DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A subcommittee in the Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature has approved a comprehensive gun bill that includes a stand-your-ground provision.
The panel signed off on the measure Thursday, Feb. 23, and it now heads to the full House Judiciary Committee.
The bill would allow people in Iowa to use deadly force anywhere if they believe such force is necessary to avoid injury or risk to one’s life or safety. People could use deadly force even if an alternative course of action is available, and it allows people to be wrong in that estimation of danger.
The bill also would remove background check restrictions on private handgun purchases and allow people to carry concealed weapons without a permit. It would also stop colleges from banning weapons on campus, allow firearm permits to last a lifetime, prohibit local governments from passing gun restrictions, allow children under age 14 to use guns with supervision of a parent and allow guns on the Capitol grounds.
