'Monumental' gun bill heads to Branstad for final approval

A bill making sweeping changes to Iowa's firearms laws cleared its final legislative hurdle Thursday and is headed to Gov. Terry Branstad for final approval.

“Iowans deserve their freedoms back. They deserve their liberties back," said the bill's author, Rep. Matt Windschitl, R-Missouri Valley. "And while this is not everything that me, personally, would like to see advanced here today, it is the most monumental piece of Second Amendment legislation this state has ever seen."

The bill would allow children to use handguns under adult supervision, enhance existing "stand your ground" laws, create an avenue for Iowans to sue cities or counties that enact gun-free zones, legalize short-barreled rifles and shotguns, allow permit-holders to carry handguns in the Capitol, and create confidentiality for permit-holders.

It's a laundry list of items that pro-gun lawmakers have attempted to enact for years but with little success in the Democrat-controlled Senate. They immediately hailed the legislation as a victory for gun owners.

Read more: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2017/04/06/monumental-gun-bill-heads-branstad-final-approval/100134432/