Some citizens in Newaygo County are pushing to become a sanctuary county when it comes to the second amendment. It’s similar to a resolution being considered in Ionia County.
Ionia County tabled their discussion on their resolution to give the prosecutor and sheriff more time to look it over. Citizens in Newaygo County are hoping for a similar plan meant to protect people’s right to bear arms.
“To me, it seems like our 2nd amendment rights are being infringed upon by other groups wanting to take our rights away," Mike Hikade said.
That’s why Hikade volunteered to lead the group in Newaygo County interested in making it a sanctuary county for the 2nd amendment.
“It just seems that because of unfortunate incidences that have happened that all of a sudden the thing they want to do is take guns away from people," he said.
Hikade says his efforts started with a Change.org petition to gauge interest in the idea. Now he says he turned in a petition to the county board with more than 500 signatures in support.
He says the goal is to ensure the second amendment is upheld in Newaygo County should any gun control legislation be passed at the state or federal level.
"To me, this just reinforces that right,” Hikade said.
Wednesday morning, county commissioners listened to a member of the second amendment group’s presentation.
Newaygo County commissioner and board chairman Bryan Kolk told FOX 17, “I think what they’re asking us to do is to follow the constitution in how those laws are enforced should there be something that would be considered a non-constitutional law passed."
He added, "Now, the board of commissioners... it does not tell the sheriff or the prosecutor’s office how they run their office. So we can’t dictate to them how they would enforce this.”
Kolk says all the commissioners have already taken an oath to uphold the constitution.
“At this point, we’ll take a look at what he presented to us and if we decide we like what we see and if we’ve given this the right time then we’ll probably bring this forward," he said.
Hikade said, “The way I look at this too, to me I want to consider part of this piece to be education about why firearms are needed or why it’s necessary to do this.”
The board chairman says the next step is for a board member to take up the resolution to consider it for a adoption if a commissioner chooses to do so.
