Claridon Township Trustees voted unanimously May 3 to pass a revised resolution supporting their constituents’ right to bear arms.
Claridon Township Trustees voted unanimously May 3 to pass a revised resolution supporting their constituents’ right to bear arms.
The first draft of the resolution was presented by Trustee Jonathan Tiber at the April 19 trustees meeting.
Tiber said in a phone conversation before Monday’s meeting he revised his original effort on the advice of legal counsel so it didn’t overstep a township’s authority.
He was motivated to propose a resolution after being approached by several residents.
“They have a general lack of confidence in leadership to uphold their Second Amendment rights,” he said over the phone May 4. “It gives people a patriotic voice saying we support Second Amendment rights as they exist in the Constitution and the Ohio Constitution.”
Besides about 20 township residents gathered at Monday’s meeting, State Rep. Diane Grendell (R-Chester Township) attended to witness the signing of the resolution.
Grendell sponsored a similar bill in the House of Representatives supporting the Second Amendment to the Constitution
At Monday’s meeting, she said H.B. 62 acts as a shield against anything the federal government can do to take away the powers of the State of Ohio.
Her sponsor testimony in front of the House on April 21 read, in part:
“House Bill 62, the Second Amendment Safe Haven bill, in conjunction with the 10th Amendment and some favorable case law cited by LSC (Legal Services Corporation), provides a defensive shield against future overreaching federal efforts to take away constitutionally-protected Second Amendment gun ownership rights. While no guarantee, it is still better to have a shield then having no shield when it comes to protecting fundamental constitutional rights.
“The Second Amendment is not difficult to understand, it is unbelievable that this bill is even required. Our Bill of Rights expressly enumerates the first 10 Amendments that are the very basis to our individual freedoms in the United States. These inalienable rights have stood untouched for 244 years, ensuring our success as a nation ‘of the people, by the people and for the people’ in the years since its inception and hopefully for years to come.
“Our nation has changed much throughout these 244 years, but not on these individual guaranteed rights. The right to bear arms under the Second Amendment is one of those guaranteed rights.”
The Claridon Township resolution concluded, in part, as follows:
“The Claridon Township Board of Trustees hereby reaffirms its support for the United States Constitution and the Ohio Constitution, especially the Second Amendment of the United State Constitution and Article 1, Section 4 of the Ohio Constitution, and wishes to express its commitment to protecting the rights of Claridon Township residents.
“The Claridon Township Board of Trustees hereby acknowledges its support for H.B. 62, as introduced on Feb. 3, 2021.
“The Claridon Township Board of Trustees hereby finds and determines that all formal actions relative to the passage of this resolution were taken in an open meeting of this board, beginning with Claridon Township residents verbally petitioning the board of trustees on April 19, 2021, and that all deliberations of this board, if any, which resulted in formal action, were taken in meetings open to the public, in full compliance with applicable legal requirements, including Section 121.22 of the Ohio Revised Code.”
Tiber sent a copy of the revised resolution to Burton Village Council before its April 26 meeting.
During that meeting, council President Skip Boehnlein introduced the resolution, adjusted for the village.
During discussion before the vote, Mayor Ruth Spanos objected to the resolution.
“I don’t think it’s good for the village to get involved in this,” she said. “I would prefer that we don’t. It’s not something that will benefit the village in any way.”
Boehnlein said many village residents have permits to carry concealed weapons and the resolution and H.B. 62 will help protect their rights.
Spanos said she doesn’t see any threat to those residents and the president said the resolution is a proactive move.
The village resolution passed as an emergency measure with four votes in favor of it.
