ONTONAGON — The Ontonagon County Board passed a resolution in April asking Michigan’s legislators not to pass bills conflicting with the Second Amendment or the corresponding section in the state constitution, paired with a demand for more mental health funding.

Ontonagon County’s board voted unanimously in favor of the resolution, which also included a pledge to continue to support the U.S. and Michigan constitutions. It also called for adequate funding of mental health services to provide for timely intervention, while also ensuring they don’t infringe on the constitutional rights of the people who need the services.

The resolution also states the board would support the “lawful exercise of discretion” if the sheriff and prosecuting attorney both determine a law has been adopted that violates the state or U.S. constitutions.

It lists several examples of legislation that could violate the state and federal constitution. They include “red flag” laws that would exceed the current personal protection order process, registration requirements for full or long firearms, and mandatory storage requirements.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed bills earlier this year mandating the safe storage of firearms and requiring a background check to obtain a license for any firearm purchased; a requirement had already been in effect for pistols.

Last month, the Senate approved a red flag bill that would allow courts to order the temporary confiscation of firearms from someone who could be a threat to themselves or others. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has said she will sign the bill.

Ontonagon County Prosecutor Michael Findlay said he supports the Second Amendment and gun rights, and will evaluate each case based on the facts of the case and the law.

“I would exercise my discretion in looking at the case,” he said. “I would evaluate each case on a case-by-case basis, based on the evidence presented. It’s not going to be a blanket evaluation one way or the other.”

A message was left with Board Chair Carl Nykanen seeking comment Friday morning.

An analysis by Bridge magazine in April found at least 53 Michigan counties have passed a resolution with some form of Second Amendment resolution since 2020. It was published before the passage of Ontonagon County’s resolution, or a nearly identical one approved in Houghton County the week before.

Constitutional-rights resolutions such as Ontonagon or Houghton’s made up 22 of them. Thirty-one of the counties had declared the county a Second Amendment sanctuary, in which gun control legislation deemed to violate the constitution will not be enforced.