I disagree that what Mr. Gilbert proposes is the same as Resolutions 21-03 or 21-05, as nothing he suggests is impacting Custer County or Colorado. His entire argument for this resolution is about Texas and other state voter laws. They have nothing to do with Colorado. Resolutions 21-03 and 21-05 protect each and every citizen of Custer County and do not infringe upon any other citizen rights in any way. Mr. Gilbert also, wrongly, describes Resolution 21-05 stating that it “further emphasizes support for the 14th, 15th, 19th, 24th and 26th Amendments…” which it does not, nor are they even mentioned in either of these resolutions. These two resolutions are specific to the First and Second Amendments, which Mr. Gilbert even called in to oppose with questions on why only the 1st and 2nd, which I replied to directly. So for him to not even recognize what the resolutions actually address say quite a lot about his understanding of our Constitution and his motifs. He is simply attempting to use the fact that these other resolutions are passed in the hopes he can sneak this though as well and while doing it add a few partisan lines to create division within our County Government.

Mr. Gilbert, the Chair of the Democrat Party here, does not seem to understand that the 2nd Amendment has nothing to do with hunting and exists to protect its citizens from a tyrannical government; you know the kind that censer its citizens and do not hear legitimate concerns about things like election integrity. Mr. Gilbert's logic is flawed as is his rational for this resolution. The proposed resolution is purely partisan Democrat divisive tactics. He is wanting our county to take a stance against Texas and other States laws. Resolutions 21-03 and 21-05 address issues our Custer County citizens actually face, which are the attempts in Colorado and U.S. Congress to infringe upon our (Custer Citizens) right to keep and bear arms. Has nothing to do with Texas right to bear arms. So, Colorado voting laws and our constitution exist, Texas voting laws and the constitution exist. This resolution has nothing to do with Custer County, Colorado, and it does not seem to me that this board has any duty to protect its citizens against something happening in Texas.

Resolution 21-05 addresses the censorship of conservatives, which was always my priority and the first time I addressed this Board. If the former President of the United States can be censored all Conservatives will be. 21-05 adds some measure of protection for our County. President Trump has and is currently censored for things the Democratic Party in Congress Today have said as well and much, much worse with no accountability at all; full protection for the same divisive language they blame Trump for. Yet they censured the sitting president and have illegally taken his rights as a citizen simply because they do not agree with him. As a former president he is also restricted from receiving intelligence briefings, which is a right of all former Presidents. If that rational for the censorship of Trump tells us anything it is that we NEED as much extra protection as we can get. Even today the Democratic Party feels justified in the retaliation placed on President Trump and have no issue censoring conservatives they feel threatened by issuing several direct bills to censure conservative officials. Enter the need for Custer County Resolution 21-05.

It does not seem that Colorado has an issue with voter suppression so how does Mr. Gilbert justify a county action that does not impact the county? The reason seems to be that Mr. Gilbert is simply trying to push the Democrat agenda. His first statement that the 2020 election was free and fair out of the gate only represents the opinion of the 16% of counties in this country that voted for Joe Biden. Several States are currently “STILL” investigating several issues pertaining to the 2020 election and have not, as of yet, gotten any resolution to OUR questions, so we keep asking and investigating. Eight-four percent of the counties in this country did not vote for Joe Biden and do not agree with Mr. Gilbert's assessment that 2020 election was free and fair. Democrat leadership and the Main Stream-Social media-Political conglomerate constantly saying that 2020 was free and fair do not make it true.

Display Kamal Guatemala visit to show truth on election.

Mr. Gilbert is attempting to coerce this board into taking a position against something that does not actually exist as an issue for Custer County. This BOCC has acted in a faithful and diligent manor with respect to their “Oath of Office,” which already confirms that each of you swore an oath to support and defend the constitution. What Mr. Gilbert is asking for is covered by the Constitution and Custer County is fortunate enough to have a Board of Commissioners that has honored that Oath to protect it already.

Mr. Gilbert revealed his actual motif in his first volley of debate. Other state voting laws that Mr. Gilbert, as the primary Democrat leader here, do not like are not the concern of the Custer County BOCC.

Mr. Gilbert's first bullet says this board will stand against any attempt to “restrict the right to vote of any demographic group.” This is an attempt to trap this Board into a position that would require you to support illegals in this country and what the Democrat Party says is their right to vote: which they don't have, regardless of if they get a Colorado DL.

Second bullet says that this board would have to stand against any questions about fraud or malfeasance as if the Democrat position that 2020 was fair and free is the only truth.

There ARE questions.

Third Bullet would put this board in a position to have to censor anyone who may have a question about voter results. It is OUR right as citizens to question legally elected officials as we are not a dictatorship yet and those officials serve the people. It is OUR constitutional right to address the government with grievances.

The last divisive line Mr. Gilbert wants you to support is some nonsense about Biden being the duly elected President. We are painfully aware of that fact as we see it every day by the destruction to our economy, the dismantling of our energy independence, and the weakening of our National Security. We are aware WHO the President is.

The censorship that Mr. Gilbert proposes in his resolution are exactly why I felt compelled to establish Resolution 21-05 in the first place. The speech Mr. Gilbert is attempting to censure is fundamentally protected by our 1st Amendment rights as well as Section 10, Article II of the Colorado Constitution, which both protect Free Speech.

