At the January meeting of the Bell County Fiscal Court, it was approved that Bell County would become a Second Amendment Sanctuary County.

The room was full of men and women supporting the resolution, and during the audience participation portion of the meeting, Judge-Executive Albey Brock acknowledged the added numbers in the crowd.

“Well, we’ve got a healthy number here in the crowd today,” he noted. “I know why you’re here and you’ll be happy when you leave. What you want, you will get.”

The crowd agreed in unison as Judge Brock continued, “If you are in favor of that measure, raise your hand,” he said as every person in the audience raised their hand. “Is there anyone opposed to that measure? As you can see, it is unanimous that all are in favor of Bell County becoming a Second Amendment Sanctuary County.”

Judge Brock presented the resolution, a motion and a second were quickly made and all approved and the decision was met with a loud applause from the audience.

Previously, during Monday night’s Pineville City Council meeting, Mayor Scott Madon discussed with the council the city’s support of Bell County adopting the resolution.

“I’ve had several text me and send me Facebook messages, and I’m personally for it. We put some information in your packets to talk to about it, and I don’t see any need for us to pass anything other than a support resolution for the county,” Madon explained to the council. “I feel like they will pass that and this just all came about by the Governor of Virginia trying to pass some laws that would prohibit guns and that sort of thing.”

Madon entertained a motion that the city of Pineville show their support in their endeavor to pass the resolution countywide. A motion was made and quickly seconded, and the council approved their support of the county adopting the Second Amendment Sanctuary Resolution.

“What we are doing is supporting the county’s efforts for passing that,” Madon continued to explain. “The reason I’m doing this is because I have had several people want to know why we haven’t done it and I just didn’t think there was any need to do it since the county was going to do it as a blanket for all of us.”

Following the county’s vote during the fiscal court meeting, the question was asked what legal standing the resolution has.

“It doesn’t have any legal standing,” Judge Brock responded. “We passed a resolution which basically is a letter stating that we support everything those folks do, which is we don’t want the federal government to come get our guns, but it will not stop them if they decide to do it.”

This move comes after other surrounding counties either passed or considered the resolutions to become “Second Amendment Sanctuary Counties”. The Bell County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement on the issue on their Facebook page. The statement reads:

“The Bell County Sheriff’s Office will not infringe on anyone’s constitutional right regarding the Second Amendment.”

According to www.gunrightswatch.com, as of Dec. 30, there were seven counties in Kentucky: Adair, Cumberland, Hancock, Harlan, Knott, Letcher and Lewis passed an ordinance or resolution, while others such as Marshall County that have discussed it in open meetings.

The Second Amendment Sanctuary Ordinances or Resolutions says that, if enacted, county officials cannot “knowingly and willingly participate in any way in the enforcement of any Unlawful Act, as defined herein, regarding personal firearms, firearm accessories or ammunition.”

Unlawful acts are defined as any federal or state regulation or law that “restricts an individual’s constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” or any regulation or law that bans, registers or limits the “lawful use of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition (other than fully automatic firearm which is made unlawful by Federal Law).”

Other items on the Fiscal Court agenda included the approval of paying bills and making necessary transfers, accepting the treasurer and sheriff’s statements and fees for last month.

The court also approved a resolution adopting and approving the execution of a Memorandum of Agreement between the Bell County Fiscal Court and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Transportation Cabinet, Department of Highways for in the amount of $582,000 for the resurfacing/patching of various county roads.

The approval of a Pay Resolution No. 7 in the amount of $92,909 for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Bell County Community Action Agency Project was also made.

The next meeting of the Pineville City Council will be held on Feb. 10 at 6 p.m. The next meeting of the Bell Fiscal Court will be held on Feb. 11 at 11 a.m.