Cedar Rapids school board opposes gun amendment

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids school board on Wednesday adopted a resolution opposing a proposed gun rights amendment to the Iowa Constitution and encouraging Iowans to vote “no” on the Nov. 8 ballot question.

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors also adopted a resolution Thursday morning opposing the amendment and encouraging residents to vote “no.”

The amendment — Public Measure No. 1 — states it is a “fundamental individual right“ to keep and bear arms. It would invalidate any restraint on that right unless it meets the stringent demands of “strict scrutiny,” which is the highest legal hurdle for legislation to clear.

Only three states — Alabama, Missouri and Louisiana — have added the “strict scrutiny” language to their constitutions.

Cindy Garlock, the Cedar Rapids school board’s vice president, said the proposed amendment “would tie the hands of state legislators to passing any sort of gun safety measures in the future.”

It also could make it possible for courts to strike down existing gun laws, including prohibiting firearms on school grounds, she said.

“It is our duty to provide the safest possible environment for our students and staff,” Garlock said.

School board member Dexter Merschbrock said the measure “goes beyond the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” which supports the right to bear arms. “It uses specific legal language to achieve a different result.”.

Opponents warn the pro-gun amendment will prohibit reasonable safety measures, such as firearm safety training, universal background checks and a license to carry a gun in public.

Supporters say the amendment is necessary to protect Iowans' gun rights from infringement.

A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll released this week found 58 percent of likely voters plan to vote for the amendment.

Other opposition

In Johnson County, County Attorney Janet Lyness thanked the county’s five supervisors for their unanimous opposition to the amendment.

The proposed amendment, she said, is a “dangerous amendment” and a danger to public safety.

“Not only is this the wrong thing, it’s the wrong time to do something like this when we just had another gun death occur this week in Iowa City,” Lyness said. “We had two robberies with guns this week. We also had shootings occurring in rural areas of Johnson County just this week.”

Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks and Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner are also urging voters to vote against the amendment.

“There are already very little gun restrictions in the state of Iowa, so this amendment is in no way being proposed in order to regain lost rights, but it will result in lost lives,” Maybanks said at an event in Cedar Rapids earlier this month.

Gun violence

The resolutions adopted by the Cedar Rapids school board and the Johnson County supervisors use similar language and statistics to encourage a “no” vote.

The school board’s resolution, which received unanimous support, states that guns are the leading cause of death among American children and teens, and that every day, 12 children die from gun violence.

Cedar Rapids School Board Gun Amendment Resolution by Gazetteonline on Scribd

The United States has recorded more than 2,000 school shootings since 1970, and these numbers are increasing, the resolution states. School shootings during the 2020-21 school year rose to the highest number in 20 years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Both resolutions state that in Iowa, the rate of gun deaths has increased 56 percent from 2011 to 2020, compared to a 33 percent increase nationwide. This means that in 2020, there were 131 more gun deaths than in 2011, according to the resolutions.

Johnson County Supervisors Gun Amendment Resolution by Gazetteonline on Scribd

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Izabela Zaluska of The Gazette contributed to this report