The man responsible for shooting at cars and apartments in Iowa City last summer will do time in a federal prison. Twenty-one-year-old Alexander Alvarado pleaded guilty in February to unlawful use of a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm. He's been sentenced to three years in … [Read more...]
Governor says there’s no one single answer to school safety issues
Students in some Iowa schools walked out of classes this morning to join a national protest on the 19th anniversary of a school shooting in Colorado. Thirteen students were killed and 24 were injured by the two gunmen at Columbine High School on April 20th, 1999 -- before today's high school seniors … [Read more...]
King defends what he calls ‘rebuttal’ of Parkland shooting survivor’s speech
Republican Congressman Steve King's supporters and opponents gathered in Sioux Center last night as the "Sioux County Conservatives" hosted King at a public event. Steve Mahr helped organize a protest outside the venue, before the meeting began. "Steve King behaves like a bully and a bully is not … [Read more...]
Senate endorses gun rights amendment to Iowa constitution
Thirty-four state senators have joined 54 members of the Iowa House in voting for a resolution that ultimately could add a gun rights amendment to the Iowa Constitution. The same proposal must pass the legislature again in 2019 or 2020 before it could be presented to voters who decide whether … [Read more...]
House backs gun rights amendment to state constitution
Republicans in the Iowa House have voted to take the first step toward giving Iowans the opportunity to add a gun rights amendment to the state's constitution. The same proposal would have to clear the legislature in 2019 or 2020 before Iowa voters could decide whether to add the gun rights … [Read more...]
Burlington students stage walk-out, rally for student safety
High School students around the country -- and in Iowa -- have been walking out of class and holding rallies in the wake of the Valentine's Day shootings at a Florida school. About 150 Burlington High School students walked out of class Friday morning and marched to the district's adminitrative … [Read more...]
Iowa governor directs state officials to conduct school safety review
Governor Kim Reynolds today said she is "pulling all state agencies together" to review school safety measures. "We're going to go through and look at what we're doing, how we're coordinating, how we're communicating, what's working well, what some of the shortfalls are," Reynolds told reporters. … [Read more...]
Reynolds says congress should ‘take responsibility,’ fix gun background check system
Governor Kim Reynolds used her weekly news conference today to highlight the "if you see something, say something" message -- an event that abruptly with the drama of a statehouse evacuation that, luckily, turned out to be a false alarm. "In light of last week's shooting, we're asking parents and … [Read more...]
Gun bill pulled from senate committee’s agenda
A bill that would have done away with the requirement that Iowans get a permit to carry a concealed weapon has been shelved in the Iowa Senate. It happened about 24 hours after the mass shooting at a Florida high school. Senator Brad Zaun told reporters he pulled the bill from committee … [Read more...]
Senate subcommittees sign off on gun-related measures
Two separate proposals to expand gun owners' rights in Iowa advanced through initial review in the Iowa Senate on Thursday. One calls for adding an amendment to the state's constitution that calls on courts to "strictly scrutinize" any future gun regulations. The other calls for doing away with … [Read more...]