One of our most shared stories of 2019 touched on subject at the heart of national debates that has been long been a source of division between political parties.
In April, members of the Burrillville Town Council voted unanimously to declare the town a “2nd Amendment Sanctuary,” a move they said came in reaction to proposed gun control legislation at the state level.
The resolution, sponsored by Councilor Donald Fox, drew strong reactions both locally and statewide. It declared that the board would not appropriate funds for space to store weapons seized pursuant to legislation passed by the General Assembly, or for “enforcing any other law that unconstitutionally infringes upon the right of the People of the Town of Burrillville to keep and bear arms.”
The action, although largely symbolic, was condemned by Gov. Gina Raimondo and the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence. Burrillville Police Colonel Stephen Lynch, meanwhile, noted that it would have no affect on how his department enforces the law.
At a meeting in May, dozens of residents praised and condemned the action.
Other municipalities in Rhode Island followed Burrillville’s lead, taking up sanctuary resolutions through July, when West Warwick became the 10th town in the state to officially declare its support for the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The topic of gun sanctuary towns has continued to spark debate, and gain traction as a national movement through the end of 2019. More than 100 counties in Virginia recently passed similar resolutions, and the issue of gun control is expected to be a contentious focus for legislators in Congress in the upcoming session.
NRI NOW will continue to count down the top stories of 2019, calculated primarily by traffic to the website, through the end of the week.
