A new Republican-sponsored bill in the Iowa statehouse would let Iowans buy or carry firearms without obtaining a permit.
Iowa legislature hoping to pass Constitutional carry
According to the Des Moines Register, House Study Bill 254 advanced through a House Subcommittee on Monday and is now eligible for consideration by the full House Public Safety Committee.
Supporters of the bill say it would remove the need for Iowans to get “a permission slip” to exercise their right to keep and bear arms. Opponents say it would threaten public safety and roll back some of Iowa’s background check requirements.
Iowans would still be able to obtain permits to carry or acquire firearms, but the process would become optional. People would still need to apply for permits in order to carry firearms out of state.
Under the bill, anyone buying a gun from a federally licensed dealer would still have to pass a background check or present a permit to carry. Gun sales between private citizens would no longer require Iowans to first obtain a permit.
It would be a class D felony to sell, rent, or loan a gun to a person who is prohibited from owning one. That’s a crime punishable by up to 5 to 10 years in prison. Lawmakers previously considered permitless carry legislation but the proposals never advanced.
Republicans fighting for the Second Amendment
Democrats are launching a fresh push for significant gun control legislation, introducing two bills aimed at sweeping overhauls of the nation’s gun laws.
A group of lawmakers, led by California Rep. Mike Thompson, who leads the congressional task force on gun violence prevention, reintroduced legislation Tuesday to require background checks for all gun purchasers.
The bill is being co-sponsored by Rep. Jerry Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee; Democratic Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, Robin Kelly of Illinois and Lucy McBath of Georgia, along with Republican Reps. Fred Upton of Michigan, Christopher Smith of New Jersey and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.
President Biden has asked Congress for a new gun control bill that would ban “assault rifles,” high capacity magazines and require permits and background checks to purchase ammunition as well as firearms. Several patriot governors have vowed to push back against the president’s tyrannical agenda.