(Des Moines) Iowa House District 21 Representative Tom Moore highlighted some of this week’s activities in the Iowa legislature.
Moore said the Judiciary Committee advanced language to amend the state constitution regarding the Life Amendment.
“It would add, ‘To defend and protect unborn children, we the people of the State of Iowa declare that this Constitution does not recognize, grant, or secure a right to abortion or require the public funding of abortion.’ For this language to become an amendment, it would need to pass in the general assembly, and pass again in 2023 or 2024. It would then be added to the ballot and need to pass a general vote in 2024,” explained Moore.
Moore said the Public Safety Committee advanced a constitutional amendment to provide protection for Iowans’ gun ownership rights.
“Currently Iowa is one of six states that has no protections in its constitution for the right to keep and bear arms. The proposed language is as follows, ‘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’,” explained Moore.
Moore said to be added to the constitution, this amendment would have to complete the process as detailed for the Life Amendment.
In other activity, Moore said a bill was introduced that would allow parents to choose if their children will attend school in-person or virtually. It also allows open-enrollment in all school districts. Currently, these decisions are left to the school district instead of the parents.
