House Democrats leave Iowa Capitol in protest of gun bills
10:05 AM, Feb 29, 2012 | by Jason Clayworth |
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This story is written and reported by Jason Clayworth and Jason Noble.
Iowa House Democrats this morning left the Capitol in protest of two gun bills the Republican majority had planned to debate today.
The bill would make the state part of the “Wild, Wild West,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
McCarthy accused House Leader Linda Upmeyer of failing to properly inform legislators about planned debate today on the bills. The short notice hindered Democrats from offering amendments to improve the bills, McCarthy said.
But Upmeyer, R-Garner, shot back this morning that Democrats did have adequate warning, and suggested their flight from the Capitol was an attempt to make a political scene.
“Iowans didn’t send us down here just to do easy stuff,” she said. “The Second Amendment is a question that many Iowans would like placed before them. I don’t know why they’re afraid to have a debate on a subject just because they don’t like the subject. That seems ludicrous to me.”
One bill would alter the state constitution to specifically include gun rights. Another would rewrite the law on “reasonable force” so that a person may use force — including deadly force — against someone who they believe threatens to kill or cause serious injury or who is committing a violent felony.
“(Upmeyer) said they will debate those bills today whether we like it or not,” said McCarthy, D-Des Moines. “I told her that we’ve been double crossed, and we will not be debating those bills today.”
Review a copy of a calendar House Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer used to outline for Democrats which bills would be debated today. The circled bills were the ones she indicated would be debated by the House floor, according to House Democratic Leader Kevin McCarthy. House File 2215 and House Joint Resolution 2009, the gun legislation that is the subject of the Democrats’ walkout this morning, are not among those circled.
In response, Democrats have moved to an undisclosed location. Republicans hold 60 of 100 seats and could debate the bill without Democrats since they have a quorum. The majority party sets the calendar for debate and guides the course of business on the House floor.
“We have been double-crossed as a caucus, and we’re not going to sit back and be treated with historic misuse of power,” McCarthy said.
In a statement released after the Democrats exited the Capitol, McCarthy said the Republican leadership told Democrats yesterday the gun legislation would not be considered today. Because they didn’t believe the bill would come up today, he said, Democrats did not file all the amendments they wanted to offer on the bills prior to the deadline set in the House rules.
When met by a reporter after the Republicans adjourned from a party caucus, Upmeyer rejected McCarthy’s argument. The gun bills were noticed in the same manner as any other bill that could come before the House, she said — in a calendar that is updated and circulated to lawmakers everyday.
When Democrats asked what the Republicans intended to bring up today, Upmeyer said she gave them a list of non-controversial bills, but left consideration of other bills “open-ended.”
“Every member knows that anything that comes out of committee and is placed on the calendar is eligible,” Upmeyer said.
A House spokeswoman added that Democrats had in fact already offered an amendment to one of the gun bills, indicating that they had had ample time to develop proposed changes.
Upmeyer said she was not sure whether the House would reconvene and begin considering bills in the Democrats’ absence. Republican lawmakers sat casually at their desks and chatted in small groups on the House floor for about an hour this morning after the Democrats’ departure became known, but returned to a private party caucus at about 11:15 a.m..
The House spokeswoman said both Upmeyer and House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, had attempted to contact McCarthy, but received no response.
Chris Rager, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, described today’s events as “disappointing.” He noted that some Democrats have voiced support for some of the bills.
“I haven’t heard from Rep. McCarthy on it but I know he has supported us on gun legislation in the past,” Rager said. “I’m a little confused that he didn’t keep the caucus here. I would have thought he would have been supportive of this legislation.”
Others have begun chiming in on the issue as well.
In a tweet, Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue Dvorsky accused the House Republicans of employing “lousy tactics” and implored House Democrats to “be strong.”
In a subsequent statement, Dvorsky expanded on that point: “The House Republicans have shown time and again that they are unwilling to govern in a manner that gets results and moves Iowa forward,” she said in the statement. “Their abuse of power this morning shows that they are more concerned about breaking the rules in order to push through dangerous bills than work with Democrats to create jobs, grow our economy, and support education in this state.”
A tweet from Rep. Nick Wagner, R-Marion, meanwhile, put the responsibility on the absent Democrats: “Waiting in the chamber for the Dems to come back to the capitol so we can get to work,” he wrote.
Here are the bills:
House Joint Resolution 2009: Iowa Right to Keep and Bear Arms State Constitutional Amendment
This resolution would begin a process to amend Iowa’s constitution to include a “right to keep and bear arms.” The proposed amendment echoes the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, saying “The right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
To pass, the resolution must be approved by both the House and the Senate in two consecutive general assemblies before voters would weigh in on the issue. It means that the earliest a vote could occur would be 2013, should the legislature act this year and next.
House File 2215: Reasonable force/Stand your ground
The bill would rewrites the law on “reasonable force” so that a person may use force — including deadly force — against someone who they believe threatens to kill or cause serious injury, or who is committing a violent felony. The bill specifically says that a person is presumed to be justified in using deadly force if the person reasonably believes that deadly force is necessary to avoid injury or risk to his or her life.
Iowa’s current law allows potential victims to use deadly force against a perceived threat only if an alternative course of action also entails “a risk to life or safety.” |
