Iowa voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that confirms a citizen’s right to bear arms. The measure was approved by the legislature to appear on the ballot this year.
The amendment states: “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 “strict scrutiny” became a big concern for opponents of the measure.
“‘Strict scrutiny’ would be a truly extreme, far-reaching change to our constitution and, unfortunately, is much more than an affirmation of our Second Amendment rights — which we value greatly here in Iowa,” Moms Demand Action Iowa Chapter volunteer Katie Albrecht said in a statement.
Supporters said it was necessary to pass the measure because there is a political movement to “reinterpret” or “repeal” the Second Amendment.
“U.S. courts have long recognized that the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right that preexisted the Constitution and which is protected — not granted — by the Second Amendment,” the Iowa Firearms Coalition said in a statement.
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