Resolutions like the one approved in Letcher County do not carry the full force of law. In municipalities, resolutions are “merely declaratory of the will or opinion of a municipal corporation,” whereas “ordinances” are enforceable pieces of legislation, according to Kentucky Municipal Statutory Law.

Officials in Marshall County, where a 15-year-old gunman killed two students and wounded a dozen others last year, have made attempts to create an enforceable county ordinance to prevent local police and sheriff’s deputies from enforcing certain gun laws, though the county attorney there has warned the effort would likely violate state law and attract a lawsuit.

Even without a resolution, local officials, such as sheriffs, can already decline to use their resources to enforce federal laws, including new gun regulations, according to Joshua Douglas, a constitutional law professor at the University of Kentucky.