A quarter of the counties in Illinois have declared ‘gun sanctuaries’

A growing phenomenon in the Land of Lincoln this year is the adoption of resolutions to protect local gun rights in the face of pending new state regulations.

Last week the Mercer County Board unanimously approved a measure to make the county the 30th gun sanctuary county in Illinois, The Dispatch-Argus reported. “We’re telling the state they cannot pass laws that impinge on our Second Amendment rights,” said Mercer County Board member Brian Anseeuw, R-New Windsor.

Described as largely symbolic, counties and cities across the state have moved since March to declare their local region a “sanctuary” for gun owners, starting with the Iroquois County Board. This came as a grassroots backlash against a package of gun control bills ranging from restricting those under age 21 from purchasing guns to bans on bump stocks and various licensing schemes for gun dealers that have seen success in the state legislature.

In addition, two other counties, Madison and Williamson, reportedly have plans to put the gun sanctuary question to voters in November. With almost a third of the state’s 102 counties doubling down on their support of gun rights, Second Amendment groups are encouraged.

“I love this kind of pro-gun rights pushback,” Alan Gottlieb, with the Second Amendment Foundation, told Guns.com. “It sends a message that the right to keep and bear arms must be protected not attacked.”

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