Law Enforcement Support for Students First Safety Act

Law Enforcement support for the Students First Safety Act was announced by Cedar County Sheriff Warren Wethington on Thursday, March 21st. The Sheriff asked the Senate to PASS the Students First Safety Act to increase school safety.

Warren Wethington

The Sheriff publicly called on Iowa’s State Senators to pass the Students First Safety Act, HF2586. The bill is supported by the Iowa Firearms Coalition (IFC).

Sheriff Wethington understands that it will take time for officers to respond in the event of a school shooting.  He says:

“It is impossible for Iowa’s peace officers to be everywhere at all times and our state’s students and staff must be better protected,” said Wethington. “I fully support the Students First Safety Act and I call on lawmakers in the Senate to pass it now. Our children can’t afford to wait any longer.”

HF2586

The Students First Safety Act, which passed the Iowa house overwhelmingly in February, will allow for specially trained armed staff to carry firearms on school grounds. The training requirements are extensive. The Cedar County Gazette published this article about the bill on February 29th. The legislation further includes provisions that provide a path forward for school districts seeking to safeguard their campuses with the ability to obtain insurance.

Two school districts in northwest Iowa had worked to implement armed staff in 2023 but cancelled plans once Des Moines-based EMC insurance notified the districts that their insurance policies would not be renewed if their plans went into effect.

IFC President Dave Funk had this to say:

“We are grateful Sheriff Wethington is taking a public stand in support of school safety. As the recent act of evil at Perry High School proved, evil can happen anywhere. The only proven way to save lives when evil strikes is to have good people who are willing and able to respond quickly.”

The Iowa Firearms Coalition, Iowa’s official NRA State Association, is a 501(c4) nonprofit and is Iowa’s only effective pro-Second Amendment rights organization.

For further comment, please contact:
Sheriff Warren Wethington
563-886-2121
or —
jmclaughlin@iowafc.org
John McLaughlin, IFC Chair

Contact Your Senator

Please contact your State Senator directly to ask them to PASS HF2586, the Students First Safety Act. To send a pre-written email, Take Action HERE. On that same page, on the right-hand side, you can enter your zip code and address to look up your Senator, if you prefer to call them.

Second Amendment Matters