Williams County Commissioners vote down second amendment resolution

WILLISTON, N.D. (KUMV) - Williams County is once again taking up a vote on whether they should become a gun sanctuary.

A group known as the Sons of Liberty have spent the past month requesting the Williams County Board of Commissioners to become a second amendment sanctuary. At the last meeting on August 16, it was a split decision. On Tuesday, all five commissioners were on hand to make a majority decision.

For the third straight meeting, commissioners were presented with the resolution. With Steve Kemp providing a tiebreaking vote, the motion to approve was defeated three votes to two. Kemp, who attended the meeting by phone, was not available for comment.

The resolution stated that if approved, the county would have opposed any laws that infringe upon the second amendment, as well as give the right to the Williams County Sheriff’s Department to arrest federal agents that violate the second amendment. Assistant State’s Attorney Karen Prout has questioned the document, saying it would be difficult to enforce. Sons president Jerol Gohrick said he was disappointed with the decision.

“There’s no reason not to pass that. [Prout] flat out lied to every one of us,” said Gohrick.

Following the meeting, Gohrick said that the sons will make another attempt at introducing the resolution in the future.

The Sons are also working with the county on another resolution. This one aims to reject the federal government’s 30 by 30 initiative, which aims to reserve at least 30 percent of America’s lands by 2030. Gohrick has called it a “Land Grab.”

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