CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Commissioners in Clay County voted on Tuesday night in favor of a resolution to make the area a Second Amendment sanctuary, however, the language “sanctuary county” was removed from the proposal.
The vote was 4-1 in favor of the resolution, which allows Clay County not to enforce gun control laws that may be changed by another legislative body.
“Sanctuary county -- we removed that today. It’s got a bad connotation. It’s not really what we’re looking for,” said Commissioner Gayward Hendry. “We’re not a sanctuary for anything except God, country, and honest citizens.”
Hendry said the resolution protects Clay County citizens’ Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, no matter how expansive gun control laws could eventually become.
For or against the motion, News4Jax watched as nearly two dozen people spoke their minds on the matter.
“Nobody wants to take anyone’s guns away,” said Larry Brown, a Navy veteran who lives in Orange Park. “We want sensible gun laws that are going to help protect the people, not something that’s going to help divide them.”
“To say this resolution is a danger or deterrent to Clay County is ridiculous,” said James Willard, a Jacksonville resident.
Clay County joins four other Florida counties in becoming a Second Amendment sanctuary, including Lake, Marion, Suwanee and Bradford counties.