by Michael Ware | Oct 27, 2021
Take a look at the image above. Just saying…
If you believe in the Second Amendment the way our framers and founders did, you shouldn’t be afraid to do so on the county level and state level. Visit our new “Iowa 2A Sanctuary” page to get up to speed on everything to the nationwide scene, how to get your local county supervisors involved, and more.
If you’re like all of us at IFC and think Governor Kim Reynolds should declare Iowa a 2A Sanctuary, visit the IFC Action Center and send Governor Kim Reynolds and Lt. Governor Adam Gregg a message of urging and support for this!
And finally, if you’re not a member of a volunteer organization that has done so much on every front to protect and advance your Second Amendment rights, you should have your pulse checked. JOIN NOW
by Michael Ware | Sep 28, 2021
Your Fourth Amendment Right to privacy; Iowa vs California.
A few years ago, the Iowa Legislature, with the urging of the Iowa Firearms Coalition, made weapons permit information private. IFC pushed for that legislative change because various “media” groups and companies had a habit of requesting it, and then publishing that information as a public shaming tool.
That was known among criminals as “the places where guns could be stolen” list. It was a serious violation of our Fourth Amendment rights to privacy.
Just recently, the California Legislature passed a bill that not only negates its citizen’s rights to privacy but authorizes the release of firearm transaction records to any research institution which requests them. So any random grad student can just get your name, address, date of birth, and every firearm/ammunition purchase you’ve ever made in California.
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB173
Think about that for a minute, in this day and age of rampant identity theft, the Legislature in California thinks it’s a good idea to give anyone claiming to be a grad student your federally protected, personal information. Not to mention that any invading army could have the same records through a data hack. Kinda negates the whole rifleman behind every blade of grass argument about why no nation could ever successfully invade the United States.
When you read about IFC’s efforts over the last almost fifteen years, remember, we’re one flip of political control of the State of Iowa away for all of those gains to disappear. This is just another example of the need for us to pass the Freedom Amendment next November. #2A4IA
Shoot straight, speak the truth, and never surrender our liberties.
Dave Funk
IFC President
by Michael Ware | Sep 27, 2021
IFC was immediately concerned to learn the three House Representatives (Hinson, Miller-Meeks, and Feenstra) that ran on pro-2A platforms had voted for the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) while it contained a specific “Red Flag” component. Rather than having a knee-jerk reaction, we reached out to Representative Ashely Hinson’s office for clarity and context.
HR4350
I could go into a story a mile long about procedural technicalities, but the short version is this… Representative Ashely Hinson has assured IFC that the vote was necessary to push things along, and they were given assurances that the “Red Flag” components would be removed from the final version of the bill.
Sometimes the minority party cannot remove objectionable language on their own. It was mentioned a commitment was given to remove the “Red Flag” language. This particular “Yes” vote allowed the bill to move in the process without labeling supporters as “anti-troop” members of congress. Apparently, the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee must have received assurances the “Red Flag” components will be removed before final passage of the bill is offered.
This is the most important part… I spoke directly with her chief of staff moments ago, and Representative Hinson WILL NOT support a version of this bill that contains “Red Flag” language. She has taken a public stance on this and we are communicating that out to the masses. It is always important to seek the context of any action. See a captured image from her social media page confirming this:
Thank you to Representative Ashely Hinson and her staff for helping us understand this issue with clarity quickly. I have not heard from Representatives Miller-Meeks or Feenstra at the time of publishing this post. IFC will continue to monitor this situation and make known any problems we see.
In Liberty,
Michael Ware
IFC Chairman
by Michael Ware | Sep 16, 2021
If you are an Iowan who understands and treasures your natural and fundamental right to keep and bear arms, you are surely concerned about the serious threats to that right posed by the anti-gun, anti-liberty forces currently controlling our federal government. However, after a decade of pro-Second Amendment legislation here in Iowa, culminating in the recent repeal of the requirements for a Permit to Carry Weapons and a Permit to Acquire Pistols and Revolvers, you’re probably feeling pretty confident that at least here in your home state, your Second Amendment rights are recognized, protected, and respected by the law.
