A bill to stop credit card companies from taking steps to help law enforcement agencies identify suspicious purchases of firearms and ammunition was passed by the Iowa House of Representatives on Tuesday. HF 2464 was approved on a party-line vote with House Democrats voting against it. The bill prohibits credit card companies from using transaction […]
Gun violence
Posted inCommunity/News
A new Oakridge mural celebrates the life of 14-year-old Yore Jieng
Six years following the death of 14-year-old Yore Jieng, who was killed by a stray bullet while riding in his older sister’s car, a new mural in the Oakridge Neighborhood will memorialize his life. This is the second mural dedicated to Jieng. Des Moines-native Jordan Weber designed and painted “King Yore I,” which was completed […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Election 2022: Public Measure 1 would eliminate ‘current and future common-sense gun laws’
Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks was blunt in his assessment of Public Measure 1, which would amend the Iowa Constitution in a way that would stop most attempts to regulate guns in the state. “This amendment is a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Maybanks said at a news conference on Tuesday at the Cedar Rapids Public […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Dana James: How long can we bear the cycle of mayhem and memorials?
On June 17, 2015, white domestic terrorist Dylann Roof used a .45-caliber Glock handgun to massacre nine Black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina. In the barrage of news coverage, I vowed never to forget and memorized each victim’s name. Rev. Clementa Pinckney Cynthia Hurd Susie Jackson Ethel Lee Lance Depayne Middleton-Doctor Tywanza Sanders Daniel Simmons […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
‘I should not be predicting my death’: Iowa City students lead march to demand action on gun violence
For most students who are getting ready to start high school in the fall, a hot, humid Monday morning in June is a good time to sleep in. But a dedicated group of students about to make the transition to high school decided instead to march on Monday to demand action on gun violence. About […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
Reps. Hinson and Miller-Meeks vote against raising the age to buy semiautomatic rifles, Red Flag laws and other gun safety measures
On Wednesday, members of the Oversight and Reform Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives watched a video in which Miah Cerrillo described the mass shooting that killed 19 of her classmates and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. “He shot my friend that was next to me,” she said in a […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids to hold community vigil Wednesday, in wake of nightclub shooting
The City of Cedar Rapids will hold a Vigil for Community Healing on Wednesday evening at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The vigil is intended to pay respect to victims of violence, and show support for their families and friends. “Community service organizations Foundation 2 and Waypoint will join the event to offer support and resources […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Gov. Reynolds signs bills eliminating gun permits, giving new legal protection to gun manufacturers and sellers
On Friday afternoon, as the Easter holiday weekend was beginning, Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office sent out a news release stating that the governor had signed into a law a bill eliminating the requirement for a person to be licensed to buy or carry a gun. The bill, HF 756, was passed by the Iowa House, […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘One death is one too many’: Cedar Rapids leaders discuss gun violence prevention in the city
Last year, there were 99 shots-fired incidents in Cedar Rapids, but only 9 percent of those cases resulted in an arrest, Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman said during a discussion at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. He emphasized the importance of the community working together with police to address gun violence in the city. […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Sen. Ernst’s Violence Against Women Act reauthorization proposal doesn’t go far enough
By Liz O’Hara — Nearly 1 million American women alive today have been shot, or shot at, by an intimate partner. In an average month, 52 of them are shot and killed. Between 2013 and 2017, 37 Iowa women were killed by intimate partners; two thirds of these women were killed by dating partners as opposed to spouses. The House of
Posted inCommunity/News
‘Enough’: Moms Demand Action hold a rally to demand Grassley and Ernst take action on gun violence
The Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America rally on Sunday started with statistics — “Every day, 100 Americans are shot and killed,” Holly Sanger of the Iowa City/Johnson County chapter of Moms Demand Action told the crowd gathered on the Pentacrest at the beginning of the rally — but concluded with one word: “enough.”
Posted inCommunity/News
Dance for Our Lives, mixing music and politics to fight gun violence
In the past year, the young activists of March for Our Lives Iowa have staged a die-in, taken part in marches, lobbied lawmakers and stayed active on social media in an attempt on keep people’s attention focus on gun violence and the need for political action to address the problem. On Saturday, they are trying something new: a dance.
