Senate passes bill aimed at making Ky. ‘2nd Amendment sanctuary’

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) - Kentucky is one step closer to being a so-called “Second Amendment sanctuary state.”

Wednesday afternoon, the Senate passed House Bill 153 by a vote of 27 to nine.

It would prohibit Kentucky law enforcement officers from enforcing any federal ban or regulation on firearms enacted after January 2021.

“We see across the world nations who have restricted firearms from their citizens are essentially slaves to their government,” said Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield. “They do not have a way to defend themselves from terranical overreach, and that is one of the reasons the Second Amendment was put into our Constitution.”

Opponents say it is a slippery slope and puts police in a spot where they themselves are criminals by not enforcing federal laws.

“The oath of office that they take states ‘I do solemnly swear and affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the Commonwealth.’ That is an impossible situation where they can be charged for supporting the Constitution of the United States,” said Sen. Danny Carroll, R-Benton.

Tichenor presented the bill on the floor and said this comes down to blocking potential bans on legal ownership.

“I believe firmly that the people of Kentucky want their Second Amendment rights upheld, and I believe this bill should pass,” Tichenor said.

HB 153 passed the House with a vote of 78 to 19.

HB 153 is essentially a second try for lawmakers. In 2022, the bill passed through the House but never made it out of a Senate committee.

The bill now goes to Governor Beshear’s desk.

Copyright 2023 WKYT. All rights reserved.