Republicans in the Iowa Legislature have recently been attempting to pass legislation to amend the Iowa State Constitution to include rights to own firearms, on par with the U.S. Constitution’s 2nd Amendment. State Representative Scott Ourth tells KNIA News he feels this is unnecessary since we are protected by the 2nd Amendment federally, but if it is going to happen is should go forward correctly.

“The language that is proposed right now is a little difficult to define. It includes language that refers to a judicial review standard called strict scrutiny. So I called several judges and lawyers to ask what strict scrutiny was, and for everyone I talked to there was a different answer, so it’s really confusing.”

The strict scrutiny language, which can limit the ability to perform background checks, is currently being challenged in court in states that have implemented it. Ourth has proposed an amendment to change the language to mirror the 2nd Amendment in the US constitution. In order to amend the State Constitution, a bill needs to pass two separate sessions in the Legislature, then be put up for a state vote.