On Tuesday, the commonwealth of Kentucky enacted a law that will exempt the state from certain anti-gun rules coming down from the federal government, making the state a sort of “Second Amendment sanctuary.”
House Bill 153 was enacted by Secretary of State Michael Adams who noted on Tuesday that he received the bill and certified it without the signature of Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear, who refused to sign the bill, but who could not stop the bill from becoming law due to the wide-spread support in the legislature, according to LinknKY.
The bill effectively bans federal agencies from implementing gun control measures in Kentucky that were put into effect after Jan. 1, 2021.
But the bill goes one step farther by also preventing people who violate federal gun rules from being taken to court for civil liabilities.
“In short, what it does is it prohibits local law enforcement from using tax dollars to implement a federal firearms and ammunition ban,” said State Representative Josh Bray, the chief sponsor of the bill. Bray noted that the ATF’s recent ban on pistol braces is a perfect example.
“It’s a firearm accessory that might help somebody with a disability shoot a pistol if they don’t have a lot of hand stability,” Bray noted. But on Jan. 31, the ATF banned them.
“What the ATF has decided is that you can either register your firearm, or you can destroy it, or … it’s a felony,” Bray explained. “…I know a bunch of people have contacted me about this, and you know, I think it’s important that we can give Kentuckians peace of mind that the sheriff’s department or the city police isn’t just going to roll up and start enforcing this.”
Rep. Savannah Maddox (R-Dry Ridge) praised the enactment of the bill.
“HB 153 is a step in the right direction as it makes clear that Kentucky’s law enforcement officers shall not violate their oath to uphold the Constitution by enforcing unconstitutional gun control initiated the federal level,” Maddox said. “However, there is more work that needs to be done by our Republican Supermajority to protect the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms.”
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