Iowa's Omnibus Gun Bill Needs Help

The Omnibus Gun Bill (HF527/SF425) passed with overwhelming support in the Iowa House but appears to now be languishing in the Democrat-controlled Iowa Senate. Iowa Firearms Coalition (IFC), one of the state's leading pro-gun groups, has been counting votes in the State Senate and believes the bill would pass easily, if only it would be released for a vote by the Senate's anti-gun leadership.

In addition to legalizing silencers in the state (for those who undergo the requisite federal procedures), the Omnibus Gun Bill would also:

• Update Iowa’s concealed carry law to move the retraining requirement to every 10 years instead of every 5.
• Simplify the concealed carry permit renewal process and allow a 60 day window to renew.
• Exempt military veterans from having to get training before applying for a Permit to Carry.
• Remove the “permit to acquire” mandate for handgun purchases (FBI NICS program would still be used for purchases).
• Clarifies that online training is acceptable for a concealed carry permit.
• Remove the age restriction on minors shooting while supervised by a parent or guardian.
• Make it illegal to share any identifying information about any of Iowa’s concealed carry permit holders.
• Make all permits across Iowa uniform in appearance.

Not only have the NRA and IFC endorsed the bill, but the Iowa Peace Officers Association, Iowa Police Chiefs Association, and the Iowa State Sheriffs and Deputies Association as well. Despite this wide-ranging support, the bill now risks being sabotaged by a very small handful of anti-gun State Senators.

What can you do to help?  IFC is urging everyone to take the following three simple steps (in their words):

Petition

If you haven't already, please sign and share our petition calling on the Senate leadership to stop playing games and bring SF425 to a vote.

The anti-gun crowd has submitted a petition to block the Omnibus Gun Bill. They got a paltry 1,600 signatures. We're betting we can top that pretty easily. Please take 30 second to sign and share this!!

Email

Contact your Senator, and the Senate leadership. Tell them you want to see SF425 brought to a vote AS IS. It's time for a vote! Keep your messages brief, respectful and on point. Here's a great example of an email to the Senate leadership. Send your emails to:mike.gronstal@legis.iowa.gov, steve.sodders@legis.iowa.gov, pam.jochum@legis.iowa.gov, joe.bolkcom@legis.iowa.gov, &
your Senator.

Don't have your Senator's email address? Not sure who your Senator is? Find who represents you and their contact info using our Legislative Action Center.

Call

NOTE: The Senate switchboard is only operational while the Senate is in session. The next time you can call and leave a message will be when the Senate returns to work on Monday at 1 p.m.

When you call the Senate switchboard - 515-281-3371 - on Monday leave a message for the Senate leadership: "Listen to the people of Iowa. Listen to Iowa law enforcement. Bring SF425 to a vote AS IS." Ask that the message is delivered to Senators Gronstal, Sodders, Jochum and Bolkcom.







Pro-Freedom Bills In Des Moines- Feb. 2015

There are some good bills floating around in the Iowa legislature this year that could use our support.

Gun Rights Bills

First up are four pro-gun owner bills and the synopsis for each one provided by the Iowa Firearms Coalition (IFC).

House File 45 - Emergency Powers This bill guarantees that Iowan's Second Amendment rights remain intact during times of public emergencies, when the ability to protect ourselves and our loved ones is needed most. In short it would keep Hurricane Katrina style confiscations from happening here in Iowa.

House File 59 - Preemption Clarification
HF59 amends IA Code 724.28 which says local municipalities and governing bodies shall not preempt or supersede state firearms law. Iowa has had a preemption law for almost 25 years, but every year many local municipalities continue to try to work around this law and illegally in fringe on Iowan's rights. This bill would strengthen the current code and provide citizen's rights greater protections from over zealous governing bodies.

House File 92 - Stand Your Ground
This legislation would remove a person's "duty to retreat" from an attacker in any location.  This would allow law-abiding citizens to protect themselves or their family anywhere they are lawfully present.  This legislation would also expressly enhance the protections against criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits when justifiable force is used.

