County commissioners declare Wood second amendment sanctuary county

By Larry Tucker
editor@wood.cm
Posted 11/21/19

A packed courtroom of citizens was on hand as Wood County became the 13th of 254 Texas counties to approve a resolution declaring the county as a second amendment sanctuary county.

Wood County …

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County commissioners declare Wood second amendment sanctuary county

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A packed courtroom of citizens was on hand as Wood County became the 13th of 254 Texas counties to approve a resolution declaring the county as a second amendment sanctuary county.

Wood County Sheriff Tom Castloo encouraged commissioners to approve the resolution.

“I come before you this morning in support of all the Bill of Rights, but especially I came this morning to talk about the second amendment. Now we have got people screaming with these shootings that have happened throughout the country that something has got to be done,” Castloo said. “Something does need to be done. Morality needs to be taught again. What we actually need is for people to support what our founding fathers, the smartest group of people ever to assemble, to insure these rights are not trampled on. We want to make sure there are not these knee-jerk reactions taking place that’s going to take away guns or take away guns from people without due process. We intend to uphold the Constitution and you are not going to utilize us as a county to enforce unrealistic and illegal laws.”

During the public forum at the beginning of the meeting, Stephanie McCormick of Winnsboro asked the commissioners to table the second amendment matter until citizens have become more informed and educated about the resolution. Terry Horn of Quitman and Chana Gail Willis spoke in favor of the resolution and encouraged commissioners to adopt the resolution.

The resolution did state the commissioners “will not authorize or appropriate government funds, resources, employees, agencies, contractors, buildings, detention centers or offices for the purpose of enforcing laws that unconstitutionally infringe on the rights of the citizens of Wood County to keep and bear arms.”

Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of the resolution.

In another matter, commissioners voted unanimously to abandon and vacate Wood County Road 1125.

Sabine River Authority Division Manager Bill Kirby sought the action.

“Wood County Road 1125 runs between FM 288 and our heavy equipment shop and the dam by the Quitman water treatment plant. Sabine River Authority is the only one on either side of the road. We are the only ones tearing it up so it seems only right that we should be the ones fixing it,” Kirby said. “If we could relieve the county of this burden it would benefit us in being able to improve our security because we have had thefts in the past in our heavy equipment shop. We could remove that heavy equipment shop from easy eyesight.”

Commissioners also approved for a like-kind trade in for four new vehicles for the sheriff’s department.