The Clinton County Board of Supervisors has approved a resolution to make their community Iowa’s 37th Second Amendment Sanctuary County.
IFC WELCOMES NEWS OF CLINTON COUNTY’S “SECOND AMENDMENT SANCTUARY” STATUS
“Momentum in Iowa is clearly on the side of civil rights,” said Dave Funk, Iowa Firearms Coalition (IFC) President. “We would like to thank the Clinton County Board of Supervisors for taking this step, ensuring their residents’ tax dollars will not be used towards federal efforts that violate the Constitution.”
Second Amendment Sanctuary resolutions at the county level do not supersede federal law but they do prevent local resources from being used to assist the federal government in efforts that violate the Second Amendment.
The move follows Iowa’s passage of Statewide Public Measure 1, the Freedom Amendment, which placed the right to keep and bear arms into Iowa’s state constitution. The vote passed with more than 65% support – the most popular item on the 2022 midterm ballot.
IFC has continued to work with state and local elected officials to protect the right of Iowans to keep and bear arms in the wake of ongoing threats by some in Washington, D.C. to support actions that would infringe upon the Second Amendment.
Iowa’s Second Amendment Sanctuary Counties, so far, also include Mitchell, Chickasaw, Pocahontas, Hardin, Carroll, Jasper, Cedar, Washington, Madison, Mills, Adams, Clarke, Humboldt, Kossuth, Ringgold, Buchanan, Van Buren, Winnebago, Decatur, Dallas, Guthrie, Benton, Page, Lucas, Taylor, Union, Hancock, Buena Vista, Pottawattamie, Cherokee, Montgomery, Fremont, Muscatine, Des Moines, Ida and Wayne.
The Iowa Firearms Coalition, an affiliate of both the NRA and the NSSF, is a 501(c4) nonprofit and is Iowa’s only effective pro-Second Amendment rights organization.
Iowa’s Freedom Amendment Ceremony was held by the Secretary of State’s office last week. IFC was proud to be featured and recognized for all the hard work associated with years of planning and execution.
The right to keep and bear arms has been added to Iowa’s state constitution after voters approved Public Measure 1, also known as the Freedom Amendment, at the ballot box on Tuesday.
The passage of the Freedom Amendment was made possible thanks to the grassroots efforts of the Iowa Firearms Coalition (IFC), which through their network of advocates, supporters, and volunteers, successfully lobbied the Iowa Legislature to approve the ballot measure in two consecutive legislative sessions before the issue was brought to Iowa voters.
“This is a historical day for freedom, civil rights and the Hawkeye state,” said IFC President Dave Funk. “The right to self-defense and bear arms is here to stay in Iowa and we are grateful for the thousands of Iowans who took time out of their days to cast a vote in favor of liberty.”
With the passage of the measure, Iowa joins nearly every other state in the Union in adopting its own version of the Freedom Amendment. Only five states in the country, Minnesota, Maryland, California, New York and New Jersey, do not have Second Amendment protections in their respective state constitutions.
Polling done prior to Election Day showed the Freedom Amendment was expected to be the most popular item on Iowans’ ballots, with strong support among registered Republicans, Independents and Democrats.
“We could not be happier that Iowans of all political stripes and backgrounds came together to support a nonpartisan issue that impacts us all,” said IFC Chair John McLaughlin. “While shady out-of-state billionaire backed organizations may have attempted to meddle in our elections, confuse voters and spread misinformation, we are proud to say Iowans knew better.”
In the days prior to Election Day, IFC received multiple reports of alleged attempts by a poll worker to misinform voters about the Freedom Amendment at the Woodbury County Courthouse in Sioux City. These allegations are being investigated by the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office, the Woodbury County Auditor’s Office, and the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office. It remains unclear at this time what impact these alleged actions may have had on voters. IFC plans to follow this case and advocate that should any poll worker be found to have broken the law, they are held accountable for their actions.
The Iowa Firearms Coalition, an affiliate of the NRA and NSSF, is a 501(c4) nonprofit and is Iowa’s only effective pro-Second Amendment rights organization.
Did you know that Iowa is NO LONGER one of six states that do not recognize our precious Second Amendment rights in their constitutions? We’re no longer in the “I like to trample your civil rights” club consisting of California, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Minnesota. That all changed on November 8th, 2022. 2 out of every 3 voters in Iowa SAID YES to freedom and liberty.
The Freedom Amendment is the culmination of over a decade of hard work. NRA and IFC have been partnered in this monumental endeavor from day one. We built the language together, worked through the tweaks together, and pushed this forward when others didn’t even bother to declare “for” or “against” on the resolutions for the Freedom Amendment as they passed through the Iowa General Assembly. It may sound odd, but lots of people show up to celebrate and take credit when there is a win. Too few actually roll up their sleeves and work the issue day and night on behalf of others. We’re proud to partner with NRA.
The Iowa Firearms Coalition, Iowa’s only effective gun-rights organization, has been hard at work for years to get this fixed! Amending Iowa’s Constitution was no easy task. The course was long and there are many hurdles and pitfalls along the way. But the “Freedom Amendment” is now Section 1A of Iowa’s Constitution, having met the requirement to pass in two consecutive General Assemblies and then be ratified by a majority of Iowa voters.
Congratulations Iowans, you did it!
The newest Amendment to Iowa’s Constitution, the Freedom Amendment, reads:
“The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The sovereign state of Iowa affirms and recognizes this right to be a fundamental individual right. Any and all restrictions of this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny.”
The number of “thank yous” we owe is epic and we’re not sure we can do them all justice. But, the best start is to high-five your liberty-loving friends and family that supported Iowan’s civil rights and then hit our IFC Action Center to send the Legislature a thank you note for pushing the measure forth for Iowans to ratify with their votes.
2. Join the Iowa Firearms Coalition and become not just a member but an active volunteer in the fight to preserve and maintain our God-given rights! IFC Membership
3. Consider donating to our sister organization, IFC-PAC, so we can continue to protect the right to keep and bear arms for Iowans of every color, sex, and creed. IFC-PAC Donation
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