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What are the rules in the Iowa House?

IA_farmboy

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2009
Messages
494
Location
Linn County, Iowa, USA
I just heard on KXEL radio that the Iowa House was called into session this morning to debate the RKBA constitutional amendment and the "stand your ground" bill. It appears the House Democrats asked for a recess to have a "private caucus" or something. Recess was called and the Democrats LEFT THE BUILDING.

Wikipedia tells me that there are 60 Republicans and 40 Democrats in the House. I suspect the Democrats want to hold up these bills with their absence. Can the House continue to be in session with only 60 members present? Would any vote they hold be binding?

I might be paranoid and over reacting with my interpretations of the House Democrats actions but even so I'd still want to know the rules that the House operates under for future reference.
 

IA_farmboy

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2009
Messages
494
Location
Linn County, Iowa, USA
Thanks Tucker. A simple majority is needed for the House session to continue. I now wonder if the Democrats in the Senate will try to throw a fit as well to stop these bills? In the Senate the Democrats hold a slim majority. How many of these senators are up for re-election this year? Might give some indication on if something similar might happen again if these bills pass the House.

Also, it appears the walk out ended already. I saw this news go national in a matter of hours.
 

IA_farmboy

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2009
Messages
494
Location
Linn County, Iowa, USA
Update: the original (pre-committee evisceration) language was restored by a full sitting of the house yesterday evening, AND the bills were then passed by 60 and 61 votes with several abstentions and a mostly part-line split.

http://www.iowacarry.org/forums1/index.php?showtopic=23693

Very nice! Now, what's next? A walkout of the Senate Democrats?

Also, your link is dead. Took me a broken/out-of-date link warning page.
 

amaixner

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2008
Messages
308
Location
Linn County, Iowa
Very nice! Now, what's next? A walkout of the Senate Democrats?

Also, your link is dead. Took me a broken/out-of-date link warning page.

I checked, it works. The forums were changed a while ago to only be viewable to supporting members instead of open to search engines and the general public.
 

IA_farmboy

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2009
Messages
494
Location
Linn County, Iowa, USA
I checked, it works. The forums were changed a while ago to only be viewable to supporting members instead of open to search engines and the general public.

OK. A note that only members can view the link would have been helpful. A short quotation from the web page you linked to and/or a description of what to expect from the linked paged would have been nice as well.

Here's a link that everyone should be able to follow.

http://www.nraila.org/legislation/s...-passage-of-two-nra-backed-pro-gun-bills.aspx

House Joint Resolution 2009, sponsored by state Representative Matt Windschitl (R-56), fortifies Iowa gun rights through a strong constitutional amendment and was passed by a vote of 61 to 37.

House File 2215, also sponsored by Representative Windschitl, passed by a 60 to 38 vote and would remove a person’s “duty to retreat” from an attacker, allowing law-abiding citizens to stand their ground and protect themselves or their family anywhere they are lawfully present.

The constitutional amendment that passed is:

“The right of individuals to acquire, keep, possess, transport, carry, transfer, and use arms for defense of life and liberty and for all other legitimate purposes is fundamental and shall not be denied or infringed. Mandatory licensing, registration, or special taxation as a condition of the exercise of this right is prohibited, and any other restriction shall be subject to strict scrutiny.

The NRA would also like to thank the Iowa Firearms Coalition for all their strong efforts in support of these bills as well as the efforts of their membership.

Nice work IFC! Now, do something about your web forum so lurkers can read it.
 

amaixner

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2008
Messages
308
Location
Linn County, Iowa
Nice work IFC! Now, do something about your web forum so lurkers can read it.
I'll try and mention to one of our web programmer volunteers that some kind of explanation should be added, that's a good idea. They made the decision to make the forum private and member-only for two reasons: first, due to the increase in publicity, coupled with the occurrence of anonymous people registering and posting inappropriate / extremist / racist / threatening things that do not represent our goals or beliefs. Having that kind of crap picked up by media would be bad for the advancement of gun freedoms.
Can anyone say "False Flag Operation"?
Second, victory comes more easily when the opposition doesn't get to see your playbook for free.
 
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