I'm a gun owner, and I support an extreme-risk law in Iowa Erica Fletcher, Iowa View contributor 3/4/2020
From 2016: Tour new Brownells gun store in Grinnell
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I love this state. I love the culture. I love the people. I love my family, I love my two boys so much it makes my heart swell, and I love raising them here.
Iowa has my heart, and it also has a strong heritage of responsible gun ownership. I’ve been a gun owner my entire life — I grew up with guns, I’m a twice-deployed Army veteran, and I own guns now. So I know how much we cherish this tradition in our state. I also know that protecting our heritage of responsible gun ownership and protecting our communities from gun violence are not mutually exclusive. Because I also know that gun violence is a reality in our communities, that every year there are nearly 300 gun deaths in Iowa — and that every single one of those deaths is preventable.
© Brian Powers/The Register The Iowa State Capitol building on Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, in Des Moines.
Last month, I stood with nearly 100 other concerned Iowans from every corner of the state, some gun owners like myself, and urged our lawmakers to take action to end gun violence. Our group, Iowa Moms Demand Action, is made up of mothers and others, those who own guns and those who don't, Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike. That same day, lawmakers in the House introduced House File 2367, a bill that would create an extreme-risk law in Iowa.
The concept is simple: House File 2367 would allow law enforcement officers to ask a court to temporarily restrict a person’s access to firearms if there are signs the person is dangerous to themselves or others. The person would have to have the opportunity to participate in the hearing, and officers would need to prove the danger by clear and convincing evidence. The final order would last no more than one year, after which a person could regain access to firearms.
The gun lobby wants you to believe that extreme-risk laws are radical, unpopular and unconstitutional, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Seventeen states have enacted extreme-risk laws — including five states where Republican governors signed the legislation — and these laws have strong due process protections and have been ruled constitutional. Right here in Iowa, extreme-risk laws have overwhelming public support.
New polling shows that 75% of Iowans support extreme-risk laws and that Iowa voters generally support stronger gun safety laws by a 3-to-1 margin. And if that isn’t enough to motivate lawmakers, 75% of voters also consider a candidate’s position on guns “very important” to their vote in 2020. Come November, we’ll make sure that voters know where our leaders stand.
Republicans and Democrats, gun owners and non-owners all support this legislation. Because common-sense gun safety laws are just that: common sense. And extreme-risk laws save lives.
Nearly 300 Iowans die every year from gun violence, and nearly 80% of gun deaths are suicides. It doesn’t have to be this way. Extreme-risk laws have been proven to be an effective way to prevent gun suicide. Temporarily preventing a person in crisis from accessing firearms can mean the difference between life and death, because firearms are an especially deadly means of self-harm. Most people who attempt suicide do not die unless they use a gun.