THOMASVILLE — Thomas County commissioners are looking into steps necessary to declare the county a Second Amendment Sanctuary.

Representing a group of Thomas County residents, Forrest McElreath told commissioners he is concerned that Georgia Senate Bill 281 puts restrictions on the U.S. Constitution Second Amendment.

McElreath later said 15 Georgia counties have been declared a Second Amendment Sanctuary.

Commissioner Ken Hickey thanked McElreath and his group for “bringing the matter to the forefront.”

“I would like to vote on it in a future meeting,” Hickey added.

On Thursday, state Sen. Dean Burke, R-Bainbridge, said the bill will not leave committee during the 2020 legislative session. 

“There’s not any appetite for Second Amendment legislation,” Burke said, pointing out the majority Republican, conservative Senate.

“I would leave sanctuary county designation decisions to our duly-elected local leaders,” Burke said.

In a Second Amendment Sanctuary, the county does not enforce federal or state laws laws that are unconstitutional, said McElreath, who carries a sidearm at all times.

The proposed legislation would ban semi-automatic weapons and limit the number of rounds to six in a magazine, McElreath said. An attack might very well be by several assailants, he said.

“It puts a person at a huge disadvantage to be limited to six,” he said. “You can’t legislate evil intent of a man’s heart.”

The legislation would limit a hunter to 10 rounds, and the same limitation would apply to a farmer attempting to protect, for instance, a watermelon crop from wild hogs, McElreath said.

“I think it’s time to be more proactive rather than reactive to these gun control laws,” he added. “I’m trying to wake people up to see what’s going on and to be proactive.”

County Commissioner Wiley Grady, who voiced support of the local group’s efforts, pointed out the shooting range being built by county government and how hunting boosts the local economy.

The Thomas County group has 1,100 supporters, primarily from Thomas County and some from Grady and Brooks counties, with Justin Howington as an early organizer. McElreath said that once Thomas County is declared a Second Amendment Sanctuary, the group will consider establishing the same status in Grady, Brooks and Colquitt counties.

Grady, a Second Amendment supporter, said the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) is the commission’s legislative lobbying group.

An ACCG spokesman said the organization does not keep track of Georgia Second Amendment Sanctuary counties.

Commission Chairman Phillip Brown said the $2 million in the shooting range shows the county supports the right to bear arms.

Bruce Warren, county attorney, will look into the sanctuary request.

District 173 state Rep. Darlene Taylor, R-Thomasville, is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment.

“I am a owner of firearms and am licensed to carry,” she said. “Second Amendment issues are very important to all Americans. Our founding fathers felt it was so important they identified it as the Second Amendment. This is a local issue for each community to decide. There also needs to be a clear definition of what the community means by sanctuary county.”

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820