House File 99 - Repeal the Youth Shooting Ban 
Currently anyone under the age of 14 is strictly prohibited from holding or shooting a handgun in Iowa - regardless of whether or not that minor is under parental supervision. HF99 would amend the state code to allow a person under 14 to lawfully shoot a handgun, with proper supervision, as long as their parent, guardian, or spouse who is 21 years of age or older has provided consent.

IFC maintains an Legislative Action Center site where you can send a pre-written message to your Iowa representatives urging them to support these bills.

Contraband Bills

If polls are right, about 38% of you reading these words have tried marijuana. Most of you did NOT end up living in a van down by the river or murdering your parents with a pitchfork as pot alarmists would have everyone believe. And although fireworks have been illegal in Iowa since the 1930's, many Iowans bootleg them in and light them off.

There are three bills that seek to lessen the nanny state's grasp on these relatively harmless, yet illegal activities. Reducing penalties for pot would free up jail space for violent bad guys, saving the state money. Legalizing fireworks would supply the state with an additional source of tax revenue.

House File 60

Reduces marijuana possession penalties involving up to 28.5 grams of marijuana from a criminal misdemeanor (punishable by up to six-months in jail and a $1,000 fine) to a simple misdemeanor punishable by a $300 fine. 

Senate File 1121

 Reduces marijuana possession penalties involving up to 5 grams of cannabis. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13 to 1 in favor of this legislation, which now moves on to the full Senate for debate.

You can go to the NORML website to send a pre-written message of support for these bills to your Iowa legislators here.

Senate Study Bill 1135

This would legalize certain retail fireworks for purchase by Iowa consumers.

Freedom of Movement

Senate File 213

This bill would raise the speed limit to 75 on some of Iowa's rural interstate highways.

Senate File 208

This bill would prevent Iowa counties and cities from adopting ordinances barring 19- and 20-year-old adults from bars. This would most notably shoot down Iowa City's 21-ordinance. I wrote about why denying these legal adults their rights to liberty, peaceable assembly and pursuit of happiness was fundamentally wrong here.

Be sure to let your Iowa State Representative or Senator know how you feel about any of these potential  laws above.



Gold, Guns and Drones

The bills continue to flow through the legislative sausage press in Des Moines. They range from atrocious to pretty good. Here are a few more that caught my eye.

Bad Bills:

Two of the bad bills, SF233 & HF 164, are "universal background check" bills. Remember: "Universal Background Checks= Gun Registration= Gun Confiscation."

Senate File 233: Iowa Gun Owners calls this Iowa's "Most Dangerous Anti-Gun Bill of 2013." Hidden among innocuous provisions of an "education" bill, this bill would mandate that virtually every firearm transfer in the state go through a licensed gun dealer so that a NICS check may be conducted. If you think the gun dealer will do that for you for free when you want to sell your old shotgun to your neighbor, I've got some beachfront property in Arizona to sell you.

Even more ominous, this bill would also require social workers, guidance counselors, physician's assistants and even nurses to report you to authorities if they think you're acting a little too weird to have Second Amendment rights. Obviously no one wants dangerous lunatics to have guns, but I don't want some busybody nurse or social worker being able to strip people of their rights.

House File 164: According to Iowa Firearms Coalition: "It would require background checks be conducted by an FFL on ALL private firearm transfers with no exceptions, and allows the dealer to collect fees in the process. HF 164 would also provide for limitless fees (taxes) for transfers in order to fuel this enormous bureaucratic process, and allow the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to create 'rules' as necessary on how to implement the system, which is just another form of universal registration."

House File 163: This would ban the sale and transfer of any ammunition feeding device that holds more than 10 rounds of ammo. This was introduced by Representative Bruce Hunter (D-34), the same guy who introduced HF164 above. What a douche!

Senate Study Bill 1165/ House Study Bill 91: These twin bills would circumvent Iowa's normal search warrant process and replace it with a phony-baloney rubberstamp process for allowing officials to plant GPS trackers on Iowans' vehicles. That is inconsistent with the constitutional requirements under the U.S. and Iowa constitutions governing searches. Click HERE to learn more and to contact the appropriate subcommittee members on this bill.

