The effort to reclaim and protect Iowans’ Right to Keep and Bear Arms will never end. I’m proud of the progress Iowa has made since the Iowa Senate, House, and Governor have become led by a conservative Republican mindset in 2017. The difference is even more stark when you look at how Iowa law treated law-abiding citizens during the Democrat trifecta when I started in the House in 2009.
Back then Iowa had a concealed carry law, but it was so limited that a citizen had to ASK(!) the county sheriff for permission to have a concealed carry permit. Our county sheriff in the early 2000s told me simply, “I don’t think you need one.” Twenty years later you gave me the privilege of running the constitutional carry bill in the Iowa Senate, and now no permit is needed but one is offered.
Back in 2009 homeowners had no presumption of self defense if they were forced to defend themselves with a firearm. There was a legal duty to retreat and the victim of a home invasion had to prove they tried to get away from the invading thief or rapist. Now, you have a presumption of self defense and the government has to prove you were not justified if you have to defend yourself in your own house. Better yet, we expanded on this by passing Stand Your Ground legislation. This is a similar act protecting those who are going about their lawful business and find themselves attacked outside of the home. No more robberies, rapes, and injuries of legally armed Iowans who used to be told to try to run away.
A huge problem in Iowa that you never noticed until you got arrested was the patchwork of different gun policies from city and county ordinances and state law. Your civil liberties were restricted from the bottom up. There was nothing the state could legally do to protect your rights, even if they wanted to. Iowa now has a statewide preemption of local anti-freedom ordinances. If a public location wants to ban firearms, Iowa law now makes them responsible for your safety. Metal detectors and armed security are required if you are disarmed at a concert venue, sporting event or courthouse. A Des Moines official complained the cost of security in all their buildings was too expensive. I responded that respecting freedom is free! No budget increase needed.
We have accomplished so much in the last eight years of Republican control. What could be left? The Iowa Firearms Coalition is your best voice for freedom on gun related issues. They have a website and newsletter that are very good. I am a lifetime member. It would be great if everyone reading this joined to help protect your liberty.
One of the simplest fixes planned for this year is to change hunting code to match constitutional carry. Current law requires a hunting firearm to be unloaded and cased while hunting. An Iowan not hunting can carry long guns or pistols without being cased. We will remove the hunting restriction for consistency.
Another planned bill is to address recent pro-gun opinions from across the country. It has finally been found to be unconstitutional to restrict gun rights to 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds.
That is an opportunity to clean up unconstitutional restrictions we can’t pass up. We will soon have professional and non-professional carry permits for these Iowans. These permits will have a unique format. This is in order to maintain recognition of our permit by other freedom-loving states so Iowans can travel armed in those states. We will also remove existing restrictions on 18–20 year olds so that regulations on pistols will be the same as long guns. These laws were silly when they were adopted, and now it is time to move to code language that is constitutional.
After getting over 90% of the work done, I know we will never quite get done working to restore your gun rights. After decades, even centuries, of gun laws in our past that were based on race, class, or age, we are getting close to what America’s Founding Fathers envisioned.
Shall not be infringed. It seems so clear when you read it.
Author: Jason Schultz
State Sen. Jason Schultz served three terms in the House prior to being elected to the Iowa Senate. Schultz served seven years in the National Guard and served as volunteer fire fighter for the Schleswig Volunteer FD for 13 years, two years as the department's chief.
Senator Jason “Machine Gun” Schultz nails it with this think piece.