Contact your state Representative and Urge him or her to Support HF 2114 and HJR 2005 as Introduced!
On Tuesday, two NRA priority measures were heard and passed in the state House Public Safety Committee. Unfortunately, HF 2114 was weakened by a gutting amendment and HJR 2005 was weakened by a political gimmick amendment.
As introduced, House File 2114, is a strong and necessary firearm preemption bill that would prevent cities from passing a patchwork of gun control laws across the state. Unfortunately, a bad amendment that takes gun rights backwards in Iowa was adopted by the committee. The NRA is committed to fixing this bill on the state House floor. This amendment would allow the governing board for a city hall, courthouse, or public hospital to prohibit the carrying and possession of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition in its buildings or on its grounds and parking lots.
The NRA strongly opposes adding restrictions on where concealed carry permit holders are allowed to carry firearms for self-defense and are working with the state House leadership to remove this gutting amendment on the House floor. We are going to aggressively work to ensure the final legislation does not include any restrictions on where law-abiding permit holders may carry. A date for House floor debate has not been scheduled but we will inform you as soon as information becomes available.
Also on Tuesday in the same House committee, House Joint Resolution 2005 was amended with another weakening amendment. The original language of House Joint Resolution 2005, if enacted, would have been the strongest and most comprehensive constitutional language of any state, guaranteeing our Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Iowa for future generations. The original language of HJR 2005 reads:
“The right of individuals to acquire, keep, possess, transport, carry, transfer, and use arms for defense of life and liberty and for all other legitimate purposes is fundamental and shall not be denied or infringed. Mandatory licensing, registration, or special taxation as a condition of the exercise of this right is prohibited, and any other restriction shall be subject to strict scrutiny.”
The amendment offered by Representative Rick Olson (D), which passed by an 11 to 10 vote, purports to protect Iowan’s Right to Keep and Bear Arms, because it is the language of the Second Amendment in the U. S. Constitution. The NRA believe that the original language in HJR 2005 would provide a much stronger protection for Iowa’s law-abiding gun owners.
HJR 2005 as amended was passed by the state House Public Safety Committee by a 20 to 1 vote. This resolution will now move to the state House for its consideration. The NRA is working with the state House leadership to amend and restore the original language. A date for House floor debate has not been scheduled but we will inform you as soon as information becomes available.
Please call AND e-mail your state Representative today and urge him or her to support HF 2114 and HJR 2005 as introduced. The law-abiding gun owners of Iowa deserve to have the strongest and most comprehensive protection that can be enacted into law, and HF 2114 and HJR 2005 as introduced would provide that protection. For contact information or help identifying your state Representative please click here.
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