Senate approves bill to take guns from domestic abusers

DES MOINES – The Senate voted Thursday to prohibit people who are the subject of a protective order or have been convicted of domestic abuse from possessing firearms.

The 36-12 vote means Senate File 2357 now goes to Gov. Chet Culver for his consideration.

Sen. Keith Kreiman, D-Bloomfield, the bill's floor manager, said the legislation “is intended to reduce fear, it is intended to prevent further deaths and it is intended to reduce the number of instances of domestic abuse.”

Backers noted that 205 Iowans have been killed in domestic-abuse murders in the 15 years since a similar federal law was enacted – 114 of those deaths involved guns.

The legislation calls for people who are the subject of a protective order or have been convicted of domestic abuse to relinquish firearms by selling them, transferring them to a qualified party, such as a family member, or turning them over to law enforcement to hold for the length of the protective order.

Sen. David Hartsuch, R-Davenport, called the bill “a rehash” of issues being fought out in contested court cases and he was not convinced the concerns rose to the level of taking away citizens Second Amendment rights.

Kreiman countered that there are certain circumstances where a person who is convicted of a crime or attempts to commit domestic assault forfeits certain rights, noting that many times the victims are women, children, men, law enforcement officers and bystanders.

Also Thursday, senators voted 29-20 to approve legislation designed to regulate the baiting and feeding of wildlife at a time when every bordering state to Iowa have confirmed cases of chronic wasting disease.

“We're being proactive here,” said Sen. Dick Dearden, D-Des Moines.

Backers said Senate File 2370 was reworked to allay concerns that the bill would bar the use of live worms for fishing or stop people from feeding ducks and geese at parks. The measure does discourage people from feeding birds or wildlife 50 yards beyond a cabin or residence.

State Department of Natural Resources officials said the legislation is designed to regulate the intentional feeding and/or baiting of wildlife under certain circumstances with the purpose of helping control the spread of certain diseases that currently are threatening domestic livestock, wildlife populations and agribusiness in other states.

However, Sen. Merlin Bartz, R-Grafton, said the revised measure basically still imposed a ban on feeding wildlife in Iowa and created a misdemeanor charge carrying a $100 fine for violations.

In other action, senators over two days confirmed nearly 130 of Gov. Chet Culver's appointees to boards and commissions without dissent. Included were Gregory Seyfer to the state Racing and Gaming Commission; Barry Cleaveland and Donald Wiley to the state Transportation Commission; Fred Hubbell and John Bilsten to the Power Fund Board; Michael Klappholz to the Iowa Lottery Board; Sheryl Griffith to the Iowa Board of Corrections; Elizabeth Robinson as chairwoman of the Iowa Board of Parole; and Fred Diehl and Marilyn Monroe to the Vision Iowa Board.

On individual votes, senators also confirmed Jack Ketterer as administrator for the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission; Steve Larson as new administrator of the Alcoholic Beverages Commission; and Mark Schuling as director of the Iowa Department of Revenue.

Senate GOP Leader Paul McKinley of Chariton said the only Culver appointee facing a confirmation problem was Shearon Elderkin, a Power Fund Board member that minority Republicans refused to give the required 34 votes last year to confirm her as a member of the state Environmental Protection Commission.

After she was rejected for the EPC post, Culver appointed the Cedar Rapids woman to the Power Fund Board, but McKinley said minority Republicans have the same concerns that she acts beyond the authority of her position in offering no support among his 18-member caucus. A two-thirds majority, or 34 affirmative votes, are needed to confirm a gubernatorial appointee.

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