It’s time to CALL your Senator now! Seriously. This week is the second ‘funnel week’ at the Senate, and if the priority bills that IFC is supporting, do not get action from the Senate by this Thursday – that’s it. Those bills will be dead and will get no further action during this legislative session.
IFC’s volunteer lobbyist, Richard Rogers, and other IFC Board Members have worked tirelessly on your behalf this session. The House legislators also worked very hard to get these bills passed out of the House to the Senate. For whatever reason, the Senate has yet to take action on these bills…And, again – you are reading this on Tuesday. If the Senate is not flooded with calls today and Wednesday, these bills will likely not move. As in – DEAD.
So now it is your turn to do your part. Pick up the phone and CALL YOUR SENATOR. The three Priority Bills that are subject to this Thursday’s funnel deadline are:
HF2586 – Students First Safety Act – Click HERE to read more about this bill.
The Senate Education subcommittee recommends passage, awaiting committee action.
HR2566 – Establishes a schedule of damages that may be assessed against political subdivisions (cities/counties, etc.) that attempt to regulate weapons in violation of the state preemption (Iowa Code 724.28)
This bill is awaiting a hearing in the Senate Judiciary subcommittee.
HF2421 – An act relating to firearms by limiting civil liability of federal firearms licensees who enter into voluntary firearm ‘hold agreements’ with individuals.
The Senate Judiciary subcommittee recommends passage – awaiting committee action.
BUT…
Too busy to call? Not comfortable calling your Senator? They are, in fact, everyday Iowans, from all walks of life, who have taken on a difficult job. They answer to their constituents who all compete for their time and have different points of view. The legislators must make decisions that they believe are in line with the people they represent. If they only hear from folks on one side of an issue (or, worse, don’t hear from anyone), then they decide without complete information. They need to hear that you support these three bills, and that you want them to vote YES in support of each of the bills.
HOW…
All you need to do is call their office. Ask to speak with them, tell them that you are one of the people they represent, and ask them to get the bill moving and to vote in favor of each of these three bills. They may tell you they are not on that committee or subcommittee. If so, ask them to work with the Senators who are, and to get the bill to the Senate floor for a vote.
Remember, they are busy. They are not going to engage you in a long discussion about the details of the bill. Your job is to just ask them to move these three bills forward and vote in favor of them. Truly, it is not hard. Over time, you will begin to build a relationship with them which makes things easier for everyone involved.
You may reach a staffer if your Senator is not available. In that case, just relay the same message to the staffer and ask that they convey it to the Senator.
TOOLS…
IFC makes it easy for you. Not only do Board members do the ‘heavy lifting’ with the legislature, but IFC also provides tools to help you. Here are a couple of them:
Note: You will see other bills listed on the Bill Tracker Monitor List, in addition to the three we are focusing on now, and those bills are also important. You may personally care more about some of those other bills. However, these three bills are time-sensitive, since they will “die on the vine” this week if they aren’t moved forward.
The Iowa Firearms Coalition page also has a Take Action option. From there you can get to the Action Center. At the Action Center, you can find current action items to send an email to your legislators, the Governor, and others. You can also sign up to receive email alerts for future action items. You need to become familiar with these tools and this process if we are to be successful at getting important legislation passed. It takes all of us.
PERSONAL NOTE…
IFC is your state gun rights organization. Gun rights are under attack in nearly every state, and certainly at a federal level. We HAVE to advocate and educate legislators and policy makers if we want to continue to enjoy our Second Amendment rights. There are things going on right now in this country that just a few years ago, were unthinkable. Don’t let our gun rights become one of the casualties. It could happen here, as it has in other countries.
I talk to members at Gun Shows and IFC events throughout the year and am always asked about legislation we are working on. Everyone has their favorite thing they would like to see changed. But to get these things accomplished takes engagement by everyone IFC represents. We are all volunteers and we are asking you to help us, help you.
If you do nothing, you may get nothing. Let’s get on the phone and get the Senate to take action on these bills!
IFC is working with Sen. Joni Ernst to protect FFL holders! 💪 On this week’s #2A4IA Warrior Wednesday, we explain what’s happening and what needs to be done to protect our 2A industry.
