Iowa’s Freedom Amendment
Iowa is NO LONGER one of six states that do not recognize our precious Second Amendment rights in their constitutions. We’re no longer in the “I like to trample your civil rights” club consisting of California, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Minnesota. That all changed on November 8th, 2022 when 65% of Iowans voted overwhelmingly for freedom and liberty. The Iowa elections were certified on December 1st, by the Iowa Secretary of State.
The Freedom Amendment is the culmination of over a decade of hard work. NRA and IFC have been partnered in this monumental endeavor from day one. We built the language together, worked through the tweaks together, and pushed this forward when others didn’t even bother to declare “for” or “against” on the resolutions for the Freedom Amendment as they passed through the Iowa General Assembly. It may sound odd, but lots of people show up to celebrate and take credit when there is a win. Too few actually roll up their sleeves and work the issue day and night on behalf of others. We’re proud to partner with NRA among many others.
The Freedom 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.”
The Iowa Firearms Coalition, Iowa’s most effective civil rights organization with a Second Amendment focus, has been hard at work for years to get this fixed! Amending Iowa’s Constitution was no easy task. The course was long and there are many hurdles and pitfalls along the way. But the “Freedom Amendment” is now Section 1A of Iowa’s Constitution, having met the requirement to pass in two consecutive General Assemblies and then be ratified by a majority of Iowa voters.