CLARK CO. Ill., (WTWO/WAWV) — According to a post from Clark County’s Sheriff William D. Brown, the recently passed Protect Illinois Communities Act will not be upheld or enforced by Clay County law enforcement.
Posted on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 8 a.m., the post details Sheriff Brown’s personal views of the Act, also known as HB 5471, and its impact on the U.S. Constitution, specifically citing the 2nd Amendment. As Brown feels the bill is “a clear violation” of the Constitution, neither himself “nor his office will be checking to ensure that lawful gun owners register their weapons with the State.”
Along with other local law enforcement agencies, the newly passed bill continues to receive pushback from authorities. A number of other county sheriffs in Illinois have released similar sentiments. Below is a map showing what county sheriffs we’ve seen weigh in on the topic.
Sheriff Brown’s full post reads:
As your Sheriff, I wanted to give citizens of Clark County an update on the recent passage of HB 5471, also known as the Protect Illinois Communities Act.
As your duly elected Sheriff my job and my office are sworn, in fact, to protect the citizens of Clark County, This is a job and responsibility that I take with the utmost seriousness.
Part of my duties that I accepted upon being sworn into office was to protect the rights provided to all of us, in the Constitution. One of those enumerated rights is the right of the people to keep and bear arms provided under the 2nd amendment.
The right to keep and bear arms for defense of life, liberty and property is regarded as an inalienable right by the people.
I, among many others, believe that HB 5471 is a clear violation of the 2nd Amendment to the US Consitution.
Therefore, as the custodian of the jail and chief law enforcement official for Clark County, that neither myself nor my office will be checking to ensure that lawful gun owners register their weapons with the State nor will be arresting or housing law abiding individuals that have been arrested solely with non-compliance of this Act.
Sheriff William D. Brown
Sheriff Brown’s full statement can also be read on the Clark County Sheriff’s Facebook page.
