An attendee at a gun-rights rally wears a gun in a leg holster, Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. as he holds a sign that reads “American by Birth Gun Owner by Choice!” (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Apparently having no shame when it comes to politicizing a crisis isn’t just reserved for House Democrats. The local ones are at it as well.

The mayor of Champaign, Illinois has signed an EO which she claims grants her extraordinary power to curtail the rights of ordinary citizens. And while the banning of guns and ammunition are the eye catcher, it goes far beyond that.

Katie Pavlich over at Townhall has the report.

The Mayor of Champaign, Illinois just signed a sweeping executive order giving her the ability to ban the sale of firearms and ammunition because of…Wuhan coronavirus? There are no cases of the virus in town or the surrounding areas. https://t.co/CLOHveHWxU — Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) March 13, 2020

The mayor of Champaign, Illinois has declared a town emergency over the Wuhan coronavirus that includes a potential ban on the sale of firearms and ammunition. According to a local report from WAND 17, Champaign Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen has issued an executive order that would give her office “extraordinary powers.” She has issued the order despite the town and surrounding area not having a single case of the disease.

Here’s the list of some of the more questionable powers the mayor has bestowed upon herself in an easy to read format.

Yeah, I’m pretty sure a pandemic doesn’t give local mayors the right to suspend the Second Amendment. I’m also pretty sure local mayors don’t have the right to steal property from individuals. While it might be possible for some of these actions to be taken at the state level via a Marshall Law situation, local municipalities simply don’t have the authority do just about anything on that list, save the exception of setting up quarantines and stopping alcohol sales. But again, what does selling alcohol have to do with Wuhan coronavirus?

Never let a crisis-based opportunity to shred the Constitution

Go to waste https://t.co/JJtK3BPZpZ — Jim Hanson (@JimHansonDC) March 13, 2020

What this looks like is a mayor wanting to set precedents to be used later, because there’s otherwise no reason to include ordinances dealing with guns and ammunition. In the event of a societal breakdown, which I suppose would be the worst case scenario here, the right to bear arms becomes even more prudent. No one should allow the government, at any level, to come in and disarm them.

As Pavlich notes in her piece, local police did seize firearms during Hurricane Katrina, but even that was almost certainly unconstitutional. Of course, that was a far different situation, with literally anarchy going on as the last remnants of hold outs tried to remain in the city.

Regardless, no one should be using a crisis to enact their own political will on their constituents. To do so is a disgusting abuse of power.

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