Iowa lawmakers working to lower age to buy and carry a handgun
DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa Capitol Bureau) - Iowa Republican lawmakers are working to reduce the age to buy and carry a handgun. It’s currently 21, but a bill working its way through the senate lowers it to 18.
Richard Rogers with the Iowa Firearm Coalition says state law considers you to be an adult when you turn 18, and he supports the bill.
“Both the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and article 1A of the Iowa Constitution guarantee that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. There is no age limit in there,” he said.
Rogers says that current state law has some quirks. People who are between 18 and 21 can shoot under adult supervision and they can get a permit if their job requires it.
“So you could have a 20-year-old combat veteran who’s a fully accredited peace officer in this state may have a handgun while he’s on duty, performing the duty that require the handgun, and the rest of the time, if he wants to plink in the back yard or something, he has to have his mommy with him,” he said.
Connie Ryan with the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa says that people aged 18-20 are responsible for a disproportionate share of mass shootings and school shootings.
“Guns remain the number one cause of death for our young people. The number one cause of death for our young people. More guns in the hands of young people at a younger age is a public safety issue,” she said.
Ryan also contends that lowering the age could put more young people at harm.
“Because impulse regulation and emotional control continues to develop into the mid 20s, young people under age 21 are at an elevated risk of attempting suicide. Easy access to guns can significantly increase the risk of suicide,” she said.
When the bill passed the Iowa House, 79 lawmakers voted for it and 18 Democrats voted against it.
In the Senate subcommittee, Sen. Tony Bisignano (D-Des Moines) joined his two Republican colleagues in voting to advance the bill. He says he doesn’t like the idea, but this is a constitutional right.
“I don’t want more guns in the street. Well, that’s not my place to decide. What my place to decide what’s fair and what’s fair is if we set the adult age at 18 and then you become 18, you get adult rights. That’s hard to swallow in some cases,” he said.
The bill now is eligible to advance to a full senate committee for additional debate.
Correction: A previous version of this story contained an inaccurate description of the vote totals. We regret the error.
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Conner Hendricks covers state government and politics for Gray Media-owned stations in Iowa. Email him at conner.hendricks@gray.tv; and follow him on Facebook at Conner Hendricks TV on X/Twitter @ConnerReports, and on TikTok @ConnerReports.
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