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Charlotte Talks: More NC Counties Are Becoming 'Second Amendment Sanctuaries.' What Does That Mean?

Flickr/Mitch Barrie https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020

Second Amendment Sanctuaries. Local governments have begun to pass resolutions promising not to pass laws they believe might violate the right to bear arms. It’s happening here and we examine the impact.

Around the country, municipalities are jumping feet-first into the gun debate. Even as some citizens are calling for tougher gun laws and background checks, these local governments are declaring themselves 'Second Amendment Sanctuaries.'

They are passing resolutions declaring they will not enact or enforce laws they believe violate the Second Amendment right to bear arms. In North Carolina, Cabarrus, Cleveland, Catawba, Lincoln and Union counties have passed these resolutions. Gaston County is expected to do the same this week.

What does it mean to be a Second Amendment Sanctuary? Is this just symbolic? Just politics? We take a closer look.

Guests

Chad Brown, Republican Gaston County Commissioner. He is one of three commissioners co-sponsoring a 'Second Amendment Sanctuary' resolution in Gaston County.

Rep. Christy Clark, Democratic Representative North Carolina House District 98. She’s a former leader of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America which advocates for stricter gun laws.

Darrell Miller, Melvin G. Shimm Professor of Law at Duke University. He is a constitutional scholar who specializes in the Second Amendment. He is Co-director of the Duke Center for Firearms Law.

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Erin Keever is Senior Producer of WFAE's Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins. She has been with the show since joining the station in 2006. She's a native Charlottean.