Des Moines, Iowa — We’re still in the early stages of adding it to the Iowa Constitution, but a gun rights amendment appears to have passed at this week’s election. It’s the first time that’s happened since 2010, when the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund was created.
The text of the amendment reads:
“The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The sovereign state of Iowa affirms and recognizes this right to be a fundamental individual right. Any and all restrictions of this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny.”
Richard Rogers of the Iowa Firearms Coalition says gun rights advocates began lobbying for it 12 years ago after they realized Iowa is one of only six states without state-level constitutional protection of the right to keep and bear arms. Supporters had been on-track to put the measure on the ballot in 2020. An amendment needs to start by passing both chambers of the Iowa Legislature in two separate, two-year General Assembly calendars before they can be put to the public. The Secretary of State’s office erred when it neglected to inform the public that a resolution regarding the proposed amendment passed in 2018, which meant it couldn’t go on the 2020 ballot.
The amendment says any gun restrictions have to be judged by a legal standard called “strict scrutiny,” which legal experts tell us is the most demanding test.
Critics say the new amendment will make it nearly impossible to pass new gun safety measures in Iowa.
KIWA Radio asked the Iowa Secretary of State’s office what happens next, and they told us they are still reviewing everything and how it all works, but assuming there are no issues with the election results, the amendment will be written into the 2023 Iowa Code.
They tell us that all the checks and balances have to happen first, such as counties certifying the election, and the State Board of Canvassers certifying all the results in early December. A date for that statewide certification will be set once all county boards of supervisors certify county results.
The amendment just passed will be the 49th amendment to the Iowa Constitution.
