WHEREAS, the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners (“Board”) swore an oath to uphold

the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Michigan, which protect the natural,

God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Constitutions guarantee

freedom of religion, speech, and assembly, the right to bear arms, due process of law, as

well as provide other protections; and

WHEREAS, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, as part of the Bill of

Rights, instructs that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,

or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the

press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for

a redress of grievances”; and

WHEREAS, the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the right to

keep and bear arms, affirming that “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the

security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be

infringed”; and

WHEREAS, the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that “No

person shall ... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law,” and

Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that

“...nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process

of law”; and

WHEREAS, “The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment protects certain

fundamental parental rights, including the right of parents to make decisions concerning

the care, custody, and control of their children, to direct the upbringing and education of

their children, the right to make medical decisions on behalf of their children, and, in

conjunction with the First Amendment, to guide the religious future and education of their

children”; and

WHEREAS, the people of Ottawa County overwhelmingly spoke with their vote to restore

and protect the constitutional rights of the people as a first priority of the Ottawa County

Board of Commissioners, as reflected in the county’s new vision statement of “Where Freedom Rings”;

and

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board declares Ottawa County, Michigan to be a

“Constitutional County” and resolves to protect the individual freedoms of the people of

Ottawa County, as outlined in the Constitutions of the United States and the State of

Michigan, to include freedom of speech, religion, and assembly, the right to keep and bear

arms, and the right to due process; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board will not authorize or appropriate funds,

resources, employees, agencies, contractors, buildings, or offices for the purpose of

enforcing any statute, law, rule, order or regulation that restricts the rights of any law-

abiding citizen affirmed by the United States Constitution, nor be used to aid any state or

federal agency in infringing or restricting such rights; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board affirms its support for the Ottawa County

Sheriff and the Ottawa County Prosecuting Attorney acting in a constitutional manner and

acknowledges and respects their respective oaths of office. The Board strongly encourages

them to continuously act in a constitutional manner, as is consistent with their oath of

office, and, in the exercise of their duties, not enforce any statute, law, rule, order, or

regulation that is contrary to the rights protected by the Constitutions of the United States

and the State of Michigan; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board respectfully requests that the Michigan

Legislature, the United States Congress, and other agencies of the State and Federal

government vigilantly preserve and protect these rights by rejecting the passage of or

revoking any provision, statute, law, rule, order or regulation that may infringe, have

potential to infringe, or place any additional burdens on the rights of law-abiding citizens;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this Resolution shall be sent to Michigan

Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Senators Mark Huizenga, Roger Victory, and Rick

Outman, Michigan Representatives Nancy DeBoer, Luke Meerman, Brad Slagh, Rachelle

Smit, and Greg VanWoerkom, U.S. Congressional Representatives Bill Huizenga, Hillary

Scholten, and John Moolenaar, U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, Ottawa

County Sheriff Steve Kempker, and Ottawa County Prosecuting Attorney Lee Fisher; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, a copy of this Resolution shall be sent to all Ottawa County

department directors, to the Clerk of each county in the State of Michigan, the Michigan

Senate, the Michigan House of Representatives, and the Michigan Association of Counties;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, a copy of this resolution shall be affixed to the wall of the

board room of the Board as a promise to the people of Ottawa County and as a permanent

reminder to elected officials and county employees that the constitutional rights of the

people of Ottawa County shall be preserved and protected as the first priority.