by Megan Schiffres
HEATHSVILLE—Bearing orange “Guns Save Lives” stickers proudly on their chests, over 150 members of the community filled the Northumberland courthouse last Thursday for a public hearing on a resolution to make the county a Second Amendment sanctuary.
The crowd filled every available space in the Circuit Court, with supporters of the resolution spilling out into the hallway to form a long line of local gun owners eager to say their piece.
Following the hearing, supervisors passed the resolution, 4-1, and declared the county a Second Amendment sanctuary. Northumberland has now joined a growing list of over 40 Virginia counties which have taken similar positions, in anticipation of the General Assembly’s legislative session in January when Gov. Ralph Northam plans to reintroduce eight pieces of gun control legislation.
Board members Ronnie Jett, Richard Haynie, Joe Self and Thomas Tomlin voted in favor of the resolution. Member Jim Long voted against, arguing that the resolution has no legal effect.
“This motion is not going to mean anything because…