NRA Out of Line in Iowa
Manassas, VA –-(AmmoLand.com)- The Firearms Coalition yesterday issued a scathing denunciation of legislation proposed by the National Rifle Association for the state of Iowa saying that Iowa is the latest instance of the NRA cavalry riding in to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
In Iowa, Sheriffs have broad discretion in the issuance or denial of permits to carry concealed weapons and Iowa GunVoters have been rallying support for removing that discretion and moving the state to a “shall issue” system.
In the last legislative session an Alaska-style bill, pushed by local grass roots rights activists led by the group Iowa Gun Owners, fell just one vote short of passage in the Iowa House. In response to that impressive achievement the NRA has decided to get involved in the state. They have proposed a bill that shifts the law from “may issue” to “shall issue,” but their bill also raises the minimum age from 18 to 21, retains extensive mandatory training requirements, enhances penalties for possession of a firearm while “under the influence” of alcohol – without defining exactly what “under the influence” means – and expands the list of things which make a person ineligible to receive a permit – including an arrest for a violent crime, even if the arrest was erroneous.
The combination of activated grass roots supporters, politicians fearful of Obama backlash in the November elections, and the NRA’s experience and resources should equate to a perfect storm for passage of serious rights reform legislation in Iowa. Instead NRA is lowering the bar with a bill that all but the most committed anti-rights politicians can happily support. Primary opposition to the NRA proposal is coming not from the gun haters, but from strong Second Amendment supporters.
Details of the Iowa problem, and NRA’s misguided solutions, can be found on The Firearms Coalition’s main web site at www.FirearmsCoalition.org.
About:
The Firearms Coalition is a loose-knit coalition of individual Second Amendment activists, clubs and civil rights organizations. Founded by Neal Knox in 1984, the organization provides support to grassroots activists in the form of education, analysis of current issues, and with a historical perspective of the gun rights movement. The Firearms Coalition is a project of Neal Knox Associates, Manassas, VA. Visit: www.FirearmsCoalition.org