HF2586, the Students First Safety Act, passes Iowa House! Yesterday, the Iowa House passed the Students First Safety Act (now HF2586) with 61% affirmative vote, sending the bill to the Senate for action. (Look HERE to see how your Representative voted on the bill in the House.) Today, the bill was assigned to the 19-member Senate Education Committee for review and action.
HF2586 provides important additional safety measures and protection for students in Iowa schools. The recent shooting in Perry, Iowa painfully demonstrates that nowhere is immune from evil. We must do everything in our power to protect our school children. Read the full text of the bill HERE.
IFC wishes to thank the 61 House members who voted in favor of this bill to provide additional tools to protect Iowa’s students.
PRESS RELEASE
Iowa House passes the Students First Safety Act
WHO: The Iowa Firearms Coalition and the Iowa House
WHAT: The Students First Safety Act passes the Iowa House
WHERE: Iowa State Capitol Building
WHY: To increase school safety
(DES MOINES, Iowa) – The Iowa Firearms Coalition (IFC) is pleased the Iowa House of Representatives has overwhelmingly voted to pass the “Students First Safety Act,” HF 2586.
The bill, which allows for specially trained armed staff to carry firearms on school grounds, passed on Wednesday with 61 legislators voting in support of the pro-school safety legislation.
“Allowing for those who love their children enough to protect them is a win for school safety and all of Iowa’s students,” said IFC President Dave Funk. “IFC is grateful to have partnered with lawmakers on moving this bill of critical importance forward and we look forward to working with the Senate and Governor Kim Reynolds to make it law.”
While state and federal law currently allow for Iowa school districts to arm school staff, in practice, insurance companies have denied coverage to districts that have attempted to do this.
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.
Under this new legislation, school staff and school districts that comply with the training requirements will receive qualified immunity from civil or criminal damages should they need to stop a threat. This language is designed to allow school districts who protect their students the ability to maintain insurance coverage.
“In the wake of the recent act of evil at Perry High School, it’s clear no school district, large or small, is immune from being a target by someone who wishes to commit an act of evil,” said Funk. “The Students First Safety Act will force a would-be attacker to think twice before attempting to harm our kids, and should they still move forward with their plans, they’ll be stopped and lives will be saved.”
IFC is calling on Iowans to contact their state Senator and demand they pass HF 2586 immediately.
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: John McLaughlin, IFC Chair 515-724-4164 jmclaughlin@iowafc.org
WHAT BILLS HAS IFC HELPED TO KILL SO FAR THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION?
What bills has IFC helped to kill so far this legislative session you ask? Here’s the shortlist:
HF2297 – Gun confiscation (“Red Flag”) bill
HF2129 – Money for a study on “Prevention of Weapons Violence”
HF488 – State registration requirement for personally made Firearms and “unfinished frames and receivers”
SF2085 – Required private transfers of pistols and revolvers to go through FFLs and NICS
SF2080 – Ban on standard capacity magazines
SF2253 – Would have created a “Mental Health Firearm Safety Fund”
This is just a sprinkling of what the anti-gun Dangerous Quacks on the left have introduced this session, reminding people that the other side is continually trying this stuff — and we’re continually working to stop it. The anti-gun Dangerous Quacks also forgot to read the Iowa Constitution and its newest Amendment: #49 – The Freedom Amendment, which prohibits any of the proposals outlined above. That Amendment would not have happened if it were not for the combined efforts of IFC, our members, and ultimately over 65% of Iowa voters.
Students First Safety Act update
IFC is hard at work trying to bring some urgency and economic reality improvements to the Students First Safety Act, Iowa HSB 675. Although its introduction is a step in the right direction, Iowa does not need another government empire-building program, which will take years to implement, to create an armed defense for all Iowa schools. Instead, as you know, Time and Math mandate an immediate response to an armed attacker to minimize the casualties.
Brownells’ National 2A Day — 2/22/2024!
National 2A Day is coming up rapidly and Iowa’s own Brownells.com/2ADay is not just hosting events around the country, but is donating 4% of all sales the week of February 20-25th to several organizations, including IFC!
Sign up now for our e-mail alert list to stay plugged into what's going on with your 2A rights here in Iowa.
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