Good Bills:

House File 346: This bill would recognize gold and silver coin as legal tender in the state of Iowa. You may recognize that this is an authorized state power under the U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 10. There are lot of good economic reasons for this as well as ones dealing with federalism. Caffeinated Thoughts had a great writeup on the bill you should check out for more details.

Senate File 276: This would place a moratorium on the use of surveillance drones by all state agencies in Iowa and strictly prohibit weaponized drone systems. It would allow the use of drones under several limited circumstances such as search and rescue operations or AMBER Alert searches. Anything that can slow the growth of the surveillance state that we more and more find ourselves living in is a good thing.

SF276 is currently stalled because the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Robert Hogg (D- Cedar Rapids), is sitting on it. Please contact Hogg and ask him to give SF276 the consideration it deserves and schedule a hearing ASAP. (rob.hogg@legis.iowa.gov , 319-247-0223)

With all these bills please contact your state legislator and voice your support or opposition.

Speaker List For NRA/IFC Rally

I recieved the following from NRA-ILA (Ben):

Save The Date!

The National Rifle Association (NRA), Iowa Firearms Coalition (IFC) and Brownells will host the 3^rd Annual Second Amendment Rally on Saturday, August 25 from 9AM to 5PM at Brownells' Big Springs Shooting Complex. Firearm and hunting manufacturers and representatives will be in attendance, and the event will offer a variety of shooting and training opportunities. If you are an NRA or IFC member, your range fees will be waived. NRA members and media are invited and encouraged to attend this free event and meet many of Iowa's pro-Second Amendment legislators and activists. The speaker list for this event has now been confirmed, and will include speeches by many notable Second Amendment advocates, including:

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal

U.S. Congressman Steve King

U.S. House Candidate Ben Lange

U.S. House Candidate John Archer

State Senator Jerry Behn

State Senator Tim Kapucian

State Senator Shawn Hamerlinck

State Senator Joni Ernst

State Senate Candidate Matt Reisetter

State Senate Candidate Amy Sinclair

State Senate Candidate Dan Zumbach

State Senate Candidate Ken Rozenboom

State Representative Linda Upmeyer

State Representative Chris Hagenow

State Representative Matt Windschitl

Jan Mickelson

Pete Brownell, CEO of Brownells and NRA Board Member

Jeff Burkett, President of Iowa Firearms Coalition

 

RSVP TODAY!

Third Annual Second Amendment Rally

When: Saturday, August 25

9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

(Speeches to start at 11:00AM)

Where: Brownells' Big Springs Shooting Complex

4945 Highway 146

Searsboro, Iowa 50242

For directions, please click here.

RSVP Online: Please click here

Please see Iowa Firearms Coalition's Second Amendment Rally page by clicking here.

To view this event on Facebook, please click here.

IFC To Host 3rd Annual Rally

Save the date August 25th.  On that day Iowa Firearms Coalition, Iowa's premiere gun rights group, will be hosting its third annual Second Amendment Rally.  The event will be from 9am to 5 pm at the Brownell's Big Springs Range Complex outside Searsboro Iowa.  Admission is FREE for everyone. No range fees for IFC or NRA members.

The keynote speaker will be Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.  According to IFC's Rally Homepage, other activities will include:

Grassroots discussions with legislators

Boy Scouts of America flag ceremony

Fully automatic weapons rentals

Cowboy Action Shooters demonstration- SASS

IDPA demonstration

.50 caliber rifle shoot

3-Gun Competition walk-through

Suppressed weapons demonstration /education

Great Iowa vendor food fair

Firearms educational workshops

Firearms raffle tickets (will be raffled at a later date)

Show and Tell Range

IFC Grassroots involvement workshop and information

and more..

Last year over 1,000 Iowans attended the event.  IFC hopes to double that attendance this year.

Big Springs Range Complex is located at 5015 HWY 146 Searsboro, IA 50242.

IFC/NRA Second Amendment Rally

Iowa Firearms Coalition Announces 2011 Legislative Agenda

The dust had barely settled from the 2010 election when the Iowa Firearms Coalition (formerly Iowa Carry) announced its 2011 legislative agenda, working in conjunction with the National Rifle Association.  The two groups successfully pushed through a "shall-issue" weapons permit law which was signed by Governor Culver in April of this year.  The ambitious 2011 agenda includes an amendment to the state constitution, as well as legislation strengthening Iowa's firearms preemption laws, protecting those who use a gun in self-defense from civil liabilities, and allowing Vermont/Alaska-style carry of firearms without a permit.

