Iowa Democrat Legislators Throw A Temper Tantrum Over A Pair Of 2-A Bills

[tt11758]

http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2012/02/29/house-democrats-have-left-the-iowa-capitol-in-protest-in-an-undisclosed-location/

Iowa House Democrats have just left the Capitol in protest of two gun bills the Republican majority plans to debate today that critics contend would make the state part of the “Wild, Wild West.”
 
House Minority Leader Kevin 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 more about making 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.”
 
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, but that would be highly unusual, McCarthy said.
 
“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.
 
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 this morning what the Republicans intended to bring up, 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 convene and begin considering bills in the Democrats’ absence. As of 10:30 a.m., the chamber remained at ease, with Republican lawmakers sitting casually at their desks or chatting in small groups on the House floor.
 
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.”

Personally, I hope the Republicans extend a big middle finger to these whiny-ass crybabies, and debate (and pass) these bills anyway!!

Both are good bills, and would strengthen the gains that have been made in the area of gun rights in this state in the past couple of years.

By the way, the "critcs" quoted in the first paragraph are made up largely of the Editorial Boad of the DesMoines Register (Motto:  The newspaper liberal democrats depend on).  This is the same old bullshit fear mongering tactic they tried before "Shall-Issue" came into effect.  I got news for you, assholes, it didn't happen then and it won't happen now.

Bunch of no-good, bush-whackin, razza-frazzin, goll-durn offspring of unmarried parents!!!


Great, now I gotta go take another blood pressure pill.                    

[tt11758]

Not sure how much notice the Dems require, but I've been getting emails from the Iowa Firearms Coalition and NRA-ILA for more than a couple of days informing ME that today was the day.  Maybe the Dems should get put on those mailing lists. 

[Hazcat]

Keep us informed on this, Tom.

[twyacht]

The Dems must have learned that "stunt" from the same bunch of loser Libs in Wisconsin.....Either that or the French,...

I caught this today at work on the radio.....

You know what the Dems remind me of when the do this?






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, but that would be highly unusual, McCarthy said.


So is fleeing to an undisclosed location,......If the Reps. have a quorum,,,,,,,,PASS IT....Screw them...

[MikeBjerum]

It is time that someone educate these elected officials on the "wild wild west."  For those that have moved on past Roy Rogers and Tom Mix, it is well known that the main street stand off is creation of Hollywood.  I won't go into all the things we have learned over the years, but just like mixing up antlers and horns, or magazines and clips, the wild wild west characterization shows their ignorance.

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

One thing they haven't learned is that the "Wild West" wasn't all that wild since most people WORKED from sun up to sun down.
Just the sort of thing you'd expect from people who are more concerned with whats "fair", than with how reality functions.

[twyacht]

The "Wild West" argument is right out of the ol' playbook,.... It FAILED when the anti's tried it when Florida was one of the first states to pass CCW.

They screamed and whined about the "Wild West", when they passed CCW in 1995 when I lived in NC....(I was No. 2 in line the day the law was enacted)....

There is post here somewhere in the archives,....about the relative "quiet" in the ol' Wild West.....with a posted link from the history channel. Where gunfights, and shootouts were actually seldom, and infrequent....

Granted there were frontier towns that had violence, but guess what? Guns stifled it in short order. The bad elements were killed or wounded, and towns like Dodge City, Tombstone, etc,....actually thrived when the riff-raff was dispatched.

Perhaps TomB, with his strong google-fu, can find it, I tried and couldn't find it.

 

[Pathfinder]

The Dem's behave this way because there are no consequences to their behavior. None. Ever.

[Solus]

Not only should they vote on and pass this legislation, they should then take a vote to start impeachment proceedings for the those who abandoned their duty and responsibility to represent their constituency. 

Give them 8 hours notice that the vote will be taken and see how much they fuss over not being given enough notice.

[tombogan03884]

The people in the districts who's representatives are refusing to represent them should start recall proceedings.
But since they were the ones who elected these cry babies in the first place it's not likely.