But let’s imagine for a moment that you live in another state…
That state requires you to:
- Apply for, qualify for, pay for, and wait for a Permit in order to buy a handgun
- Apply for, qualify for, pay for, and wait for a Permit to carry a handgun – and furthermore
- A local official has absolute discretion whether to grant that Permit to Carry and as to what restrictions to place on it
- That “personal protection” is not considered a valid reason to issue a Permit to Carry
- There is no appeal available to those denied a permit – and no refund
- The permit application process must be repeated every year
- All permit application information is available to the public and regularly published in newspapers and online
- As a result, fewer than 1 person in 100 is ever granted a permit
For those (nearly everyone) who do not have a Permit to Carry, the weapons laws are so strict that:
- An ammunition magazine containing even a single round is considered to be “a loaded firearm”, even if no gun is present
- The mere act of carrying a firearm may be considered “going armed with intent”
- Instructing a youth under age 14 in the safe handling and use of any handgun is a serious crime – and a felony on the second offense!
- A permit holder commits a crime if he/she does not possess and display it on-demand to any peace officer
- Hunters in the field are prohibited from carrying a defensive handgun
- It is a crime to carry a defensive handgun on an ATV or snowmobile, even with a Permit to Carry or on one’s own property
- Carrying a stun gun or a knife with a blade over 5” under one’s coat or in a purse is a serious crime
- Firearm sound suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns are classified in the same way as machine guns and possession is a felony
- Local governments, library and park boards, etc. feel free to place local restrictions on your right to keep and bear arms. If you decide to petition your legislators at the Capitol, you will find yourself disarmed at the door.
- Those citizens who may be forced to use reasonable defensive force to repel aggressive force against themselves or their families may have a “duty to retreat” and can be subject to prosecution if a prosecutor, judge, or jury believes they should have done so.
Even if you are one of the lucky few who were issued a Permit to Carry in that state after jumping through all the hoops, you’d probably feel that your Second Amendment rights were being pretty seriously infringed upon. Right now, you are probably wondering what state that is (Illinois? Massachusetts?) and are grateful for being an Iowan.
Well, the state described above was Iowa just a decade ago!
We Iowans are fortunate, in that over the course of the last ten years our legislature has removed every single one of the restrictions on our Second Amendment rights listed above. The last of them fell away on July 1st, when the most recent changes to the law went into effect. Now, if you are an adult lawfully in possession of any weapon, you may carry it on or about your person or in a vehicle, openly or concealed, without the need of a permit. Unlike in most states, there are only a handful of places that are off-limits to the otherwise lawful carrying of weapons.
The changes noted above – and others – did not happen by chance, but are a testament to what determined and sustained effort by a few citizens can accomplish. Fifteen years ago, four men who were unhappy with Iowa’s terribly inequitable “may issue” weapons permit system, began to organize a movement to change the law to a “shall issue” system, as so many states had already done since the late 1980s. That movement quickly grew from a coffee klatch to an email bulletin board group and then to a statewide organization called Iowa Carry, Inc. The movement gathered attention and strong support and by 2010, legislators and the Governor were convinced to change the law and enact a very good “shall issue” system.
Iowa Carry had accomplished its singular goal and was forced to make a decision. Should the group disband – or should it broaden its goals and become a permanent organization? It chose the latter course, became Iowa Firearms Coalition (IFC), and officially affiliated with its ally, the National Rifle Association.
Since that time, IFC volunteers have worked continuously to further improve Iowa’s laws and regulations governing weapons, use of force, hunting, etc. Working with our partners at NRA, we have had tremendous success in persuading legislators to do the right thing, especially in the last five years. You can see the list of IFC initiatives and our many legislative victories at our website, www.IowaFC.org. IFC has a strong presence on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/IowaFirearmsCoalition. We are also on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.
What Is Yet to Be Done? How Can YOU Help?
In recent years, IFC’s political action committee, IFC PAC, has become a growing force on Iowa’s political scene, working to maintain pro-Second Amendment majorities in the Iowa House and Senate. This is critically important, as the accomplishments of more than a decade could be reversed – or worse – in a single legislative session if anti-gun, anti-liberty politicians are allowed to gain control.
In order to prevent that from ever happening, IFC has worked for years to add strong protections of the right to keep and bear arms to Iowa’s Constitution. We are presently one of only six states that has no such constitutional provision. The adoption of what we call the Freedom Amendment would make it difficult or impossible for a future legislature to restrict or deny the free exercise of our Second Amendment rights.
The Freedom Amendment will be on the ballot in November of 2022. IFC PAC intends to play a major role in ensuring that Iowa voters approve it – and by a large margin. This campaign will be an expensive battle, as our opposition will be lavishly funded by out-of-state billionaires and politicians like Michael “Nanny” Bloomberg, Chuck Schumer, and Nancy Pelosi.
