In the wake of national calls for passage of ‘Red Flag Gun Seizure’ legislation, Iowa State Senator Jake Chapman today announced that he is opposed to any version of this legislation.
“The idea of being innocent until proven guilty is revered in American jurisprudence. This legislation would declare a gun owner guilty, and force him or her to come back before a court and prove their innocence at a later time,” said Chapman.
Gun rights advocates hotly contest the legislation that is being pushed by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), saying that it is just another measure that will do virtually nothing to stop criminals, while allowing law-abiding gun owners to be unjustly targeted.
Chapman continued, “The idea of a court issuing a seizure order and suspending someone’s Second Amendment rights before that person has ever been convicted of a crime is a dangerous precedent to set. We are a Nation that respects and honors due process, this type of legislation is a direct assault on that foundational right.”
The legislation being proposed in Washington, D.C. is not a federal law. Rather, it is a funding mechanism to financially incentivize state lawmakers to pass the bill at the state level.
Iowa has made major advancements in Second Amendment freedom over the last decade with the passage of Shall Issue and Stand-Your-Ground legislation, along with numerous other bills, casting doubt on the likelihood of passage of a ‘Red Flag’ bill in the Hawkeye State.
“Gun control is often hyped as a miracle cure to violence. However, the reality is that gun laws such as ‘gun free zones’ do nothing to stop violence from occurring and in fact only restrict law-abiding citizens from defending themselves. The proposed ‘Red Flags’ legislation will be no different and will do nothing to prevent these evil and violent acts from occurring. We have to look much deeper,” Chapman concluded
