The Fauquier County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Monday night to adopt a resolution designating the county as a “Constitutional County.”
Though different in name from the “Second Amendment Sanctuary” designations adopted by neighboring Virginia counties over the past few weeks, Fauquier’s resolution is effectively the same.
The county’s board voted 5-0 to adopt the resolution, which states that the county strongly opposes any laws that restrict the right to keep and bear arms.
It also makes clear that the county’s board condemns any threats from Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and other elected officials to withhold money from counties that have gone on record in support of the Second Amendment.
The resolution does not state that the county would block the enforcement of any gun laws taken up in 2020.
A wave of resolutions backing the Second Amendment have been passed by Virginia counties, including Prince William, Stafford, Spotsylvania and Culpeper counties, as Democrats prepare to take control of the General Assembly next month. Democratic party leaders in Virginia have signaled their intentions to take up gun control measures.
Fauquier’s resolution also calls on the state to provide more money for gun safety research and mental health services.
Neither a “Second Amendment Sanctuary” designation nor a “Constitutional County” holds legal weight, and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring has signaled these resolutions will have no effect on what laws the General Assembly passes and enforces in 2020.
