Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a new “constitutional carry” bill into law that loosened many gun restrictions.
“We will never be able to outlaw or prevent every single bad actor from getting a gun, but what we can do is ensure law-abiding citizens have full access to their constitutional rights while keeping Iowans safe,” Reynolds said in a statement.
Reynolds said the bill “protects the Second Amendment rights of Iowa’s law-abiding citizens while still preventing the sale of firearms to criminals and other dangerous individuals,” with the state taking “greater steps to inform law enforcement about an individual’s mental illness helping ensure firearms don’t end up in the wrong hands.”
The bill ends the state’s system that requires residents to get a permit from a county sheriff, which Democrats claim will weaken the state’s ability to stop criminals from getting guns.
INDIANA LOOKS TO SCRAP CARRY PERMITS FOR HANDGUNS, ALLOW ‘CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY’
“We don’t need to make it easier for bad guys to get guns,” said state Sen. Rob Hogg.
Republicans, however, argue the legislation will actually make it harder for criminals to get a gun.
“Despite the misinformation pushed by Democrats and coastal interest groups, today is a great day for law-abiding gun owners of this state,” said Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann, adding that the new law makes it harder for criminals to buy a gun “while strengthening Second Amendment rights for law-abiding citizens of this state.”
Erica Fletcher, a volunteer with Iowa Moms Demand Action, decried the legislation, vowing to continue to “to fight to stop Iowa lawmakers from further weakening our gun laws and work to elect people who will actually protect our communities rather than put us at risk.”
“We’ve seen what happens when states weaken their gun laws — gun violence goes up, and people die,” Fletcher said.
Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association praised Reynolds for signing the bill, calling it “a common-sense measure that allows law-abiding citizens to exercise their fundamental right of self-defense in the manner that best suits their needs.”
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“The NRA fights for these rights because we recognize that our freedoms are fundamental and natural, not government-given,” said Jason Ouimet, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action.
