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A proclamation declaring Washington County as a Second Amendment Sanctuary County was approved by the Washington County Commissioners on Monday morning.

Washington County Sheriff Scott Owen said the passage of the proclamation gives the citizens some reassurance that Washington County is not going to take any measures to seize their firearms. He said the citizens can rest comfortably knowing that the Second Amendment will be upheld in the County.

Sheriff Owen said he does not take items like this lightly as he has some reservations a lot of times when it comes to things of this nature. He said he wants to be sure that they're doing the best job they can for the most people. The Second Amendment, and the Oklahoma and United States Constitutions are strongly supported by Sheriff Owen.

Proclaiming Washington County as a Second Amendment Sanctuary County was not something Sheriff Owen was prone to doing earlier because of prior legislation that has since passed. Sheriff Owen said there is some new legislation in Senate Bill 631 that would make the State of Oklahoma a Second Amendment Sanctuary. He said he supports the measure that is making its way through the State legislature.

Mike Bouvier, the Chairman of the Washington County Board of Commissioners, also spoke on the proclamation on making Washington County a Second Amendment Sanctuary County. Commissioner Bouvier said the citizens of Washington County can feel free to have their freedoms and their rights as citizens of the United States and of Oklahoma.

Commissioner Bouvier further stated that the citizens of Washington County should feel as if they have the right to protect their property, themselves, their livelihoods and their families. He said he is proud to be an American and an Oklahoman.

The approved proclamation states that the Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme law of the nation and that the Second Amendment to the Constitution guarantees individuals have the right to keep and bear arms in a manner that shall not be infringed. It further states that Article 2, Section 26 of the Oklahoma Constitution says, "The right of a citizen to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person, or property, or in aid of the civil power, when thereunto legally summoned, shall never be prohibited; but nothing herein contained shall prevent the Legislature from regulating the carrying of weapons."

Further, the proclamation claims that the Washington County Sheriff and the Board of Washington County Commissioners wish to express their intent to stand as a Sanctuary County for Second Amendment rights; to oppose, within the limits of the Constitution of the United States and the State of Oklahoma, any efforts to unconstitutionally restrict such rights; and to use such legal means at their disposal to protect the right of the citizens to keep and bear arms.

Thanks to the passage of the proclamation by the Washington County Commissioners, Washington County is hereby declared to be a "Second Amendment Sanctuary County." The proclamation states that the Board affirms its support of the Washington County Sheriff in the exercise of his sound discretion of not enforcing against any citizen an unconstitutional firearms law. It also states that the Washington County Government will not authorize or appropriate government funds, resources, employees, agencies, contractors, building, or offices for the purpose of enforcing or assisting in the enforcement of any element of such acts, laws, order, mandates, rules or regulations that infringe upon the right of the people to keep and bear arms as described in the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.

To read the full proclamation for yourself, click here.