Iowans push to add a right to bear arms to the state constitution – kwwl.com

The Freedom Amendment will go before voters on the November 8th ballot, after passing the last two Iowa General Assemblies. Iowa is one of only six states that does not have a right to bear arms in its constitution.

DES MOINES, Iowa (KWWL) - Iowa is one of six states whose constitution does not include a right to bear arms. Supporters of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution are working to change that.

They will be gathering at the Capitol on February 24th for "Second Amendment Day" to show their support of a referendum that will go before voters on the November ballot.

The proposed amendment to add a right to bear arms passed the last two Iowa General Assemblies, as required by law before it can go to the voters.

The Iowa Firearms Coalition is bringing speakers to the event to educate supporters and opponents alike on what is called the Freedom Amendment.

Both of the speakers gained national attention for thwarting gunmen.

Stephen Willeford stopped a mass murder in progress when he fired shots at a gunman who killed 26 people at a Texas church in 2017. And retired police officer Greg Stevens, who stopped the first ISIS-inspired terrorist attack at theCurtiss Culwell Center in Garland, Texas, was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Valor by President Barack Obama.

Michael Ware is a board member of the Iowa Firearms Coalition. He says the speakers will share their stories and personal responsibility with firearms.

"That's going to be part of the speaker that are offered that day. I'm sure legislators will want to address the crowd," Ware said. "They'll be some things like that discussed. But, the primary focus will be surrounding the Freedom Amendment and trying to help people understand what it is and what it isn't."

The language of the Freedom Amendment passed with bi-partisan support.

"We had republican and democrat votes pushing that forward, which I thought was very good. You don't see as much of that today as what we've seen in the past," Ware said.

Nationwide, there has been a push for Second Amendment Sanctuaries over the last two years.

One year ago in Iowa, there were no Second Amendment Sanctuary counties but on January 3rd, the Cherokee County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution to make their community a Second Amendment Sanctuary County. It was the first countyin Iowa to pass such a resolution in 2022 and the 31stcounty in Iowa to pass one in the past few months.

"That should be a clear indicator to people of the direction and used as a litmus test of what's going on in culture," Ware said.

Nebraska was the last state to add the right to bear arms to its state constitution in 1988.

North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia were the first to add the right to bear arms provision to their constitutions in 1776.

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Iowans push to add a right to bear arms to the state constitution - kwwl.com