KDSN RADIO News
Iowa Senate sends governor bill lowering age for possessing handguns
The Iowa Senate has sent the governor a bill to lower the minimum age for possessing a handgun from 21 to 18.
Senator Scott Webster, a Republican from Bettendorf, said that lowering the age would let more young people have a gun to protect themselves. “As the father of an 18-year-old, almost 19, I believe that my daughter has the constitutional right to be able to defend herself, no different than anybody else,” Webster said. “She’s 18 years old. She’s an adult. She can vote. She has that right.”
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling on gun rights in 2022 has led to some federal judges overturning state laws that bar 18, 19, and 20-year-olds from owning or possessing a handgun or pistol.
Senator Mike Zimmer, a Democrat from DeWitt who’s a retired teacher and coach, said he’s worried about students in high schools who are 18 years old having access to a handgun on school grounds. “A sidearm or a handgun is a different situation, it’s ability to be concealed,” Zimmer said.
If the governor signs the bill into law, Iowans under the age of 21 would still be prohibited from buying a handgun from a licensed federal dealer. The bill also says a parent or guardian who lets a child under the age of 15 possess a handgun would be liable for any damages the child might cause.
