Washington Township declares Second Amendment sanctuary status

Apr. 1—PINE GROVE — The Washington Township Board of Supervisors have adopted a resolution declaring the township a Second Amendment sanctuary.

Township Manager Dawn Koch explained that unlike an ordinance, the resolution simply states the township's stance on any future restrictions or laws regarding firearms.

"An ordinance is local law and we don't have a police department to uphold that law," she said. "The resolution is simply stating the township's position."

The resolution adopted March 15 says the supervisors will not allocate taxpayer money in enforcing restrictions on gun laws.

"The Washington Township Board of Supervisors hereby expresses its intent that public funds of the township not to be used to restrict the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of Washington Township, Schuylkill County, or to aid federal or state agencies in the restriction of said rights," the resolution reads.

Koch said the matter was brought before the board after it became a topic at Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors meetings.

"I brought it up to the board and they agreed," she said.

As far as future federal or state restrictions dealing with firearms, Koch said the township stands by the rights given to people under the Second Amendment.

"This township will uphold the Constitution's gun laws," she said.

Although the township cannot legally fight changes to laws governing firearms, the resolution means the township may or may not agree with any changes in law affecting the Second Amendment.

The resolution was approved by supervisors Chairman Leon Lutz, Vice Chairman Wendell Gainer Jr. and Supervisor Lynn Brown.

"This is Washington Township's way of showing their stance on changes to the Constitution," Koch said.

The ordinance, citing the Second Amendment, reads "a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

"The Washington Township Board of Supervisors wishes to express opposition to any law that would unconstitutionally restrict the rights of the citizens of Washington Township, Schuylkill County, to keep and bear arms," the resolution states.

Koch said that neighboring Wayne Township passed a similar resolution on March 17. An attempt to reach Wayne Township supervisors Chairman Stanley Fidler for comment Wednesday was unsuccessful.

State police Sgt. Michael Sadusky, commander of the Schuylkill Haven station, said troopers and other state law enforcement officers are required to enforce gun laws currently in place.

"If there's a firearms violation, we will enforce it," he said.

Although the Washington Township supervisors have gone on record saying they do not agree with firearms restrictions, some governing bodies have gone as far as passing resolutions saying that they will refuse to enforce or dedicate resources funded by taxpayers to implement state gun safety measures.

Since 2018, more than 400 counties, cities and municipalities throughout the United States have passed resolutions declaring themselves as "Second Amendment Sanctuaries" with the numbers continuing to increase.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has been critical of Second Amendment sanctuaries, saying they are built "entirely upon a tightly held and inaccurate belief that common-sense gun safety laws are unconstitutional" and as a "clear backlash orchestrated by the gun lobby in response to recent wins in gun reform."

"Common-sense gun safety laws do not interfere with the rights of gun owners," according to the organization, named for President Ronald Reagan's press secretary, James Brady, who was injured by a gunman in his attempted assassination of Reagan in 1981. "But they do keep guns out of the hands of those who cannot or should not possess them."