On Thursday Iowa’s Senate passed legislation which will allow residents of the state to sue local governments over gun-free zones if they can prove they were endangered or “adversely affected” by the zones.
The legislation also contains a Stand Your Ground statute which would take effect as well.
The measure passed the House on Wednesday by a vote of 33-17, it passed the Senate by a vote of 57-36. It is now on its way to Governor Terry Branstad’s (R) desk for a signature.
According to the Omaha World-Herald, State Rep. Matt Windschitl commented on the bill, saying, “Hundreds of thousands of Iowans feel safer carrying guns. It is the ultimate equalizer.”
Florida set precedent by enacting Stand Your Ground in 2005 and on April 5, 2017, the Florida House voted to bolster the original law by shifting the burden of proof from the citizen to state. Breitbart News reported that this would work by requiring a pretrial hearing in which the state would have to demonstrate why a Stand Your Ground defense would not be valid in a specific situation.
The Miami Herald reported that Mom Demand Action was disappointed in the vote bolstering Floridians’ ability to use guns for self-defense. Moms Demand volunteer state chapter leader Michelle Gajda said, “It’s absolutely heartbreaking.”
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.