Blair seeks more input on gun rights agreement

‘Other counties are watching to see what happens here’

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Blair County commissioners are expected to keep gathering input for a proposed gun-rights preservation agreement to address the referendums voters approved in November.

Commissioner Bruce Erb said Thursday that he wants to garner input from the solicitor of the state county commissioners association.

"This is something that could be not just a one-county issue but a 67-counties issue, because other counties are watching to see what happens here," Erb said.

In November, Blair County voters -- countywide and in 24 municipalities -- approved referendums requiring local governing bodies to enter into an agreement forbidding use of taxpayer resources for efforts infringing on Second Amendment rights.

Commissioner Laura Burke suggested Thursday that the draft agreement prepared by the solicitors of local governing bodies, using language from the referendums on the November ballot, may be sufficient to consider for adoption.

As proposed, the draft states: "No taxpayer resources of the municipalities, whether jointly or severally, shall be used to enforce any legislation passed after Nov. 2, 2021, that would infringe upon an eligible citizen's right to bear arms."

Commissioner Amy Webster said the draft doesn't address "who tries to enforce this if there's a violation" nor does it include penalties for violations. She also questioned if and how that could be addressed.

"I don't know if we can remedy those things or not," Webster said.

Erb asked Burke and Webster, who are attorneys, if enforcement would rest within current state laws.

"That's my understanding," Burke said.

When commissioners met Tuesday, they issued an appeal for more public comment on the proposed agreement and encouraged those interested to file public comment not only with the county but also with their municipal governmental leaders.

At Thursday's meetings, nine people submitted written remarks, suggestions and questions through the county's publiccomment@blairco.org address. But as Erb pointed out, the submissions didn't address enforcement or penalties.

"No one shared anything on that yet," the commissioner said.

Four of the nine people who submitted comments to the county repeated the wording that Blair County Second Amendment Coalition President Bonita Shreve read during Tuesday's commissioners meeting.

In addition to repeating the ballot referendum, Shreve's added language to preserve the referendum from future challenges.

Burke told fellow commissioners Thursday that the language about future referendums wouldn't hold up because that's not how the law works.

"I don't believe that's something we can do," Burke said. "Even if we could put it into the agreement, it wouldn't be enforceable."

Shreve, who talked to Burke after the meeting, said she understood that the language about future referendums won't work.

Shreve also reiterated her desire, during the meeting and afterward, to be part of a task force or a committee that works on an agreement preserving Second Amendment rights as a majority of the county's voters desire.

"We do need more things in this agreement," Shreve said. "If we think there's a violation, we need to know who to report it to, who to file a complaint with and who's going to investigate."

At the commissioners' Jan. 11 meeting, county residents recommended creation of a task force or committee. At Tuesday's commissioners' meeting, it was pointed out that the county has no greater role than any other governing body in creating the proposed agreement.

Shreve said a task force could include people with knowledge about how to enforce the agreement if it's violated.

"I want to be part of it to ensure that the good citizens of Blair County are represented," she said.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.