This week, Delaware County is likely to join a growing contingent of upstate New York counties declaring opposition to the SAFE Act, New York State's new gun control law.
Among a slate of resolutions to be taken up at the Delaware County Board of Supervisors' next meeting on Wednesday, February 27 is a four-page declaration of opposition to the SAFE Act. The resolution was brought forward by Tom Axtell, the Republican supervisor of Deposit.
Board chairman Jim Eisel, the Republican supervisor of Harpersfield, told the Watershed Post recently that he believes the resolution will pass.
"[Gov. Andrew] Cuomo did it in the dead of night and got it through. I think it's an abuse of power, and it certainly isn't democracy," he said. "I don't think we can change it, but we are going to oppose it."
Delaware County Sheriff Tom Mills has also been publicly critical of the SAFE Act. In an open letter to Delaware County citizens issued on January 31, Mills implies that he believes the new law is unconstitutional:
All this talk about relieving some people of their weapons escalated into hysteria which started a rumor that anyone (except those having illegal, unregistered weapons) could be relieved of his/her weapon. Thus was borne the fear that our second amendment rights were being violated and people imagined knocks on their doors and the confiscations of their firearms.
At this point, I received many pointed inquiries: Was I going to uphold the Constitution which I was sworn to do or go along with the hastily devised NY SAFE act? I told all who asked that I intended to defend the Constitution of the United States and protect and serve the citizens of Delaware County. Whenever there is a conflict in orders, the Constitution takes precedence as far as I am concerned.
The Board of Supervisors' resolution cites opposition by the Delaware County Sheriff's Office among a laundry list of reasons why the county should oppose the new law:
WHEREAS, Delaware County Sheriff Thomas E. Mills has said that he "fully understands his constitutional obligations and the concerns of his citizens" and further states "under this new legislation, if called upon to go door to door to confiscate newly classified assault weapons, will not do so"; and
WHEREAS, Delaware County Sheriff Thomas E. Mills along with Undersheriff Craig DuMond are asking for the Delaware County Board of Supervisors to support them as well as the NYS Sheriffs' Association in opposition to Governor Cuomo's NY SAFE Act...
So far, the Associated Press reports, 22 of New York State's 62 counties have passed resolutions opposing the SAFE Act. Among them, in the Catskills region, are Schoharie, Greene and Ulster County.
Resolutions like this one, in which a county or town weighs in on a matter of state or federal law, have no legal force. Their purpose is to send a message to other elected officials about where a local government stands on an issue.
Below: The full text of Delaware County's proposed resolution.
Delaware County Anti-SAFE Act Resolution by Watershed Post
