Des Moines, Iowa — Last week we told you about the sweeping Omnibus Gun Bill that passed the Iowa House and was sent to the State Senate. Now that bill is one step closer to becoming law.
Ten of the 13 members of a state senate committee have approved the sweeping gun bill that cleared the Iowa House last week. Republican Senator Dan Dawson of Council Bluffs says he expects the bill to easily clear the 50-member Senate as well.
Dawson says he is planning to propose some “technical” tweaks in the bill, but he says the main components will remain intact. That includes “stand your ground” provisions for gun owners, which removes the duty to retreat in a public place when faced with danger to life or property. Dawson says Iowa is a state with a pro-gun culture.
Senator Nate Boulton, a Democrat from Des Moines, was one of two committee members who voted against the bill. He says he has several concerns, including the part of the bill that would allow permit holders to carry a gun inside the state capitol.
The bill also includes language that backers say will give citizens grounds to sue cities or counties that establish “guns-free” zones.
