Iowa lawmakers focus on gun rights

DES MOINES — Heading toward a deadline for keeping legislation alive, lawmakers appear to be reaching consensus on curbing bad and dangerous behaviors by students and drivers.

Legislators also are seeking common ground on expanding gun rights and shielding gun owners from public accountability, but differences remain.

Facing a Friday deadline for moving bills ahead for further consideration, lawmakers Wednesday approved measures designed to address bullying in schools and require drivers to use hands-free devices when on their phones.

However, on party line votes, House Republicans rejected expanding the ban on texting while driving to instead make failure to 'exercise due care' a moving violation.

Sponsor Rep. Rick Olson, D-Des Moines, suggested carrying a dog while driving or talking to back-seat passengers could be more dangerous than talking on a phone.

The House Education Committee voted 19-4 to make schools safer by passing the Senate's version of anti-bullying legislation. That keeps alive two versions of the legislation, one of Gov. Terry Branstad's priorities again this year.

Both bills would give schools authority to address off-grounds and online incidents, require parental notification of incidents while allowing for exceptions if the victim may be further threatened, and create training programs for school officials and a statewide task force.

'I hope we are true to the support of this all the way through to the appropriation process and that we actually fund this, because there are some very important changes, some very important new pieces that need to move forward,' said Rep. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport.

House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, said he's not confident the Senate bill will get House approval.

'We'll have to have a conversation,' he said.

More than two hours of closed-door conversations before the House Judiciary Committee met publicly yielded what Rep. Matt Windschitl, R-Missouri Valley, called a 'middle ground' on expanding gun owners' rights.

That came a day after the Senate passed its own gun legislation, Senate File 427 that was similar to, but less expansive, than in House File. 527, which was approved 75-24 last month.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said there was no reason to give the legislation further consideration unless common ground was found.

Windschitl's amendment was an attempt to give senators 'another shot' at the issue.

While SF 427, like the House bill, would make suppressors legally available to Iowa gun owners. It didn't include changes in the House bill on gun permits, training ages for children, gun permit confidentiality and 'stand-your-ground' proposals.

The House Judiciary Committee voted 19-2 to add language making permits to acquire weapons valid for five years, the same as permits to carry under current law. Permits to acquire would continue be valid three days after application. There would be no age limit for use of handguns. The bill would create a database for verification of permits.

Permits no longer would be public records. Anyone who wanted to verify if another Iowan had a permit would have to identify him or herself.

Only Reps. Marti Anderson and Jo Oldson, both Des Moines Democrats, voted against the amended bill.

Des Moines bureau reporters Rod Boshart and Erin Murphy contributed to this report

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