LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga. — The Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners discussed joining a growing number of Georgia counties in adopting a Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution during Tuesday’s work session. A vote is expected at the next regular meeting.

The movement to declare sanctuary counties started in Virginia when Gov. Ralph Northam introduced a package of gun-control legislation, including red flag laws, universal background checks and a limit of one gun purchase per month.

That movement quickly spread to Georgia where many counties have already adopted Second Amendment Sanctuary resolutions or are considering doing so. But passing any form of gun control would be a lot more difficult in Georgia with a Republican governor and a Republican-controlled Legislature.

Lumpkin County commissioners (Chairman Chris Dockery was absent due to an illness) expressed support for the Second Amendment Tuesday, but questioned whether the resolution was necessary of merely symbolic.

Sheriff Stacy Jarrard addressed the Board saying, ”I can tell you we have a Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office that is very pro-Second Amendment. We have a skeet shoot every year. I teach hunter safety and firearm safety. We open the gun range to the public. I hold a gun show yearly and a fundraiser. I don’t know how much more pro-gun rights I can actually be.”

Georgia has very specific laws to protect gun owners. “O.C.G.A. 38-3-37 states rules regarding the right to carry will not be changed by declaring a state of emergency,” Jarrard stated. “Any person from the government, including the National Guard, is prohibited from seizing any firearm or ammunition in the possession of a license holder. So what does it really do, becoming a sanctuary county? “If someone came to me and told me I would have to collect people’s firearms that would be the day I would resign. I could not fulfill that obligation and by not fulfilling that obligation, I could be arrested.”

Commissioner Bobby Mayfield proposed passing a “pro-Constitution county proclamation” rather than the Second Amendment resolution. “Fortunately, we live in a state where our Second Amendment rights are not at risk,” he said. “Many of our other rights are being challenged as well – freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to assemble, freedom of life. If we are going to do something, I suggest doing something similar to what our friends in Floyd and Hart counties have done and that is to pass a pro-Constitution proclamation. That really makes a statement about our commitment to uphold our Second Amendment rights but also the rest of the Constitution and its amendments.”

During the public comment period, two speakers rose in support of the resolution. Zane Doles said, “This is about being proactive and getting ahead of the rash of bills that will be introduced. Let’s make it clear that the representatives of Lumpkin County stand with the citizens, side-by-side in their intent to make Lumpkin County a Second Amendment Sanctuary county.”

Other issues discussed during the work session that will be voted on during the regular meeting include the following:

RESOLUTIONS

Veteran’s Affairs Advisory Committee name change request

Reappoint members to Development Authority

Reappoint Member to Public Building Authority

Reappoint Members to Hospital Authority

Identity Theft Prevention Program Update (Finance Director Abby Branan)

2020 – 09 – Georgia Fund 1 – General Fund Account (Finance Director Abby Branan)

2020 – 10 – Georgia Fund 1 – 2020 SPLOST Account (Finance Director Abby Branan)

2020 – 11 – Georgia Fund 1 – 2019 TSPLOST Account (Finance Director Abby Branan) •

CONTRACTS/AGREEMENTS

GMRC Addendum to the CDBG Senior Center Expansion Project Contract (Finance Director Abby Branan)

GMRC Regional Pay Study Agreement (Community and Employee Services Director Alicia Davis)

GEMA Statewide Mutual Aid and Assistance Agreement (EMA Director David Wimpy)

LMIG Road Resurfacing Contract Award (Public Works Director Larry Reiter)

TSPLOST Road Resurfacing Contract Award (Public Works Director Larry Reiter)

UGA Cooperative Extension and Lumpkin County MOU (Special Projects Director Allison Martin)

Community Center Gymnasium Goal Lift System Bid Award (Special Projects Director Allison Martin)

Ratify Contract for Land Purchase (Special Projects Director Allison Martin)

Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Contract Extension – North GA Consulting Group LLC (EMS Director David Wimpy)

OTHER ITEMS

2020 SPLOST Work Plan (Special Projects Director Allison Martin)

2020 SPLOST Work Plan (Special Projects Director Allison Martin)

Road Maintenance & Improvement Tax 2020 Work Plan (Special Projects Director Allison Martin)

TSPLOST Bond (Trey Monroe)

Abandonment of George Avery Road (Public Works Director Larry Reiter)