Jessamine County Republicans censure Mitch McConnell for support of gun control bill

The Republican Party of Jessamine County censured Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky on Wednesday for his support of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act ― the most significant piece of gun legislation in three decades.

In its censure resolution, the Jessamine County Republican Party said the bill McConnell helped pass June 24 violates the Second, Fifth and 14th amendments of the U.S. Constitution. In a statement, county Republican Party spokesperson Bob Barney called on other Kentucky county Republican Parties to also vote to censure McConnell.

The resolution called on McConnell to resign as Senate Republican leader and said the Jessamine County Republican Party "shall cease any and all support of him."

"Senator Mitch McConnell was the only Republican member of Kentucky's congressional delegation to support this dangerous and unconstitutional gun control," the resolution said. "There is no excuse for any elected Republican to work with Democrats to undermine our constitutional rights."

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Asked for comment, McConnell spokesperson Robert Steurer referred The Courier Journal to a statement the senator published June 23 supporting the legislation right after Second Amendment rights the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on a gun rights lawsuit against the state of New York.

"The legislation that Sen. (John) Cornyn and our colleagues assembled protects the Second Amendment. There are no new bans, mandates or waiting periods for law-abiding citizens of any age," the statement said. "What the bill does contain are commonsense solutions that are overwhelmingly popular with lawful gun owners, such as adding juvenile criminal records and mental health issues into the background check system. It also provides significant new funding for mental health in schools."

McConnell's support of the bill was notable since he historically has opposed gun-control reforms. But the senator was one of 15 Republican senators — excluding fellow Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul — who joined all Senate Democrats in a 65-33 vote to approve the bill.

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, was put together by some senators from both parties after a gunman slaughtered 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, in May.

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In June, when McConnell explained why he backed the bill, he said that it was because the legislation did not violate Second Amendment rights as did other proposed bills in the past.

"Bipartisan talks had started up after horrifying mass murder incidents in the past, but collapsed when Senate Democrats insisted on attacking the Second Amendment," he said in a statement after the June 24 vote. "This time was different because Democrats finally moved our way and accepted the reality that Americans do not have to choose between their constitutional rights and safer communities."

But Barney disagreed, saying the bill violates the Second Amendment and that it gives the monetary means to support "red flag" laws that violate due process rights guaranteed in the Constitution.

Paul, who's up for reelection this year, voted no on the bill after citing concerns about financial support it would provide for state-level "red flag" laws, although he did suggest its required review of a young person's juvenile criminal records as part of their background check to buy a gun is "reasonable."

Among other things, the Senate bill would:

• Close the "boyfriend loophole" for gun purchases. This prevents people convicted of misdemeanor-level domestic violence against someone with whom they have or recently had a dating relationship from legally getting a gun. It does allow them to eventually regain legal permission to buy guns if they meet certain requirements;

• Provide grant money for states that enact 'red flag' laws, which permit the court-authorized removal of guns from someone who's found to be a danger to themselves or others, as long as those laws meet certain due process requirements. States that don't want to adopt such a law alternatively could use the funds for other crisis intervention efforts;

• Strengthen background check requirements for people under age 21 before they're cleared to buy a gun;

• Devote about $15 billion of federal money toward mental health and school security efforts in the U.S.

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Morgan Watkins contributed to this article. Reach Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez at abrinez@gannett.com; follow her on Twitter at @SoyAnaAlvarez

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Republican Party of Jessamine County call on Mitch McConnell to resign