The Yates County Legislature has appointed an ad hoc committee to investigate the ‘pros and cons ’of establishing Yates County as a constitutional county. Proponents of the constitutional county believe counties should have the right to supersede legal precedents established by the state. Thus, if counties don’t like specific state laws, they don’t have to follow them. This concept began as a means to reject measures enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic such as mask mandates, the closing of businesses, schools and churches, vaccination requirements and quarantines. Persons disagreeing with these measures felt their rights to freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and other liberties were violated. Additionally, some citizens fearing that new gun legislation would compromise their Second Amendment rights wanted to find a way to resist by refusing to abide by the new state laws.