Considering the rapidly changing legislative landscape, we had a pretty good year.

Richard Rodgers, the IFC volunteer lobbyist wrote this up and it was published today, June 28, 2020.  

It is a great history lesson in how much work is done writing the bill's and getting our measures passed.

Dave Funk
President, Iowa Firearm Coalition.

Glad to see we keep winning. One thing that still needs some work is this coyote hunting bill SF537. I see that IR is restricted still while thermal is not. It is like saying Thermal Lives Matter. This idea that hunters with IR are more likely to poach a deer while a hunter with thermal is ridiculous and extremely derogatory and discriminatory SF2502 puts some meat on the bones and hopefully shits down the "opinion" of Tom Miller. 716 is a good thing. As for the Family Defense Act I do not see it passing with schools a part of it. Even if it did pass the next Democrat legislature would gut the entire bill. While it may happen anyway it definitely will with schools. I get the reasoning behind it but people aren't going to easily back it and for many legislators won't just for political survival. Good work but we have some work to do yet.

Your example is why the pro-gun majority must be retained this fall. If we can get the Freedom Amendment passed through the next session and onto the ballot, the Iowa Constitution would prevent any future anti-gun majority from gutting our work.

Can someone give me a summary of HF716 that was just passed?

   Allows for supervised youth to hunt deer with handguns, eliminating the previous prohibition for those under age sixteen
   Requires the Natural Resources Commission to use established Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives definitions of firearms when setting rules (In 2017, the NRC outlawed the hunting of deer with AR-style pistols through a tortuous and obscure new rule.)
   Removes archaic and unnecessary language from the statute and aligns it with NRC rules
   Clarifies and simplifies the ammunition allowed to be used in handguns (minimum four-inch barrel) in the deer hunt. Ammunition propelling an expanding-type bullet with a maximum diameter of no less than three hundred fifty thousandths of one inch and no larger than five hundred thousandths of one inch and with a published or calculated muzzle energy of five hundred-foot pounds or higher will be legal.

Perfect, thank you.

Any updates on the bill that would allow you to leave a gun in your car while at work without repercussions from your employer? This is something that directly affects me being a Mid Am contractor

That was dead before they broke for Covid. Schools are not a popular subject and Employer representatives had issues but I don't remember just what they were anymore.

Still straight wall only, or did they get rid of that? It'd be nice to try out my .35 Remington Contender barrel.

Still straight wall only, the DNR is working on the new rules that comply with legislative intent.

Figured that was the case. With the 500 ftlbs requirement it looks like they might have screwed us though. .45 auto has been legal as long as handguns have-and it's below 500. Not that it's a good choice for the job, but it's been legal close to 20 years.

Is it regulated now by "standard" loading numbers? There are places making lightweight .45 Auto over 500 FPE, and .45 Super is all over that.

But really, everyone wanting an auto pistol for deer should be using 10mm

Good point on the 10, and I have one of those too. Just noticed the energy requirement and wondered how many people there are who have been using a .45 with whatever hollowpoints they can find, and will suddenly have to research numbers on their loads.