by Dave Funk | Mar 26, 2024
UNSERIOUS DANGEROUS QUACKS
Unserious Dangerous Quacks. As many of you know, I love referring to our opposition as dangerous quacks. Nothing points out how those leftists have twisted themselves into knots over their ever-changing definitions of things.
It wasn’t that long ago when in her confirmation hearing (now) Justice Jackson-Brown could not define what a woman is. When asked that question, she answered: “I’m not a biologist”. Just a few days ago, she stated that a bump-stock increased the rate of fire of an AR15 to 800 rounds per second!
But it gets even worse with those Leftist Dangerous Quacks. A national treasure, Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana, took apart federal Judge Nancy Maldonado when he asked her to define an assault weapon.
“You said, ‘Assault weapons may be banned because they’re extraordinarily dangerous and are not appropriate for legitimate self-defense purposes’. Tell me what you meant by assault weapons? “
Judge Maldonado did everything she could to not answer that question, despite having signed a Legal Brief on the issue years before in her role as an anti-gun activist!
You can see the entire exchange here on X.
This is just one more example of it being time to end the Chevron Deference ruling that allows the courts to defer to “reasonable” agency interpretation of ambiguous federal statutes. It is high time to start calling out the absurd idea that unelected government experts be given authority over everyday Americans. Or, for that matter, Federal Judges with no idea about the subject matter over which they rule.
Elections have consequences. Let’s push the anti-gun and anti-freedom leftists out of power this November.
Iowa Legislative Update
We have passed the second funnel. Our priorities, both The Students First Safety Act and the Gadsden Flag Iowa license plates bills are still sitting in the Iowa Senate awaiting action. Please keep the pressure on your Senators through the IFC Action Alert System on these two bills.
Help us defend all Iowan’s rights by joining or renewing your IFC membership here today. And please stay Ready at All Times.
Shoot Straight, Speak The Truth, and Never Surrender Our Liberties.
Dave Funk
President
Iowa Firearms Coalition
by Katie Howard | Mar 25, 2024
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.
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
by Dave Funk | Mar 19, 2024
SELECTIVE PROSECUTION?
Selective prosecution — Are Americans seeing what’s happening? I’m not sure how any thinking person could believe otherwise. Let’s just look over these examples:
LAWFARE AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP
The latest news in the saga to stop Trump took a huge turn last week in Georgia. Judge Scott McAfee ruled that Fani Willis, an elected District Attorney, will be allowed to remain on the case, despite perjury on the stand. The Judge ruled that she only had to fire her paramour in order to continue the ridiculous prosecution of Trump on RICO claims. Clarice Feldman over at the American Thinker published this great piece, “Mendacity and Corruption in the Judiciary”, on March 17th with the legal details.
Many examples of politically motivated cases are available. Hillary Clinton’s crimes in her role in Russia-Gate were ignored. Special Counsel Robert Hur declined to indict President Biden for illegally taking and revealing classified materials as a Senator and former Vice-President. Hur’s published report stated plainly that his decision not to prosecute was because the President is too old and too feeble to stand trial. Professor Jonathan Turley wrote in “…The Odor Of Selective Prosecution” that New York Attorney General, Letitia James, prosecuted President Trump (and fined him half a billion dollars) in a Soviet-style “show trial”.
If you are from the Left, you can riot, assault, and burn down with impunity. However, if you are from the Right, walk through Washington DC on January 6, 2021, and you are hunted down, even years later, by the FBI. In contrast, illegally entering the country, is no big deal in the eyes of the Biden Administration.
Professor Turley concludes with this;
“The rest of us are left in courtrooms, from Georgia to Washington to New York, asking the same question of Tennessee Williams’ “Big Daddy” Pollitt: “What’s that smell in this room? …Didn’t you notice a powerful and obnoxious odor of mendacity in this room? There ain’t nothin’ more powerful than the odor of mendacity.”
STAYING READY AT ALL TIMES
For the last few months, I’ve included the note; “And please stay Ready at All Times.” in my weekly IFC President’s Message. Last week an article about repeated drone incursions over the strategically important Langley Air Force Base in Virginia was published by The War Zone. They highlighted the admission by the Air Force regarding these ongoing events:
“The installation first observed UAS [uncrewed aerial systems] activities the evening of December 6 [2023] and experienced multiple incursions throughout December. The number of UASs fluctuated and they ranged in size/configuration,” a spokesperson for Langley Air Force Base told The War Zone in a statement earlier today. “None of the incursions appeared to exhibit hostile intent but anything flying in our restricted airspace can pose a threat to flight safety. The FAA was made aware of the UAS incursions.”
