Illinois counties declare 'sanctuary' status for gun owners

The Chicago Tribune ^ | May 7, 2018 | Don Babwin

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Several rural Illinois counties have taken a stand for gun rights by co-opting a word that conservatives associate with a liberal policy to skirt the law: sanctuary.

At least five counties recently passed resolutions declaring themselves sanctuary counties for gun owners — a reference to so-called sanctuary cities such as Chicago that don't cooperate with aspects of federal immigration enforcement.

The resolutions are meant to put the Democratic-controlled Legislature on notice that if it passes a host of gun bills, including new age restrictions for certain weapons, a bump stock ban and size limit for gun magazines, the counties might bar their employees from enforcing the new laws.

"It's a buzzword, a word that really gets attention. With all these sanctuary cities, we just decided to turn it around to protect our Second Amendment rights," said David Campbell, vice chairman of the Effingham County Board. He said at least 20 Illinois counties and local officials in Oregon and Washington have asked for copies of Effingham County's resolution.

County officials fear their state legislators won't be able to stop the passage of the gun restrictions because they are outnumbered by lawmakers from in and around Chicago, where the vast majority of the more than 650 homicides last year involved guns.

Co-opting the sanctuary title is also a way of drawing attention to the rural-urban political divide that was so stark in the last general election, when "downstate" areas of Illinois backed Donald Trump, who remains popular with those voters, while the Chicago backed Hillary Clinton, who grew up in the suburbs.

"We're just stealing the language that sanctuary cities use," explained the Effingham County's top prosecutor, Bryan Kibler, who came up with the idea.

[sergeantdave]

What happens when 1,000 counties decide it’s okay for residents to own full-auto weapons? The federal, fascist criminals occupying DC don’t have the manpower to stop that.

And you FR surrender monkeys who believe that the federal government is made up of 10-foot-tall Rambos, spare me your comicbook fantasies.

[PROCON]

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[rwa265]

Are you familiar with the Piasa Bird in Alton, IL?

[skimbell]

"Too bad it is controlled by the Chicago area."

Politically.

Culturally and socially downstate Illinois is pretty much the other side of the coin. There are areas in the far south of Illinois that make it impossible to believe that they and Chicago come from the same planet, let alone state.

Illinois is making good progress in a lot of areas but it's damn near impossible to get away from Chitcago's influence on some of the stuff, although it does seem to be less pervasive in 2A matters since the CCW battle.

I think we're going to win eventually.

[skimbell]

Not a lot of info on the whole thing but one of the other counties is Iroquois County in east central Illinois.

[tbw2]

Libs may learn that cities supporting school prayer or are anti-abortion could also become ‘sanctuaries’
http://jewishworldreview.com/0617/codevilla061917.php3

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I’m looking for the other 3 counties - no luck so far. BUT the Good News is that 20 other IL counties have requested copies of the ‘proclamation’ or whatever from the county that started this! :)

Wisconsin has 72 counties; I could see about 3/4 of them going for this, too.

If the Libs want to rule the coasts, that’s just fine. But stay OUT of the Heartland! We are more than happy without you. :)

[Joe Brower]

We certainly live in interesting times.