Livingston Parish now a ‘Second Amendment Sanctuary’ after council passes resolution

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Members of the Livingston Parish Council unanimously passed a resolution Thursday night, February 23, showing their unwavering support for the Second Amendment.

The resolution by Councilman Jeff Ard states, “Resolution supporting the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution and declaring Livingston Parish as a Second Amendment Sanctuary Parish.”

“Basically all I’m trying to do is create another layer of protection for the citizens of Livingston Parish’s Second Amendment rights,” said Councilman Ard, District 1. “So if federal government and state somehow changes their Second Amendment rights, they got to fight us at the local level too.”

Back in 2021, the Pointe Coupee Parish Council passed an ordinance making it a ‘sanctuary parish’ for the Second Amendment as well. Organizers got the idea from other cities across the state and country.

“We had other parishes that were doing it, I had a constituent that reached out to me about it. He actually brought me St. Mary’s and Pointe Coupee’s, and me and him just sat down and went through it. And I really liked it, and told him I would take care of it,” said Ard.

Because this is only a resolution, it is largely a ceremonial action. It would not trump any laws out there, now or in the future.

However, it will go into effect immediately.

Here is the part of the resolution and what it aims to accomplish:

1. The Livingston Parish Council hereby declares that public funds of the Parish shall not be used to unlawfully restrict the individual rights of the citizens of Livingston Parish to keep and bear arms as recognized in the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Louisiana, nor shall public funds of the Parish aid in the unlawful restriction of those same individual rights.

2. The Livingston Parish Council will not appropriate funds or allow the resources, employees, agencies, contractors, buildings, detention centers or offices under its authority and control to be used for the purpose of enforcing or assisting in the enforcement of any element of such acts, laws, orders, mandates, rules or regulations that infringe on the right of the people to keep and bear arms as described in detail above.

3. In the event an ATF, federal or state statute or law is passed that is of questionable constitutionality, any member of the Livingston Parish Council may call for a vote of the Council to determine not whether the law is constitutionally valid, as this is beyond the scope or authority of the Council, but whether or not funds will be expended pursuant to the enforcement of said law, or prevented from being expended pursuant to this resolution. All funding will cease unless and until a vote of the Council finds it valid. This meeting would only be called to determine if a law is worth expending resources. This law must hold text history and tradition that predates 1791 to be considered a lawful Second Amendment measure in accordance with the ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States made in NYSRPA v BRUEN.

4. Exceptions: This resolution does not permit or otherwise allow the possession of firearms in federal buildings, schools or where otherwise prescribed by law.

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