This is What Successful Activism Look Likes

Iowa gun owners have a lot to cheer about today as Governor Terry Branstad signed House File 517, an omnibus firearms reform bill that passed in this year's session of the Iowa legislature.  This important piece of information would not have been possible without Meredith and Natalie Gibson, two young ladies who are competitive 3 gun shooters who found out that they were not legally allowed to shoot handguns in their home state.

The Gibson Family at the 2016 NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits

Once they found out about the law, Meredith and Natalie worked to change it.  The only problem was there was a state senator named Steve Sodders who would not let firearm reforms out of his committee.  That's when these two young ladies made it their mission to defeat him in the 2016 election.  On election night, he became former State Senator Steve Sodders.

Meredith Door Knocking
Photo from BearingArms.com

Thanks to their hard work, Governor Terry Branstad signed the bill today that now allows Iowa youth to shoot handguns under adult supervision as well as:

...pre-empt local ordinances restricting gun rights; create a uniform permit to carry weapons; provide for five-year permits to acquire handguns rather than single-year permits and immediately create confidentiality for those with permits; legalize short-barreled rifles and shotguns; and allow those with permits to carry handguns in the Iowa Capitol and other public buildings.

VSSA congratulates our sister organization and especially Meredith and Natalie on their hard work.  This is what successful activism looks like.