Commissioners to meet Monday, will consider Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution

Red River County Commissioners will have their last regular meeting of 2019 on Monday, Dec. 23, at 10 a.m. at the courthouse annex.

The agenda is as follows:

1) Call the Commissioners Court Meeting to Order.

2) Call the roll.

3) Consider for approval minutes from the previous meeting of the Commissioners Court.

4) Public Comments.

5) Consider for approval Order Setting Terms of the Constitutional County Court for 2020.

6) Consider for approval Order Designating Day of the Week Commissioners Court will meet.

7) Consider for approval Resolution to Declare Red River County a Second Amendment Sanctuary. The resolution reads as follows:

WHEREAS, the Constitution of the United States is the Supreme Law of our Nation. The Second Amendment to the Constitution states “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”; andWHEREAS, the Texas Constitution, Article 1, Section 23, states “Every citizen shall have the right to keep and bear arms in the lawful defense of himself or the State.”  Due to dual sovereignty structure of the Constitution, the Federal Government has no authority to enforce State laws and the states cannot be compelled to endorse Federal laws; and
WHEREAS, the last protectors of the U.S. Constitution are the County Sheriffs and “We the People of the United States of America”, and our ability to fulfill that role successfully rests on our Second Amendment rights. We, the People of Red River County, Texas, through this Resolution, hereby declare our rights, our freedom and our liberty as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America, andWHEREAS, it is the desire of the Red River County Commissioners Court to declare its support of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Texas Constitution protecting citizens inalienable and individual right to keep and bear arms. The members of the Red River County Commissioners Court took an oath to support and defend the United States Constitution, the Constitution of the State of Texas, and the laws of the State of Texas, insofar as they are constitutional; andTHEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Commissioners of Red River County, by the authority granted to the Commissioners by the laws of the State of Texas, and the people of Red River County, Texas, to stand and defend their rights and liberties, which are guaranteed by the United States and Texas Constitutions, are hereby declared
RED RIVER COUNTY A SECOND AMENDMENT SANCTUARY COUNTY
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Commissioners Court affirms its support for the duly elected Sheriff of Red River County, Texas in the exercise of his discretion, affirms his resolve to support decisions by our Sheriff to uphold the laws of the State of Texas and to uphold the Constitution of the State of Texas and the United States.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Commissioners Court will not authorize or appropriate government funds, resources, employees, agencies, contractors, buildings, detention centers, or offices for the purpose of enforcing laws that have been found to unconstitutionally infringe of the rights of the citizens of Red River in the State of Texas.APPROVED by the Red River County Commissioners Court on this, the 23rd day of December, 2019.L.D. Williamson, County Judge

8) Consider for approval Resolution for Joint Primary Election to be held on March 3, 2020, and if necessary, the Primary Runoff Election on May 26, 2020.

9) Consider for approval moving Box #2 from St. Paul Methodist Church, 403 W. Pierce Street to the First Baptist Church, located at 1501 US Hwy 82 Bypass, Clarksville.

10) Consider for approval Resolution for Appointment of Mac Varley to a new two-year term on the Red River Appraisal Board of Directors to begin January 1, 2020.

11) Consider for approval accepting Request for Proposal for Administrative Services for the TDHCA HOME Program.

12) Consider for approval renewal of bond for County Auditor Camille Hines.

13) Consider for approval accepting donations to Pct. #2, as follows: - $2,000 from James Easley for rock on CR 2221. - $1,000 from Charley Louie for rock on CR 2221.

14) Read into the minutes Certificate of Completion of Participation at the 2019 School for County Tax Assessor-Collectors for Tonya Martin.

15) Consider for approval line item transfers.

16) Consider for approval budget amendments.

17) Consider for approval all valid claims.

18) Adjourn.

Rep. Ratcliffe statement on vote against Trump impeachment

WASHINGTON – Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) issued the following statement on his vote against the impeachment of President Trump:

“In a betrayal of the Constitution, Democrats finally got what they’ve been gunning for since the very day President Trump was duly elected to serve in the Oval Office. Despite failing miserably in their prolonged, desperate campaign to frame him for crimes he didn’t commit, they moved forward with a vote to remove a sitting president from office based on nothing more than their personal and political opposition.

“This is the thinnest, fastest and weakest impeachment our country has ever seen – rooted in a congratulatory phone call where there are no crimes alleged, where there is no victim, and where Democrats themselves could never decide what to even accuse the president of doing wrong. The Founders intended impeachment to be used for actions so extraordinary that it would happen only three times in almost 2 1/2 centuries. Alexander Hamilton warned of impeachment being used politically by the party that had the most votes. Today’s impeachment is the Founders’ worst nightmare.

“When voters go to the polls next November, I hope they’ll hold Democrats accountable for wasting countless hours and taxpayer dollars on this disgraceful impeachment hoax that was designed to control the outcome of the 2020 election.”

Christmas on Main Street is Saturday

Clarksville’s gala Christmas on Main Street will be held from 3:30-7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7. It will include a free outdoor showing of “The Polar Express” with free popcorn and hot chocolate, with the movie to start at 6 p.m. sponsored by Peek Insurance. Oncor has agreed to temporarily dim nearby street lights for better viewing conditions. 

There will be wagon rides starting at 5:30 p.m., and an-other fun downtown scavenger hunt will run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Correct entries will be eligible for prize money donated by Clarksville PRIDE.

The drawing for the Scavenger Hunt, as well as the $500 gift card and the two turkeys, will be held at 7:30 p.m. Entry forms have been printed in the Clarksville Times (see Page 2) and may be filled out and dropped off at any of these participating businesses:

Vintaj Cowgirl, High Cotton Boutique, Victoria’s Antiques, 101 Mercantile, Clarksville PRIDE, Red River County Historical Society, Clarksville Main Street, Carriage House-Clarksville, Two Rivers Antiques, G’s Farmhouse Finds, Radio Shack, Cheryl’s Fashions, Penny’s Christmas Creations at Italian Bistro, Clarksville Florist, and Simply Southern.

Downtown businesses will be open until late for shoppers, until 7 p.m., on Thursdays Dec. 12 and Dec. 19. There will be special activities each of these Thursday nights. There will be a paint party at Simply Southern.

On Dec. 12 there will be a magic show from 5-6 p.m. and then a visit from the Grinch from 6-7 p.m. in the building Pride’s Corner in the southeast corner of the square. The Clarksville Community Choir will sing on the square at 6 p.m. on Dec. 19. There will also be another visit from Santa Claus.