Capitol Notebook: Gun buying, elections laws and anti-doxxing bills pass Iowa Senate

DES MOINES — Legislation that would lower the minimum age for Iowans possessing a handgun from 21 to 18 was sent to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk Monday after Senate lawmakers voted to advance it.

Sen. Scott Webster, R-Bettendorf, said lowering the age would allow for more people, particularly young women, to better protect themselves.

“I believe that my daughter has the constitutional right to be able to defend herself, no different than anybody else,” Webster said. “There is no way that I can sit here and say that it's better for her to walk down the street and defend herself with a long rifle, where she can become a target because she's carrying a gun.”

Democratic Sen. Mike Zimmer of DeWitt expressed concern about some students who turn 18 during their senior year of high school having access to handguns amid concerns of schools shootings.

Sen. Art Staed, D-Cedar Rapids, pointed to statistics showing firearms being the leading cause of death for 18 to 20-year-olds.

“There are rarely second chances with the handgun, no time for intervention, no time to get help, no time to say goodbye,” Staed said. “Lowering the age to purchase handguns won't save any lives. It will cost lives.”

Lawmakers voted 33-14 to pass the bill, House File 924, mostly along party lines with Democratic Sens. Tony Bisignano of Des Moines and Bill Dotzler of Waterloo joining Republicans to advance it and Republican Sens. Ken Rozenboom of Pella and Charlie McClintock of Alburnett joining Democrats in voting against it.

The legislation was passed by the Iowa House in March.

Penalties for doxxing advance

Harassing someone by posting or publishing a person’s personal or identifying information without their consent would be prohibited under legislation unanimously passed by Monday Iowa Senate lawmakers.

Senate File 35 would establish a criminal penalty for doxxing, which is publishing or posting someone’s personal information, including addresses, phone numbers and Social Security numbers, with the intention of embarrassing or harassing them.

The bill would add doxxing to Iowa’s definition of harassment and make it an aggravated misdemeanor, which is punishable by up two years in prison and a fine of up to $8,540.

The bill advanced out of committee in the Iowa House, but has yet to be debated in the full chamber.

Statehouse Republicans reach school funding deal

General state funding to Iowa’s public K-12 schools will increase 2 percent in the next school year under an agreement reached by statehouse Republicans.

The deal comes late — legislators are required by state law to set state K-12 school funding within 30 days of the governor’s budget presentation. As of Monday, legislators were more than seven weeks past that deadline. But there is no penalty in the state law that established the deadline.

Iowa public schools must certify their budgets by April 15.

Senate Republicans passed their original K-12 public education funding proposal Feb. 11; House Republicans passed theirs two days later.

The compromise agreement, Senate File 167, which the House is scheduled to debate Tuesday, also includes boosts in funding to address per pupil funding equity and districts that encounter larger transportation costs.

The proposal passed the Senate on a 32-15 vote, with Republican Sen. Charlie McClintock of Alburnett joining all Democrats — who said the increase is insufficient — in voting against.

Elections law changes headed to governor

Proposed changes to Iowa’s elections laws are headed to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk after passing the Senate with only Republican support.

The legislation, House File 954, would:

Republicans said the bill is needed to protect the integrity of elections in Iowa, and pointed to the 34 votes cast in the 2024 general election in Iowa that Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate’s office has said were cast by Iowans without U.S. citizenship.

Democrats argued that Iowa’s election system already is secure, that the 34 potentially illegal votes were a vast minority out of 1.7 million cast, and that allowing poll workers to challenge voters’ citizenship creates the possibility of racial profiling.

The bill passed the Senate on a 32-15 vote with only Republicans supporting and Republican Sen. Jeff Taylor, R-Sioux Center, joining all Democrats in opposition. Having previously passed the House on a similarly party line vote, the bill goes to Reynolds for her consideration.

Support for students’ math proficiency passes

Legislation designed to identify and assist public K-12 students who are struggling with math passed the Senate and is en route to Gov. Kim Reynolds, who introduced the proposal after highlighting the topic during her annual Condition of the State address to the Iowa Legislature in January.

Reynolds’ proposal includes promoting early identification, progress monitoring and evidence-based intervention and providing resources for families to advance children’s math development at home. It also would support teachers with additional training and professional development.

The bill, House File 784, passed the Senate on a near-unanimous, 46-1 vote with only Sen. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines, voting against. Having previously passed the House on an 82-16 vote, the bill heads to Reynolds.

“One of the greatest predictors of future success in the classroom and workplace, along with early literacy, is mathematics competency,” Reynolds said in a statement after the bill passed the Senate. “At an early age we need to identify children who are not yet proficient in math and ensure they receive the personalized help they need to build a strong foundation. We will support our teachers with evidence-based professional development and ensure all students receive math instruction in the way we know it works.”

Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau

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