LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — A citizen petition to make Lanesborough a "sanctuary town" from any federal gun laws seen as violating the 2nd Amendment will come before voters in June, following approval of the warrant for town meeting by the Board of Selectmen last week.

 

The petition, submitted by resident Donald Dermyer, calls on Lanesborough to "designate Lanesborough, MA as a 'Designated Town' to keep the Federal government from enforcing any laws and regulations to limit the Second Amendment."

 

"All federal acts, laws, orders, rules, and regulations by the Federal Government and specifically Presidential Administration whether past, present, or future," Dermyer's petition reads in its primary summary, "which infringe on the peoples right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States and/or Article XX of the Constitution of the State of Massachusetts shall be invalid in the Town, shall not be recognized in the Town, and of no effect in this Town, specifically rejected by this Town, and shall be considered null and void and of no effect in this Town."

 

The petition lists five categories of circumstances it considers 2nd Amendment violations, including new taxes and fees on firearms, registration or tracking of firearms, tracking of firearms owners, confiscation of firearms or ammunition, and an open-ended clause that includes "any act past, present, or future" passed by Congress that is seen as infringing on the 2nd Amendment.

 

Dermyer is asking that the town disregard the enforcement of any such laws by local police, and furthermore stipulates that if passed, any federal law enforcement personnel attempting to enforce such laws would be subject to arrest by Lanesborough Police.

 

The petition has been signed by a total of 10 voters, the minimum number needed to place a petition on the town warrant for a vote under Lanesborough's voters. At a previous meeting, Selectmen clarified that their approval of the petition to go to town meeting does not represent an endorsement of its contents.

 

"The voters have the right to decide for themselves," Selectmen Michael Murphy stated.

 

The petition is one of 27 articles advanced on the warrant by Selectmen on Wednesday, to be put before Lanesborough voters on June 15, 2021. The town meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at Lanesborough Elementary School.

 

Voting for the town election will be held at Town Hall the following day, June 16, from noon to 8 p.m.