To finance this critical campaign, IFC PAC is launching a major fundraising effort. Check your email for a message on this from IFC President Dave Funk.
Your generous support, as an IFC-PAC President’s Hundred ($1500), an IFC-PAC Spartan ($300), or an IFC-PAC Defender ($50) will provide the vital ammunition we need for our digital ads and campaign to the overwhelming majority of Iowans who are staunchly, constitutionally pro-2nd Amendment.
You may contribute online at https://www.ifcpac.org/donate/ or copy/paste/print the contribution form at the bottom of this page to mail in a check. There is a recurring monthly payment option to help you budget your commitment between now and October 2022. As you know, we at IFC strive every day to not waste a volunteer’s time or a donor’s money. Let’s change Iowa’s Constitution and let’s change Iowa history together.
This amendment, the “Freedom Amendment,” is undoubtedly the single most important 2A initiative you will ever impact in your lifetime. Help us help you, your children, and your grandchildren. Stand with the volunteers of IFC!
$1500__ President’s Hundred Member – Includes an IFC-PAC President’s Hundred special pin, an IFC Limited Edition Spartan Patch, quarterly briefings, and victory dinner in 2022. (Pictured)
$300 __ IFC-PAC Spartan – Gets a limited edition IFC-PAC Spartan Patch (Pictured)
$50 __ IFC-PAC Defender
Mail to IFC-PAC, PO Box 310, Moville, Iowa 51039
IFC PAC is on the web at www.IFCPAC.org and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/IFCPAC
by Michael Ware | May 6, 2021
I’ve got news for you. If you haven’t been paying attention, the “all or nothing” folks always get nothing. As much I would enjoy upsetting the applecart, it doesn’t happen. It might not even work to our eventual advantage if it did. As you know there is an opposite, in many cases harsh, reaction to every action.
Have I been frustrated to no end by what appears to sometimes be an inability to govern the way I’d prefer? You betcha. And have I witnessed gradual and strategic gains throughout. Yuppers. I’d love to get all my wishes in one fell swoop, but that isn’t often the true possibility before me. What I need to focus on is the continual chipping away at the mountain. Eventually, this seemingly impossible rock will a pile of rubble with you and I standing atop it. We’ll be in full view, smiling from ear to ear, and we’ll know that instead of trying to eat the whole pie in one sitting, we ingested that sugary yum yum over a small period of time just the same. Our path was virtuous, calculated, and executed. We were and are diligent.
I can quantify this for you. I remember listening to the claims and cries of “blood in the streets” a decade ago over the change from “May Issue” to “Shall Issue” from everyone ignorant to the truth. Read all about the decade+ fight to continually restore 2A liberty in THIS blog from IFC. Fast forward to this year with some of the same insane characters present for the debates, news, and discussion on “Constitutional Carry” and I never heard a single person from the opposition make the same claim in regards to carrying. They have abandoned their own rhetoric. Why? Because we chipped away at it over time, and the proof of Iowan’s ability to carry themselves with integrity and honor has cast those silly aspersions aside.
When I read Dean Weingarten’s article on Ammoland regarding 2A Incrementalism, it was as if I’d written it myself. You should go read it and give it some honest thought. The shock and awe organizations get rich off your outrage but accomplish nothing tangible. If you consider high blood pressure tangible, I guess they do accomplish that, but otherwise nothing. Their claimed victories as always the works of others. Again, I’d love to have it all in an afternoon, but I’m not going to apologize for getting it done right with interlocking components all along the way. Consider the analogy of a dream home you’ve always wanted to build. Do you need to carefully erect each portion with strength and planning so each piece touching another does so in harmony and with longevity, or do you want it completely done in one day? What kind of house would you have if it were even possible to do so? …One potentially riddled with flaws.
Being a small part of legislation teaches one some significant lessons. When carpenters tell you to measure twice and cut once, they’re not kidding. I’ve witnessed some really flawed things that get done through high emotion and knee-jerk reactions. A well-conceived and executed plan over the course of time and eventual acceptance holds tremendous value and also has inherent staying power.
Check out Dean’s article, “2A Incrementalism vs All or Nothing: Restoring Second Amendment Rights,” he wrote recently. This is a consideration and understanding that savvy advocates need to grasp and celebrate.
In Liberty,
Michael Ware
IFC Chairman
HR4350
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