The Biden Administration continues to apply two standards of justice and ignores warnings about obvious threats to our nation. Like on 9-11, the first response to any future attack is most likely going to be by everyday Americans.
Help us defend all Iowan’s rights by joining or renewing your IFC membership here today.
Shoot Straight, Speak The Truth, and Never Surrender Our Liberties.
Dave Funk
President
Iowa Firearms Coalition
by Katie Howard | Mar 16, 2024
Students First Safety Act
Students First Safety Act (HF 2586) represents a two-year effort by IFC, to address school safety in a meaningful way. However, it has been difficult. After days of struggle in the House, Representative Matt Windschitl gave an impassioned, and direct, speech in favor of the bill to the House. Getting the bill to the floor of the House for a vote, and then getting the votes to pass the bill to the Senate, took a lot of effort. Iowa Firearms Coalition greatly appreciates those legislators who have steadfastly worked on behalf of student safety.
The bill is now in the Senate. The Senate Education subcommittee, to which it was assigned, voted to calendar it in the Senate.
Below is the text of the recent email communication by Representative Windschitl to his constituents about HF 2586, and other bills focused on making schools safer.
Representative Windschitl’s Message to Constituents
PROTECTING OUR STUDENTS
One of the main themes House Republicans have been working on this session is school safety and security for our students and staff in educational settings. We have brought forth numerous proposals surrounding this topic and will continue working on multiple ways to accomplish this goal.
One of the bills we have advanced to the Senate for consideration allows schools flexibility to protect students by arming staff. For a staff member to qualify for this responsibility, they must undergo specific training regarding active shooters and emergency response strategy, and they must obtain a professional permit to carry that requires elevated firearm training. The training laid out in the bill is extensive and rigorous. Keep in mind this would be on a voluntary basis for schools and staff to choose if they want to use this option. No one will be forced to undergo training if they do not want to have the responsibility, and no school is required to arm staff.
Another proposal we have put forth deals with school infrastructure and creates grants for schools to utilize technology to equip schools and detect bad actors with harmful intentions. This bill creates a task force to develop school safety building codes to determine what makes school buildings safer. Currently none exist. With new standards, school officials will be able to make sure they are doing what they can from an infrastructure standpoint to make buildings safe for students and teachers. Along that same line, the bill prevents districts from bonding to build athletic stadiums or facilities unless and until their facilities are up to date with the school safety building standards from the task force. Safety and security should be the priority.
This bill also deals with how schools can get help or send for help if an emergency arises. Schools are allowed to have a mobile panic alert system if it can connect to emergency services and integrates with local public safety answering points. This is a mobile phone application districts can utilize. The Governor’s office previously developed a grant program for emergency radios. Many schools took advantage of that grant, but some did not. The Governor’s office has said that they plan to re-open that grant program to make sure all schools can have access to funding for the radios. If schools do not take advantage, they will be required to use their own funds.
This bill establishes two grant programs. The first is a three-million-dollar Firearm Detection Software grant program run by the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The grant program provides funds to school districts of varying sizes to help offset the cost associated with purchasing, installing, operating software that meets these requirements:
- Designed to alert and detect district employees and first responders if there is a visible, unholstered firearm on a property owned by the school district.
- Designed to integrate with a district’s existing security camera infrastructure.
- Was developed in the U.S. without any of third-party data or open-source data.
The second grant program is the School Security Personnel Grants for Infrastructure, Equipment, and Training. This grant program states that if the bill is passed, it will provide school districts grants to purchase infrastructure and equipment related to employee permits to carry weapons, facilitate the training associated with employee permits to carry weapons, and to provide stipends to employees who participate in the training associated with employee permits to carry weapons. Districts who choose to enhance school security this way will have additional expenses and House Republicans want to help cover those costs to truly make schools a safer place for students and staff.
Regardless of the outcome of the Students First Safety Act in the Senate, all IFC members — indeed, all Iowans — owe Representative Windschitl their thanks for his fervent and steadfast support, as well as thanks to others who voted in favor of advancing the bill to the Senate.
If you are not a member of IFC, please join HERE and volunteer. We have many opportunities to get involved.
Second Amendment Matters
by Katie Howard | Mar 12, 2024
IT’S TIME TO CALL YOUR SENATOR NOW!
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.
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- 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)
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- 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.
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- 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:
The IFC-PAC page has a “Bill Tracker Monitor List” which lists the bills currently in play and provides a summary of the bill for your information.
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- 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!
Second Amendment Matters
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