(DES MOINES, Iowa) – The Iowa Firearms Coalition (IFC) welcomes the introduction of the “Students First Safety Act,” HSB675, a bill that creates a pathway for Iowa school districts to arm trained staff.
The bill will be brought before the Public Safety subcommittee on Monday.
“If you see a fire starting in your home, do you grab the fire extinguisher and put it out, or just dial 911 and wait for the fire department to arrive after it’s totally engulfed?” said IFC President and Des Moines area police officer, Dave Funk. “IFC is grateful to the legislature for bringing this bill forward, addressing issues of critical importance.”
While IFC is encouraged legislators are taking steps to protect Iowa’s children in the classroom, the existing proposed legislation leaves room for improvement. IFC looks forward to working with lawmakers to refine the bill to include:
Protection for all Iowa school districts, not just the largest and wealthiest in the state.
A training program for all willing educators.
Closing the insurance discrimination loophole, which has allowed for insurance companies to hold the safety of Iowa children hostage at the expense of woke corporate policies.
Two school districts in northwest Iowa had planned on implementing armed staff as soon as the 2024 school year but withdrew their plans once Des Moines based EMC insurance notified the districts that their insurance policies would not be renewed if the plan went into effect.
“We’ve had meetings with the schools, we’ve had meetings with the insurance companies. I’m working with the Senate to make sure we have a collaborative bill we can do something with,” said Rep. John Wills (Dickinson County).
IFC further recommends legislators use “Time and Math” when debating the bill and to look beyond School Resource Officers (SROs) as the only solution to protecting students. While IFC acknowledges the important role of SROs in Iowa schools, in particular how they provide mentorship to students, it is unrealistic to think that a single peace officer is always going to be at the right place at just the right time when evil strikes.
IFC has been working with retired Army Officer and schoolteacher Ed Monk to bring a fact-based approach to the Capitol in the wake of the tragedy at Perry High School. Monk was further part of a team of experts that led the Iowa Educators Academy, an intensive IFC program that taught more than a dozen school administrators and staff members on how best to respond to a crisis, last year.
“If you don’t stop a threat within thirty seconds to one minute, you often see double digit victim counts,” said Monk. “You want the lowest possible victim count and that means an immediate response. You can’t argue against Time and Math.”
IFC is calling on Iowans to contact their local representatives and senators and demand they find a solution to insuring school districts that understand the reality of Time and Math.
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.
Linn County Pistol Club will be hosting a sectional on March 10 at Linn County Izaak Walton. This will be a .22 caliber 90 shot match, and scores are submitted to NRA to be compiled into the national indoor pistol championship. There will also be a 30 shot team match. The program is attached with sign-up info. We will have 2 relays at 9:00 and 10:30 in the morning for a total of 16 shooters. If needed we can add an afternoon relay. Make sure to sign up early to reserve your spot.
Remembering Herb Lanford… Many of you may not have known Herb. In truth, I didn’t know Herb before working with him on the NRA’s Clubs and Associations Committee. In fact, I wasn’t familiar with the majority of the NRA board members at that time years ago. I was, however, humbled and excited to be selected as a committee member of what I believed and still do believe is one of the most crucial committees NRA has – Clubs and Associations. That excitement carried through to the first meeting I attended.
Herb wasn’t a man of large stature. I think I might have been a full foot taller than him. Picture a small thin man, with a distinct southeastern accent, and a shiny pair of cowboy boots… You’ve got that picture now, don’t you? Herb was continually well-spoken, a skilled orator, and based on his vocabulary, seemed to know most of the Merriam-Webster dictionary. He was polite to a fault and had a way of addressing everyone that invited them into his invisible sphere. Herb was a welcoming man, and I don’t ever recall anyone thinking otherwise.
I assumed I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the committee. Instead, I found a different atmosphere. Herb ran a structured meeting. He offered meticulous practice of Robert’s Rules of Order and led with precise action. There was no melee of verbal judo. At first, I was put off by our speed and the exact nature of the work. This caused a strained relationship with Herb. We were very cordial, but I could tell he wasn’t enthusiastic about the “new guy” and his go, go, go, approach to everything. I often have that impression on people, and I’ve come to realize, I too, can be an acquired taste.
After some time and reflection, I decided to watch more and run my yap less. …Which is what I should have done in the beginning. To Herb’s credit, he could have easily made arrangements to have me removed. After all, Herb was the chair of that committee and had been for many years. But, he didn’t. Over time and discussion with Herb, both in group and private arenas, I came to appreciate Herb. He was continually decent and kind. He didn’t allow things to spiral out of control, did a good job of herding all of the kittens, and ultimately was passionate about the protection of the Second Amendment. Much like this country’s founders, Herb chose to measure twice and cut once. He never wanted to shortcut anything – it was too important. Herb Lanford would strive to make sure we were making the best possible decisions possible.
I remember one time we had a problem with a state association in the Midwest. There was a communication barrier and we’d had all kinds of trouble getting to the bottom of some simple things. What did Herb do? On his own time and dime, he flew from his home in SC to the Midwest, rented a car, and drove to the person’s home in charge. They sat down, had a great conversation, and all was well moving forward. I remember thinking at the time how few people would do that. Most would hand over that problem to somebody else, rely on the same things that weren’t working, and tell themselves that they tried. Not Herb. It was important, had gone on long enough, he knew it, and he handled it with poise and purpose. I have grown a tremendous respect for Herb. While we may not have always agreed on the nature of change and how to best achieve it, I always felt secure with his motivation.
I’m still serving on the Clubs and Associations Committee and I love it. Our committee helps many people in many ways and I’m proud to be a small part of something so very important. My view of the committee and its purpose have morphed over time, and I have Herb to thank for that in no small part. Frankly, I grew up a little bit over this period with these fellow committee members, and have learned more than I can relate under Herb’s guidance.
Join me in thanking Herb, one last time, for his continual work. I hope to catch up to him on the other side.
Six Minutes That Could Change Everything! Time and math. Six minutes that could save hundreds of future lives in our schools. If you are a parent, school board member, teacher, administrator, coach, cook, bus driver, or fan in the stands, please watch and consider. This should interest you, especially if you know the gratuitous harm of innocent children is wrong. If you wish to take a deeper dive, check out this IFC blog and theVideo.
The IFC Educator Academy results are in. 13 Iowa educators participated in 36 hours of firearms and active shooter training. 10 of the 13 were able to complete standards of 90% or higher on a qualification where no shots were allowed outside the target’s outline. IFC Chair John McLaughlin discusses this at length with Ed Monk, active shooter planning and response expert, and Adam Winch, owner and creator of Defenders USA. These folks came to Iowa and taught Iowa School Staff from the ground up and now reflect on the past and point to future possibilities.
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