WEST OLIVE, Mich. — Ottawa County commissioners approved a resolution to become a constitutional county at Tuesday's board meeting.
Commissioners Roger Belknap, Jacob Bonnema, Gretchen Cosby, Rebekah Curran, Lucy Ebel, Allison Miedema, Joe Moss, Kyle Terpstra and Sylvia Rhodea voted "yes," while Commissioner Doug R. Zylstra was the lone "no" vote. Commissioner Roger A. Bergman was not present for the vote.
The vote took place around 12:20 a.m.
The resolution talks about constitutional freedoms. However, county documents show references to the first, second, fifth and fourteenth amendments, which mostly refer to freedom of speech and the right to bear arms.
More than 100 people arrived at Tuesday's meeting, hoping to speak on the issue during the public comment period.
Public comment lasted until nearly midnight, and almost 130 people shared their thoughts on the issue.
"You say, 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.' That's the wrong document. That's the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution. Come on. Second, your phrase 'God-given rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.' It's wrong again. It says 'creator.' It doesn't say God. It says creator," Dan Scripsema, who lives in Ottawa County, said at Tuesday's meeting.
"In all my years of hunting rabbits, frogs, birds and deer, I've never experienced a gun pulling its own trigger. Guns are not the problem. The person who pulls the trigger is the problem. More gun laws are not the solution," Harvey Nikkel, who also lives in Ottawa County, said in favor of the resolution.
Ottawa County Commission is looking at what’s going to be a busy night. A controversial resolution of making the area a ‘constitutional county’ is set for a vote. There are over 100 people to set to speak on this issue and others tonight. @FOX17 pic.twitter.com/5SygEGkWcn
— Matt Witkos Reporter (@matt_witkos) May 23, 2023
Chairman Joe Moss, who is pushing for this issue, is one of the leaders of Ottawa Impact, a far-right political organization that backs a majority of commissioners.
"I would say a fair share of people feel the same way I feel. We're not okay having your ultra-conservative, Christian beliefs and exclusionary views forced upon us," someone who lives in Ottawa County added at Tuesday's meeting. "Tonight, we have yet another example of just that...I want to say it embarrasses me, embarrasses our county and I vehemently oppose it."
FOX 17 reached out Ottawa County Prosecutor Lee Fisher for comment on the board's vote. He said: "The resolution has no legal force and will not impact the performance of my duties as prosecutor."
Ottawa Impact made some transformative changes right when they took office in January, including eliminating the DEI department, as well as demoting its top health officer, which has resulted in months of ongoing litigation.
Moss shared over Facebook the news last week as a way “to protect the individual freedoms of the people of Ottawa County.”
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The meeting can be watched below:
