Campbell County’s 2026 Second Amendment resolution: the vote, commitments and limits

A unanimous February 3 vote

Campbell County supervisors voted 7–0 on February 3, 2026, to reaffirm the county as a Second Amendment sanctuary. The approved meeting minutes record a motion by Supervisor Carwile, seconded by Supervisor Watts, with every supervisor voting yes and none absent.

The resolution was removed from the consent agenda and considered separately. This report examines that February action using records reviewed on October 18; the review date does not indicate a new county vote.

Use the adopted 2026 text alongside the older record

The February 3 agenda explains that supervisors unanimously approved the original sanctuary declaration on November 7, 2019. It attaches a signed copy of that earlier resolution and recommends reaffirmation.

The minutes contain the wording actually adopted in 2026, including references to legislation introduced during that year’s Virginia General Assembly session and the then-current Congress. Readers checking the board’s 2026 position should use that adopted text.

The minutes carry an April 7, 2026 approval date. That is the approval of the meeting record; February 3 remains the date of the resolution’s adoption.

What the board committed to

The adopted text invokes the federal Second Amendment and Virginia’s constitutional right to bear arms. It reaffirms the 2019 declaration and expresses an intent to uphold those rights, oppose restrictions the board considers unconstitutional, and use legal means including court action.

The funding clause says county money should not restrict Second Amendment rights or assist restrictions described as unnecessary and unconstitutional. Explanatory clauses also discuss appropriations, petitions and directions to law enforcement and the judiciary.

These are the board’s positions, not findings issued by a court. The resolution identifies neither a particular lawsuit nor a dollar amount for a legal challenge.

The sanctuary label and Virginia’s legal framework

Virginia Code §15.2-915 limits local firearms regulation to powers expressly authorized by statute. Its coverage includes local ordinances, resolutions, motions and administrative actions governing such matters as possession, carrying and transportation.

The statute also contains specific authority for certain local restrictions, including in governmental buildings, public parks and other listed settings, subject to its conditions. It should not be summarized as eliminating every local role in firearms policy.

A particular legal question requires the applicable law and any relevant court order. The county declaration alone does not establish a personal exemption from firearms requirements or a judicial determination that a particular law is unconstitutional. This report does not assess the current status of every bill or lawsuit mentioned in discussions of the 2026 legislative session.

Brookneal recorded a separate follow-on vote

Brookneal’s March 10, 2026 council minutes record a separate 6–0 vote approving a Second Amendment resolution. The town’s text accepts the county declaration as including Brookneal and addresses the use of town police and resources.

The town text also includes militia and deputizing declarations that go beyond the county’s concluding clauses. Reporting their adoption does not establish that residents were appointed to police roles or that those declarations create enforceable powers. Keep the two governments’ adopted texts distinct when checking a claim about either decision.

What would show implementation

A spending claim would need an identifiable appropriation or expenditure record. A litigation claim would need a case filing, docket or court order. A claim about changed enforcement would require evidence from the responsible agency or a documented case. The February minutes establish the vote and resolution; they do not establish those later outcomes.

For residents researching concealed-handgun applications, Virginia State Police’s resident-permit page directs applicants to the circuit court where they reside for local instructions. That process remains a separate question from what supervisors declared.

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