Voters overwhelmingly add gun rights to Iowa Constitution

Voters approved a ballot measure Tuesday further bolstering gun rights in the state, enshrining into the Iowa Constitution language that would declare Iowans’ right to gun ownership in strong legal terms.

With most Iowa precinct reporting late Tuesday, the measure was passing by nearly 66 percent approval with over 700,000 Iowans voting in favor. This is almost double the number of Iowans were were voting against the measure, according to unofficial results.

"The right to self-defense and bear arms is here to stay in Iowa and we are grateful for the thousands of Iowans who took time out of their days to cast a vote in favor of liberty,“ said Dave Funk, president of the Iowa Firearms Coalition, a gun-rights advocacy group.

Iowa voters were asked to add language to the Iowa Constitution that states it is a “fundamental individual right” to keep and bear arms, and that any restraint on that right is invalid unless it meets the stringent demands of “strict scrutiny” in court.

The language sets a high legal bar and goes beyond protections contained in the Second Amendment by dictating the level of judicial review Iowa courts must apply when considering whether gun restrictions in the state are permissible.

Opponents say the amendment will make it harder to pass new gun-safety regulations and would prohibit reasonable safety measures that Iowans support, such as firearm safety training, universal background checks and a license to carry a gun in public, and could weaken or lead to courts to overturn existing state gun laws.

Supporters say the amendment is necessary to protect Iowans' gun rights from infringement. Republicans have argued for the measure for years, saying Iowa is one of only six states without protections in its constitution for the right to keep and bear arms.

“It basically enshrines in the constitution the right to keep and bear arms,” said Funk. “Today, that could be a rifle or a shotgun. Who knows what it will be in 200 years. Iowans can protect themselves, homes, communities and if necessary they can defend their state.”

“I never had any doubt the people of Iowa would approve this,” said Richard Rogers, an Iowa Firearms Coalition board member. “We’re fixing a long-standing problem.”

Iowans for Responsible Gun Laws, a coalition of statewide organizations opposed to the amendment, has noted Iowa would join three states that have passed “strict scrutiny” gun rights amendments — Alabama, Louisiana and Missouri — that are among the five states with the highest rates of gun deaths in the United States, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

“Iowans value safety and the majority of Iowans see common sense gun laws as an important way to keep our communities safe. Unfortunately, the reckless gun amendment that passed today is now part of the Iowa Constitution and will only serve to put Iowans in harms’ way,” the coalition said in a statement Tuesday.

“The potential consequences of this amendment’s passage, from expensive lawsuits in the Iowa courts to impacting current law and the safety of Iowans, will be far reaching and dire for our state.”

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