. 23, 2019
- *Victoria: Jan. 27, 2020
- Walker: Dec. 9, 2019
- Waller: Nov. 26, 2019
- Washington: Jan. 14, 2020
- *Wise: Dec. 9, 2019
- Wood: Nov. 19, 2019
- Young: Nov. 25, 2019
*Does not include a clause declaring unconstitutional firearm regulations to be unenforceable or a clause pledging not to authorize funds or resources to enforce unconstitutional regulations.
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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.
