Several eastern Iowa sheriffs endorse proposed gun amendment on Nov. ballot
Six sheriffs on the eastern side of Iowa are endorsing adding a new amendment to the Iowa Constitution. Voters in Iowa will decide if an amendment is added on November 8 that has language similar to the second amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
But opponents of the amendment argue it goes too far, adding language that would force any gun regulation to pass strict scrutiny, the highest legal standard. Critics of the amendment say it's passage would mean current gun laws would be struck down and new gun laws would be harder to pass.
The six Iowa sheriffs endorsing the amendment are listed below.
- Sheriff Warren Wethington (Cedar County)
- Sheriff Dan Tredrow (Van Buren)
- Sheriff Quinn Riess (Muscatine)
- Sheriff Keith Davis (Wayne)
- Sheriff Jared Schneider (Washington)
- Sheriff Robert Rotter (Iowa)
"The right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental and God-given right and it's passed time that Iowans have the same state-level civil rights protections as Americans living in the rest of the country," Cedar County Sheriff Warren Wethington said.
They point out Iowa is only one of six states that do not have 'the right to bear arms' in the state constitution. Minnesota, Maryland, California, New York, and New Jersey are the other states without the language.
If passed though, Iowa would become only the fourth state to add 'strict scrutiny' language to the right to bear arms. That is what opponents, including Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner and Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks fear.
In a release sent out Thursday, Sheriff Wethington took a shot at Sheriff Gardner without naming him. He said he believes the 'vast majority' of those who wear a badge support the amendment "despite the widely publicized condemnation of the Freedom Amendment by one eastern Iowa Sheriff, who is also a well-known activist within the Democratic party and partner of far-left out-of-state organizations in his crusade against Iowans' constitutional rights."
Gardner responded to Iowa's News Now with the following statement:
"If me speaking the truth about the negative consequences of adding Public Measure #1 to the Iowa Constitution makes other people nervous, then so be it. The “strict scrutiny” language would have negative consequences on all current and future common sense gun laws. This is confirmed by legal experts. Anyone who actually reads the wording of the proposed gun amendment and understands these confirmed negative consequences recognizes the need to vote “No” on this ballot issue because it greatly endangers, not enhances, public safety."
Several eastern Iowa sheriffs endorse proposed gun amendment on Nov. ballot
Six sheriffs on the eastern side of Iowa are endorsing adding a new amendment to the Iowa Constitution. Voters in Iowa will decide if an amendment is added on N
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