(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Senate has sent the governor a bill to lower the minimum age for possessing a handgun from 21 to 18. Senator Scott Webster, a Republican from Bettendorf, says lowering the age would let more young people have a gun to protect themselves. “As the father of an 18 year old, almost 19, I believe that my daughter has the constitutional right to be able to defend herself, no different than anybody else,” Webster said. “She’s 18 years old. She’s an adult. She can vote. She has that right.”

A 2022 U-S Supreme Court ruling on gun rights has led to some federal judges overturning state laws that bar 18, 19 and 20 year olds from owning or possessing a handgun or pistol. Senator Mike Zimmer, a Democrat from DeWitt who’s a retired teacher and coach, says he’s worried about students in high schools who are 18 years old having access to a handgun on school grounds. “A sidearm or a handgun is a different situation, it’s ability to be concealed,” Zimmer said.

If the governor signs the bill into law, Iowans under the age of 21 would still be prohibited from buying a handgun from a licensed federal dealer. The bill also says a parent or guardian who lets a child under the age of 15 possess a handgun would be liable for any damages the child might cause.