The Fight Begins for Iowa Gun Owners
Iowa – -(Ammoland.com)- The fight for gun rights is underway at the Capitol as the new legislative session has begun.
Read below for information about the bills that IGO is working on this year.
Yours for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms,
Aaron Dorr Executive Director ————————————————————The 2011 session of the 84th General Assembly kicked off this week in Des Moines and Iowa Gun Owners was on hand to continue the fight for our 2nd Amendment freedoms.
(Iowa Gun Owners’ Executive Director Aaron Dorr with newly elected Representative Kim Pearson. Pearson replaced a candidate who supported banning semi-auto weapons. Pearson will be the lead sponsor for REAL Right-to-Carry/Constitutional Carry this year for Iowa Gun Owners.)
After a long two year fight, we were able to take the results of the votes we obtained in the House and Senate and kick out close to two dozen anti-gun legislators who voted against REAL Right-to-Carry/Constitutional Carry!
As well, Governor Culver, who refused to complete the Iowa Gun Owners 2010 Candidate Survey was defeated by Governor Branstad, who did answer his survey 100% pro-gun.
As a result, this year looks promising for Iowa gun owners. Thank you for helping us get to this point!
This year Iowa Gun Owners will be working on REAL Right-to-Carry/Constitutional Carry that we almost passed last legislative session.
REAL Right-to-Carry would allow law abiding Iowans to carry a weapon for self-defense WITHOUT needing to first obtain government permission.
Recognizing that criminals don’t follow the laws regarding guns, this bill would do away with the seemingly endless bureaucratic headaches currently associated with being able to exercise your 2nd Amendment rights.
This is the law currently in Vermont, Alaska, Arizona, most of Montana and may become law in Wyoming this year as well.
For more information about the recent shootings in Arizona read below.
In addition, we are working on a Stand Your Ground/Castle Dostrine bill that would give very important protections to all Iowans who find themselves in the position of needing to use force to defend themselves from violent criminal attack.
This bill simply states that you no longer have to retreat in the face of an attack and that you are allowed to meet force with force. Further, whereas some states only attach this protection to you in your home, this bill will provide legal protection to you anywhere that you are legally allowed to be in the state.
Also, this bill gives full immunity to you from criminal and civil prosecution so long as the shooting was justified. In this way, an Iowan who was already forced to go through a terrible ordeal (defending himself from a violent criminal) will not have to worry about being drug through a civil court where he may lose millions of dollars.
Finally, Iowa Gun Owners will be working this year on an effort to repeal Iowa’s Permit-to-Purchase handguns altogether. The overwhelming majority of states in the nation have repealed this unconstitutional law. In those states, private citizens can buy and sell handguns amongst themselves without needing the government to authorize it.
These are ambitious goals. But with your help, we will continue to advance the cause for gun rights here in Iowa.
We’ve made some progress, but we have much to do. In fact, recent reports out of Dubuque County would indicate that the sheriff there is assuming the power to decide what training he is willing to accept and what training he won’t accept when you apply for your permit.
This is outrageous – and this is just one of the issues that we were very opposed to in last year’s bill.
Training, while a good idea, should be optional. Now we have a situation where one government official can decide who can offer you training (does anyone see a possible financial incentive here since law enforcement is one of the primary entities that can offer this training?) and if you go to an unapproved trainer you will not get your permit.
Not to mention the fact that the only approved course may just have a six month waiting list.
So much for shall issue.
It’s time for all Iowans to get together and support the REAL Right-to-Carry/Constitutional Carry that would truly restore the 2nd Amendment here in Iowa.
Please take a moment to sign the petition, if you’ve not already done so, calling on the General Assembly to pass this bill this year!
We will be updating you often during the next few months and we encourage you to take the action requested in these emails.
We need to maintain the pressure and hold this new General Assembly to their promises.
Get ready!
In light of the recent horrible shooting in Arizona there have been the predictable calls from the liberal media and some of their allies in Congress to enact tougher gun laws.
From high capacity magazine bans to reinstatement of the so called “Assault Weapons” ban, the anti-gun crowd is doing what they can to use this tragic time for their agenda.
Clearly this was a horrible crime and the suspect, if convicted, should pay the price for his actions. But clearly someone who is willing to commit mass murder wouldn’t have been stopped by the legality of carrying a weapon with or without a permit.
One interesting thing that an Iowa Gun Owners supporter brought to our attention is something that we’ve not yet heard much about in the national news.
One of the men who tackled and pinned the shooter to the ground was carrying a concealed firearm!!
When asked by the media about his actions that day
Joe Zemudio said, “…I just came running up to him – I carry a firearm, so I wasn’t really afraid.”
From what we know at the moment, Mr. Zemudio wasn’t in the immediate vicinity when the shooting took place. Had he or another armed person been closer, perhaps much of the carnage of that day could have been avoided.
We will keep you posted if any new or relevant information regarding this terrible shooting becomes available.
About:
Iowa Gun Owners (IGO) was formed in January of 2009 to combat the oppressive gun laws in the State of Iowa. IGO does not believe that you, as a law abiding citizen, should have to beg permission from the government to be able to defend yourself and your family. That’s why we are working so hard to get a Vermont/Alaska style carry law passed in Iowa. In these states, unless you are a convicted felon or otherwise barred from possessing weapons, you don’t need a permit to carry a gun for self-defense! Join us now! Visit: www.iowagunowners.org