BY JANITA KAN
North Dakota has been designated a “Second Amendment sanctuary state” after its governor signed a proclamation reiterating the state’s support for gun rights.
The proclamation signed by Gov. Doug Burgum on Monday declares the state’s intention to combat any attempts by the federal government to limit the ability of its residents to own or use firearms as protected by the Constitution. Calls to pass gun control measures escalated in recent weeks following deadly shootings at a supermarket in Colorado and a FedEx facility in Indiana.Read MoreNo Gun Control Problem, but Idiot Control Problem: Sen. Kennedy
President Joe Biden and Democrat lawmakers have announced plans to introduce measures seeking to control the sale and use of guns and firearm parts such as magazines across the country.
Biden in an announcement on April 8 declared shootings a “public health crisis.” He directed the Justice Department to issue a proposed rule aimed at curbing the spread of so-called ghost guns, or guns that are made from build-it-yourself kits.
The government will also in the next two months issue a proposed rule declaring that a pistol equipped with a stabilizing brace will be labeled a short-barreled rifle, and will publish model “red flag” legislation for states.
Other actions include investing in “community violence interventions” meant to curb the spike in murders and shootings across the county; issuing an annual report on firearms trafficking; and nominating David Chipman as the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Burgum said that the proclamation sends a message to the White House and Congress that North Dakota will “firmly resist” any attempts that they say would infringe on the right to keep and bear arms.
“Both the U.S. Constitution and North Dakota Constitution recognize our citizens’ inalienable right to keep and bear arms, and designating North Dakota as a Second Amendment Sanctuary State sends a strong message to Congress and the White House that we will firmly resist any attempts to infringe on those rights,” the governor said in a statement.
The White House did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment on the proclamation.
Along with the proclamation, Burgum said he had also signed into law several bills passed by the state legislature seeking to protect the rights of North Dakotans to possess and carry firearms. Some of the bills seek to expand constitutional carry and hunting rights in the state; make North Dakota a “Stand Your Ground” state; protect residents access to gun businesses; and provides local fire and EMS employers an option to have an armed responder for defensive purposes.
Burgum’s announcement comes on the same day Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed into law a bill that would render it a “Second Amendment sanctuary state.” Meanwhile, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts earlier this month signed a similar proclamation.
A proclamation is a public or official announcement by a senior government executive that seeks to raise awareness of an important issue or celebrate a milestone.
North Dakota’s action also comes on the same day the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up a major National Rifle Association (NRA)-backed lawsuit that challenges a New York law restricting individuals from carrying concealed handguns in public.