Growing List Of Georgia Counties Declare Second Amendment Sanctuary Status

Editor’s Note: Since this article was written last week, many more Georgia counties have acted. See the map below for updated look.

There are now 11 counties here in Georgia—and counting—that have taken a very public stance in support of the Second Amendment and in defiance of gun-control efforts. It’s something that is happening across the country.

With unconstitutional gun-control measures, some that include bans on semi-automatics and gun confiscations, being proposed by most presidential candidates and by state governments like Virginia, local  counties are taking a proactive approach to protecting the rights of their residents.

The Habersham County Board of Commissioners began the movement in Georgia when it voted Jan. 13 to proclaim the county a Second Amendment Sanctuary. Habersham was the first Georgia county to vote itself as a Second Amendment Sanctuary, led by Commission Chairman Stacy Hall. 

The Habersham County resolution directs Sheriff Joey Terrell to not enforce against any citizen any unconstitutional firearms law.

The resolution reads in part: “No agent, employee or official of Habersham County, or any corporation providing services to Habersham County, shall provide material support or participate in any way with the implementation of federal acts, orders, rules, laws or regulations in violation of the Second Amendment to the United States of America.”

The following week, Stephens County followed with its own resolution declaring the county a Second Amendment Sanctuary. 

Now, other Georgia counties are quickly following with their own Second Amendment Sanctuary resolutions. 

Ironically, the term “sanctuary” draws its inspiration from the immigration sanctuary movement in cities and counties. That’s where local governments who favor protecting illegals over their own citizens resolved to not assist federal enforcement of immigration laws against illegal aliens. 

Bryan Kibler, the state’s attorney in Effingham County, Illinois, is credited with first applying the term sanctuary to the gun debate. 

“We’re just stealing the language that sanctuary cities use,” he told The Associated Press in 2018.

In Virginia, as gun-control efforts are pushed during the current legislative session, 91 of 95 counties have adopted Second Amendment sanctuary resolutions.