Resolution in Support of Making Utah a “2nd Amendment Sanctuary State”

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATIVE ACTION TO MAKE UTAH A “2ND AMENDMENT SANCTUARY STATE”

Submitted by Aaron Bullen
Adopted by State Central Committee, June 12, 2021

WHEREAS, The Utah State House of Representatives passed H.R. 902 “House Resolution Declaring Support For The Right To Keep And Bear Arms And Exploring Sanctuary State Status” on 5/19/2021 which affirms the right to keep and bear arms as a fundamental right protected by the Bill of Rights and the Utah State Constitution; declares support for exploring the possibility of declaring Utah a Second Amendment Sanctuary State; and encourages continued discussion of how to strengthen protections for the exercise of the right to keep and bear arms in the state, including the establishment of Utah as a “Second Amendment Sanctuary State.”

WHEREAS, The Utah State Senate Representatives passed S.R. 902 “Senate Resolution Declaring Support For The Right To Keep And Bear Arms And Exploring Sanctuary State Status” on 5/19/2021 which is identical to the House Resolution H.R. 902

WHEREAS, The aforementioned resolutions received unanimous support from all elected Republican members of the Utah State House of Representatives and the Utah Senate

WHEREAS, the Utah State Republican Party Platform states that “We support the individual constitutionally-protected right of the people to keep and bear arms for security and defense of self, family, others, property, or the state, as well as for other lawful purposes. We encourage personal responsibility for the care and use of these firearms”

WHEREAS, the Utah State Republican Party Platform supports the “principle that the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people” and states that “The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States defines Federal powers as those enumerated in the Constitution and reserves all other powers to the States and to the People. It remains the sacred responsibility of the States as creators of the Federal Government to keep the federal powers within the limits set by the Constitution. We resolve that…elected party members take any and all steps necessary to ensure that Federal powers exercised within the Great State of Utah not exceed those granted by the Constitution of the United States”

WHEREAS, 12 states thus far have passed laws to prevent overreaching federal firearms laws from being enforced in their jurisdictions

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Utah Republican Party fully supports HR 902 and SR 902, thanks the Utah House and Senate for passing these resolutions, and calls on the Republicans in the state legislature to pass legislation in the 2022 legislative session (or before) that prohibits state resources and funds from being used to enforce federal firearms statutes, orders, rules or regulations if the statute, order, rule, or regulation imposes a prohibition, restriction, or other regulation on firearms that does not exist under the laws of the state of Utah.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Utah Republican Party calls on Governor Cox to support and sign this legislation.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR DISTRIBUTION

• This resolution shall be made public via an official UTGOP press release and be published on the homepage of the Party’s website and social media accounts.
• Digital copies of this resolution shall be emailed from the GOP Chairman to members of the Utah GOP federal delegation and Utah GOP state-level elected officials–the governor and lieutenant governor, the speaker of the House, president of the Senate, the attorney general, the state auditor, and state treasurer.

Download PDF of Resolution

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