What you need to know on the gun rights amendment

Good morning.

Iowans will vote on a gun rights constitutional amendment this fall.

It's been a long time coming for Iowa Republicans, who passed the proposed amendment in 2018, 2019, and 2021. A bureaucratic error at the Secretary of State's office kept the amendment off the ballot in 2020, requiring lawmakers to start the process anew.

The proposed amendment reads: "The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The sovereign state of Iowa affirms and recognizes this right to be a fundamental individual right. Any and all restrictions of this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny."

If a simple majority of voters approve the amendment, it will be added to the state constitution. That means any laws to restrict guns will be held to the highest legal standard. The laws would need to be narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling state interest.

Legal experts say the amendment may prohibit stronger background check laws and more restrictions on firearm ownership.

Stephen Gruber-Miller compiled everything you need to know on the amendment before heading to the ballot box this fall.

Court dismisses Foxhoven lawsuit

A Polk County District Court sided with the state and dismissed a lawsuit filed by former Iowa Department of Human Services Director Jerry Foxhoven. Foxhoven alleged that Gov. Kim Reynolds ousted him from the department in 2019 "because he refused to engage in illegal activity."

The judge wrote that the governor "is not compelled to hire or retain any particular individual for the position of Director of DHS."

The lawsuit garnered national attention in 2019, as speculation emerged that Foxhoven's firing was somehow related to his die-hard admiration for late rapper Tupac Shakur.

Reynolds said Foxhoven's music taste was unrelated to his termination. She later said the decision was related to a scandal over an increase in patient deaths at a state-run institution for people with severe disabilities.

Michaela Ramm has the full story on Foxhoven's dismissal and subsequent legal battles.

The Iowa Politics Newsletter will be back in your inbox on Tuesday, Sept. 6, after the Labor Day ho

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What you need to know on the gun rights amendment