Clive, IA -(AmmoLand.com)- Week 9 in the Iowa legislature, the second funnel week of 2016, was full of ups and downs.
Good news first:
There are three pro-gun owner bills eligible for votes in the full Senate. This is a monumental achievement considering the lay of the land in the legislature. The Hearing Protection Act, ATV Carry Act and Privacy Protection Act all passed out of committee and are now eligible for votes in the Senate. This has exceeded many people’s expectations, but we’re certainly not done yet.
Few people know it, but the ATV Carry Act was essentially dead on arrival in the Senate’s Natural Resources committee. Democrats there were deadset against it and planned to kill it on the calendar. But thanks to a lot of hard work and some savvy maneuvering IFC’s volunteer lobbyists managed to get the ATV Carry Act not only a subcommittee vote, but a committee vote as well. The ATV Carry Act passed both of these votes and is now eligible for a full vote in the Senate.
The bad news:
The Youth Shooting & Parental Rights Act and the Emergency Protection Act were both killed by Senate Democrats inaction. Both bills had wide bipartisan support, and would have benefited families and gun owners in Iowa, but the Senate chose to play politics once again and kill these bills without even voting on them.
Now, you should also know that the ATV Carry Act passed its committee vote 12 to 1, but an amendment that severely guts the original intent of the bill was tacked on. The same goes for the Permit Privacy Act. This bill passed its committee vote 8 to 4 with an amendment that fundamentally changes the concept of the bill. This amendment was so egregious that the only ones to vote for it were the Democrats on the judiciary committee. Keep in mind this bill passed the House 97 to 1, and Iowa’s law enforcement groups all endorsed this bill as written. There’s no reason for Senate Democrats to thumb their noses at Iowa’s police officers and their colleagues in the House.
The Iowa Firearms Coalition strongly opposes both of these amendments. We’ve got an explanation of the amendments and why we oppose them on IowaFC.org.
We’ve also activated a brand new Advocacy Campaign telling the Senate to stop monkeying around this year’s gun bills. Please use this tool to email your Senator, once you’re done please send this to a few friends and encourage them to do the same.
There is good news though:
The amendments put on the ATV Carry Act and the Privacy Protection Act are not set in stone. They must be approved by the entire Senate before they can truly alter the bills. We expect a real slugfest if/when these bills are brought to the floor of the Senate. Our volunteer lobbyists are working extremely hard to lockup votes for our side, but we need your help. Get in contact with your senator early and often. Magnify your efforts by getting a few friends to contact their Senators. Send them the link to our Advocacy Campaign and fill them in on why these amendments are no good.
Finally, even if the Senate ramrods these amendments through they have to be approved by the House of Representatives, which is a tall order considering the House’s long standing commitment to passing strong pro-Second Amendment legislation.
So, to be clear, the optimal outcome is for these amendments to fail on the Senate floor. But if that doesn’t happen, we’re not out of the game. Not by a long shot.
The Iowa Firearms Coalition is leading the way and fighting these amendments tooth and nail, but we need you to do your part.
More updates to come. Keep pushing Iowans, your efforts are making a difference!
About Iowa Firearms Coalition:
Iowa Firearms Coalition is an entirely volunteer, grassroots, Second Amendment advocacy group. Responsible for bringing uniformity to Iowa’s Permit to Carry process, IFC’s members work to protect and enhance Second Amendment rights in Iowa. An affiliate of the National Rifle Association, the IFC actively seeks to foster and promote the shooting sports. Sign up for our email list for the latest on Second Amendment issues in Iowa.
You can support our work by becoming a member, or making a donation.