Gun law opponents target county

Members of an energized anti-gun law group want Ozaukee County to adopt a so-called Second Amendment sanctuary resolution similar to the one the Village of Fredonia unanimously approved last month opposing efforts to restrict gun ownership and urging authorities not to enforce such laws.

But what they got on Tuesday was a recommendation from Ozaukee County’s Executive Committee that the County Board approve a resolution essentially reaffirming the oath officials take to uphold the U.S. Constitution and the constitution of the State of Wisconsin.

The resolution did little to satisfy gun law opponents who vowed not to drop the issue, was criticized as redundant by some county supervisors and leaves unsettled whether the county will venture into the gun-rights fray.

“Be ready if you pass this resolution because the next one is going to focus on the Second Amendment, so be ready,” Kenneth Watry, a Town of Saukville resident who was among a group of gun law opponents at Tuesday’s meeting, told committee members. 

Supr. Josh Haas, who is also a Village of Fredonia trustee, said he and Supr. David Irish of Cedarburg wanted to introduce a resolution similar to the one approved by the Fredonia Village Board but were told by County Administrator Jason Dzwinel that, based on a review by Corporation Counsel Rhonda Gorden, they could not because the resolution does not comply with a new county policy. That policy limits items on County Board agendas to those over which supervisors have authority.

“In our legal review of the Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution, it’s not something that is going to pass legal muster at the County Board because the Second Amendment is a federal issue,” Dzwinel told the committee. “Under our new agenda items policy, the administrative recommendation would be that this is not something the county should legally do.”

Gorden said, “The county doesn’t have legal powers to pass laws related to gun rights. It falls outside the delegated powers of counties.”

The resolution approved in Fredonia was drafted by the Wisconsin Grandsons of Liberty, a group headquartered in Oak Creek that, according to its mission statement, believes “the United States is suffering from an excessive, overbearing, out-of-control government at all levels, intolerable taxation (without representation), asinine political correctness that stifles the public discourse and crushes personal excellence, and a disastrous decline into the nightmare of socialism that would physically sicken our founding fathers.”

The resolution was solicited by Fredonia Trustee Richard Abegglen, who said it targets laws that would require background checks on private gun sales, ban AR-15 and other assault-style firearms and raise taxes on ammunition and certain types of guns.

Saukville resident Cliff Cole told the Executive Committee that he believes gun rights are in peril.

“I’m here to tell you today there is no doubt in my mind that if they can take the president of the United States, the most powerful man in the world, and eliminate his communication vehicle to the people who elected him, they can eliminate your (ability) to buy guns,” he said, referring to the decision by social media platforms to ban then-president Donald Trump after a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in January while Congress was certifying the presidential election results.

During his comments, Cole alluded to a well-attended meeting of the Ozaukee County Second Amendment Sanctuary Project at the Landt-Thiel American Legion Post in Saukville on Saturday that featured former Milwaukee County Sheriff and gun law opponent David Clarke. 

“Just like Sheriff Clarke said the other day, people don’t have guns for just hunting and they don’t have guns for just going out and target shooting. They have guns to defend themselves, and the first thing every single dictator does when he wants to take total control is disarm the people,” Cole said.

Dzwinel described the resolution endorsed by the Executive Committee, which does not specifically reference the Second Amendment, as a compromise between the one favored by Haas and Irish and one that could be considered by the County Board.

The resolution, an adaptation of one approved by the Washington County Board that is to be considered by the Ozaukee County Board during its Tuesday, April 20 organizational meeting, states “that no agent, employee or official of Ozaukee County in his or her official capacity shall knowingly participate, whether by act or omission, in conduct that infringes upon any individual’s rights as expressed by the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Wisconsin.”

Supr. Rick Nelson of Port Washington, a member of the Executive Committee, said the resolution is not only redundant, noting elected officials take an oath to uphold both constitutions, but is misleading.

“I don’t think this is needed,” he said. “I almost think we’re saying that the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and the State of Wisconsin Constitution are not effectively protecting our rights, which I think they are.

“I’m a gun owner. I shoot every single week. I just don’t think this is necessary. In fact, I don’t see the purpose of this except to make it more confusing for everyone.”

Supr. Marty Wolf of the Town of Cedarburg, also a member of the committee, said, “I think this is better than nothing, as redundant as it may be.”

The committee debated tabling the resolution but, with Haas’ blessing, voted to refer it to the County Board. Nelson and Supr. Kathy Geracie of Cedarburg abstained. 

Haas said that given the political climate in Washington, D.C., it’s important to adopt a resolution supporting constitutional rights, even one that does not focus on the Second Amendment, and to do it quickly.

“I just don’t think we have time with what’s going on in D.C.,” he said. “I’m not real pleased with it and I know a lot of people aren’t real happy with it.”

Haas said he intends to introduce a gun-rights resolution as he and Irish had intended to do initially.

Although Gorden said she is confident in her opinion that such a resolution should not be considered by the board because supervisors do not have the authority to make gun laws, the County Board could disagree with her and vote on it. 

County Board  and Executive Committee Chairman Lee Schlenvogt said Haas is free to introduce a Second Amendment resolution.

“I’m a gun owner too, so you’re not going to get a fight out of me,” Schlenvogt said.