DARLINGTON — On Feb. 23, Lafayette County became the 16th of Wisconsin’s 72 counties to adopt a Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution. 

Defined in the resolution, a Sanctuary County is “a county which resolves to resist infringements upon the inalienable, God given rights enumerated in the U.S. Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Wisconsin.”

The resolution was brought forth thanks to the group Liberty for Lafayette.

“It’s not a legally incorporated group,” spokesman Doug Weaver said to the council. “It’s just a moniker of a bunch of us friends that come together over the common issues we’re all concerned with to promote various causes for constitutional freedom, this being one of them tonight.”

While a few Liberty for Lafayette and other community members stood up to speak in favor of the resolution, there was also confusion and opposition surrounding it, with board member Kriss Marion expressing concern that the resolution “has no teeth” and acts as a statement rather than actual legal guidance.

“The goal of this was to send a message to the legislature that we do not want any restrictions on the Second Amendment,” Marion said. “If that’s really all this is, then I’d like to see it as a referendum.”

Marion said that a referendum would allow the entire county to offer their voice, rather than just those who knew about and attended Tuesday’s meeting.

County Chair Jack Sauer said instead that the board is meant to act as a representative group, thus giving residents a say through their vote for members.

“We are 16 members of a representative government,” Sauer said. “We all represent about 1,000 people and we’re here to make decisions based on what we think the people in our area would want.”

Marion, along with five other members of the board, voted against the resolution. It passed with nine votes in favor.

“I did not vote no because I don’t want to own guns,” Marion said. “I think we should have the right to own gun. That’s important to me too, but I think it’s such a controversial topic at such a controversial time. It shouldn’t have been rushed and it shouldn’t have been done in such an uncivil manner.”

At the meeting, board members could be heard talking over one another and audience members clapping, scoffing and laughing in reaction to comments made.

There was also confusion surrounding which version of the resolution was the most accurate and recent, as the removal of the word “property” from two paragraphs left some members with outdated versions of the resolution in front of them.

Other board members, including Chairman Sauer, were strong supporters of the resolution.

Sauer argued that a sweeping resolution is important in order to protect Lafayette County citizens from a tyrannical government or other threats.

“This is for tyrannical government safety, and it appears to me that we’re there,” Sauer said.

He also argued against the suggestion that such a resolution could put citizens at risk for additional gun violence.

“The weapon of choice committing murders in Lafayette County typically isn’t a gun,” Sauer said. “The only time it’s usually used is if you shoot yourself, and I guess, you know, that’s your own fault.”

In 2018, 19-year old Noah Garrett of Stoughton died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a Lafayette County gun range. 

Twelve years earlier, a 34-year-old rural Blanchardville man, Bradley Fandrich, fatally shot himself after shooting and killing two home intruders. 

Lafayette County Sheriff Reg Gill did not return comment by press time.