NRA Priority Firearm Preemption Bill Moving Forward in Iowa Legislature

Contact members of the state House Public Safety Committee TODAY!

Another NRA priority bill is moving forward in the Iowa House of Representatives.  House File 2114, the firearms preemption legislation, passed the state House Public Safety Subcommittee yesterday by a 2 to 1 vote.  State Representatives Matt Windschitl (R-56) and Dwayne Alons (R-4) supported this critical legislation, while state Representative Rick Olson (D-68) voted against it.  HF 2114 has been scheduled to be voted on by the full House Public Safety Committee TOMORROW. 

Upon passage of the Iowa’s shall-issue law in 2010, some counties in Iowa sought to ban firearms from public properties including parks - effectively denying your ability to protect yourself outside your home.  Fortunately, Iowa has a firearm preemption law that prohibits counties from passing ordinances that are more restrictive than state law.  However, the firearms preemption statute needs to be strengthened to prevent current and future attempts to circumvent this law.  This proposed legislation, crafted on the NRA’s successful firearms preemption statute in Florida, rests the sole authority on these matters with the state legislature and prevents a rights-infringing patchwork of local ordinances.

One problem with local firearm ordinances is the sheer variety.  Where no uniform state laws are in place, the result can be a complex patchwork of restrictions that change from one local jurisdiction to the next.  It is unreasonable to require citizens, whether residents of a given state or persons passing through or visiting a state, to memorize and comply with a myriad of laws. When so many local ordinances exist, citizens with no criminal intent are placed in jeopardy of running afoul of restrictions they don`t even know exist.  This can affect hunters, target shooters and firearm collectors who travel through multiple jurisdictions on the way to hunting areas, shooting ranges, and exhibitions.  Additionally, individuals who travel with firearms for personal protection are at risk of breaking the law simply by crossing from one municipality to another.  If charged with a violation of an obscure local ordinance, the honest gun owner faces, at the very least, great expense and devotion of time to clearing his or her good name in court, and retrieving any firearms and other property confiscated by law enforcement officials.

Please call AND e-mail members of the state House Public Safety Committee TODAY and urge them to support this critical legislation and keep law-abiding citizens from becoming criminals just because they cross over an imaginary line.  Contact information for this committee can be found here.

Members of the House Public Safety Committee

Clel Baudler (R-58), Chairman

Tom Shaw (R-8), Vice Chairman

Ako Abdul-Samad (D-66)

Dwayne Alons (R-4)

Deborah L. Berry (D- 22)

Mark Brandenburg (R- 100)

Joel Fry (R- 95)

Ruth Ann Gaines (D- 65)

Chris Hagenow (R- 59)

Jarad Klein (R- 89)

Bob M. Kressig (D-19)

Dan Muhlbauer (D- 51)

Rick Olson (D- 68)

Steven N. Olson (R- 83)

Henry V. Rayhons (R- 11)

Thomas R. Sands (R- 87)

Kurt Swaim (D- 94)

David A. Tjepkes (R- 50)

Matt W. Windschitl (R- 56)

Mary Wolfe (D- 26)

Gary Worthan (R- 52)