The "Iowa Right to Keep and Bear Arms Constitutional Amendment" was first announced by the group on Jan Mickelson's radio show in early October.  Iowa is one of only six states that has no provision in its constitution protecting the right to keep and bear arms.  Since Iowa voters rejected a constitutional convention on the November ballot, amending the state constitution will require that an identically worded amendment pass two successive legislatures, then be approved by Iowa voters.

The proposed wording for the amendment by IFC/NRA is: "The right of individuals to acquire, keep, possess, transport, and use arms to defend life and liberty and for all other legitimate purposes is fundamental and inviolable. Licensing, registration, special taxation, or any other measure that suppresses or discourages the free exercise of this right is forbidden."

Second, the "Iowa Firearm Preemption Act" would modify "the current preemption law to completely disallow a series of confusing, indiscernible 'Gun Free' zones intermittently spread across the state causing confusion," according to IFC's website.  State firearms preemption laws basically state that local governments may not pass gun restrictions more strict than the state.  This bill no doubt comes in response to recent efforts by local governments, such as Shelby and Hancock Counties and the cities of Ottumwa and West Burlington, to circumvent the state's current preemption law and ban permit-holders from carrying  concealed weapons on county or municipal property.

Next is the "Iowa Family Defense Act."  According to IFC: "Today, in Iowa, should you be forced to defend your life, you can be held liable for your act of defense in a civil court. Your act of self defense, or the defense of another, could be used against you. This piece of legislation would ensure your right to self defense without potential exposure to prosecution in a civil case from an attacker."

Lastly the "Iowa Constitutional Carry Bill" would apparently require "no permit for carrying or for the acquisition of firearms," thereby ensuring "that our right to keep and bear arms is not infringed at all, just as our forefathers intended."  This would appear to be similar to legislation sought by the group Iowa Gun Owners in the 2010 legislative session. 

This system is often called "Vermont Carry" and, in addition to that state, it is currently enjoyed in Alaska and most recently Arizona.  IFC President Sean McClanahan told me recently that permits would still be available to those who wanted them, such as for people who wanted to carry concealed weapons into other states that recognize Iowa's permits, but would not be required to carry in Iowa.

McClanahan says the group will be considering other legislation as well, but these four measures will be the prime focus.

[This story also posted at Iowa Freedom Report.]

Iowa Firearms Group To Change Name

An Iowa pro-Second Amendment group that this year helped to improve Iowa's concealed weapons law is changing its name to reflect its expanding mission.  From the Iowa Carry website:

"The name Iowa Carry will soon be history (the end has already technically taken place). Born in 2005 of a desire by one Iowan to stop the ability of his sheriff to unfairly deny him his Constitutional and God-given right of self-protection, then joined by another, and shortly thereafter by a handful of others, all with that same goal, Iowa Carry’s membership now numbers in the hundreds, with thousands of others looking our way for direction and leadership in seeking to protect and restore their firearm rights. Having recently achieved many of our concealed carry goals with the passage of SF 2379 (we do remind everyone that there is still work to be done, even in this area), we arrived at the conclusion that renaming ourselves the Iowa Firearms Coalition would more accurately reflect the direction we intend to take with this organization.

"While concealed carry issues will remain an integral part of our operation, we will be expanding into any and all other areas concerning firearms—the ongoing rejuvenation of our Second Amendment rights in all aspects; hunting privileges; sport shooting; self-defense training; socialization with like-minded individuals; publication, promotion, and advocacy in all of the media; individualized interests, be they handgun, rifle, shotgun; and perhaps most importantly, integrating our message and activities with other like-minded organizations (hence, the coalition moniker). While Iowa Carry (now the Iowa Firearms Coalition) carried the load for several years, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that it was the assistance of the National Rifle Association this past year that put us over the top! We look forward to working closely with Chris Rager and other NRA representatives in the years ahead!" [Emphasis in original.]

Regardless of the name, I wish the Iowa Firearms Coalition well!