According to Firearmchronicles
Under a bill approved by House Republicans last week, local governments would have to have a weapons screening method and an armed guard at entrances to government-controlled buildings that prohibit firearms. “I think the people who passed this know who they’re targeting,” said Johnson County Board Supervisor Rod Sullivan. “I’ve never had anyone talk to me about this.” He said the Johnson County Courthouse is the only building that currently has a metal detector and deputy sheriffs and all county-operated buildings have a sign indicating no weapons are allowed. “I don’t know what the board would decide if it were to go through,” he said. “I think it’s a shame that the legislature thinks they ought to undermine local control.” Gun rights advocate Rep. Steven Holt advocated for the bill, which passed 52-44 with only Republican votes. He said areas that prohibit legal gun carriers from holding their guns prevent them from protecting their families from shooters.
Republican Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, representing District 73, said the bill wouldn’t apply to buildings not considered a political subdivision. For example, the bill wouldn’t impact schools and universities as they are not considered political subdivisions of the state.
Citizen Johnson County Sheriff Deputies Dave Stanton, left, and Jon Smith work at the public entrance screening people, Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at the Johnson County Courthouse in Iowa City, Iowa.
He argued that any government-controlled building that currently has a gun-free zone, and is a political subdivision, like a city hall building, is breaking a law passed in 1990 by the legislature. By approving House File 2502, however, he said the bill provides a legal pathway for a city hall building to have a gun-free zone and maintain public safety.