Gentlemen, I simply remind you that there are many Custer County citizens that do not think the 2020 election was fair or free. His attempt to get Custer County Commissioners to say 2020 was free and fair is underhanded and a tried and true tactic of the Democratic Party. His argument places more emphasis on Texas than Colorado and more on what the Democrat Party is trying to sell as U.S. voter suppression than Colorado issues. This Resolution attempts to divide this county as the current administration has divided America.

Mr. Gilbert is using Democrat talking points such “unwarranted restrictions or suppression” what he is actually talking about seem to be other states voter ID laws as he debated this board. Texas and other state laws not Colorado laws. The Democrat leadership want voter ID to go away, so that illegals can vote. Simple as that. Colorado Law SB13-251 states: “an Act passed into law that provides a driver's license, permit, or State ID card to Colorado residents who cannot prove citizenship or legal presence in the United States.” Democrat bill HR1 the “For the people act,” which is hotly contested as illegal, will automatically register those illegal residents to vote as DL will be made valid id for illegals to vote in Fed election under HR1. The issues he is talking about and attempting to get this board to admit to in this document, do not exist here and there is NO evidence that any issues in Custer County or Colorado itself point to any need for this. Mr. Gilbert supports the censorship of conservatives and is attempting to bait this Board into a conflict-based position.

Mr. Gilbert attempts to use Resolution 21-05 as his primary argument. The BOCC did that so we have to do this; and you did that, so this is the same. He argues that all resolutions are created equal. They are not. 21-05 addresses current Colorado and U.S. Legislation that is detrimental to Custer County citizens. Several bills that would infringe upon Custer citizens 2nd Amendment rights and addresses the rampant censorship of conservatives in Colorado. Purpose, intent and target legislation. Mr. Gilbert's resolution is partisan one-sided has no purpose for Custer County, no intent for anything other than partisan division and zero target legislation that Custer County Citizens would be protected from. Short sighted and useless.

The Constitution protects its citizens already. Similar to the literally hundreds of Democrat produced Bills in our current 117th Congress that attempt to re-write laws that already exist. It is my opinion, that passing this resolution puts us at odds with existing Colorado voter ID laws, our right to question election results, and will eventually put this board in a highly questionable position when Custer citizens expect to be able to exercise those rights. It will put us in direct contradiction with our constitution. We are allowed by our constitution to be involved in our governance and to question things when we feel something has gone wrong or is not explainable.

This Resolution is a Democrat “be quiet and take it” tactic. We should not be in the business of trying to protect ourselves from our own constitution. What the Democrat Party does not understand is that it exists to protect us from this exact kind of one-sided nonsense as was the exact purpose for Resolution 21-05.

I encourage this board to simply stay the course to the Oath of Office already sworn, to protect OUR Constitution and reject this partisan, divisive and unconstitutional resolution.

Chris Bryson

Westcliffe

Resolution No. 21 - XX

A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR CUSTER COUNTY COLORADO DECLARING THAT, AS A CONSTITUTIONAL PRESERVATION COUNTY, CUSTER COUNTY AFFIRMS THE BASIC RIGHT OF DEMOCRACY: THE RIGHT TO VOTE

WHEREAS, The Board of County Commissioners for Custer County (the Board), a political and administrative subdivision of the State of Colorado declared its support for the Constitution of the United States of America (Resolution No. 21-05) it further emphasizes support for the 15th, 19th, 23rd, 24th and 26th Amendments, the Colorado Constitution, Article 7, Title 50 of the U.S. Code and Title 1 of the Colorado Revised Statutes; and

WHEREAS, ยง30-11-101 (2), C. R. S., grants to each county the authority to adopt and enforce ordinances and resolutions regarding the health, safety, and welfare issues for the well being of the citizens of the county; and

WHEREAS, the 15th, 19th, 23rd, 24th and 26th Amendments to the US Constitution and US Code Title 52 define enfranchisement of all American Citizens over age 18 in the right to vote; and,

WHEREAS, Article 7 of the Colorado Constitution and Title 1 of the C. R, S. define enfranchisement of the Citizens of Colorado in the right to vote; and,

WHEREAS, the members of the Board took an oath to support and defend the United States Constitution, the Constitution of the State of Colorado and the constitutional laws thereof; and,

WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Board to declare its allegiance to the right to vote free from unwarranted restrictions or suppression by design or de facto; and,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners for Custer County, that we, on behalf of the citizens of Custer County, pledge to stand and defend the right to vote of all American citizens against all attempts to infringe thereon, including but not limited to

• Enactment of laws, state or federal, that, by design or de facto suppress or restrict the right to vote of any demographic group,

• Undermining of voter confidence in election integrity by perpetuating false allegations of fraud or malfeasance affecting results,

• Attempting to overturn the will of the people by refusing to accept the duly certified results from the several states.

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Board affirms that Joseph R. Biden was elected President of the United States in 2020 in an election of historic participation and integrity, demonstrating the American election process is and remains the cornerstone of our democracy.

Done this ___________ day of June, 2021

William R. Canda

Chairman, Board of County Commissioners

Tommy G. Flower

Vice Chairman, Board of County Commissioners

Kevin V. Day

County Commissioner