Ames Drops CyRide Gun Ban After Preemption Lawsuit
Ames, Iowa, has reversed CyRide's ban on lawfully carried firearms aboard city buses, weeks after Iowa State University student Natalie Gibson sued over the policy.
Snapshot
A Nov. 5 memorandum from CyRide Transit Director Barbara Neal confirms passengers may carry firearms, openly or concealed, on the city's buses, effective immediately. The change, approved by the CyRide Transit Board, followed Gibson's Oct. 13 lawsuit arguing the prior ban violated Iowa's firearm preemption statute, Iowa Code Section 724.28.
Key points
- Policy reversed: CyRide employees can no longer deny service, demand a passenger leave, or call law enforcement based solely on lawful firearm possession.
- No permit checks: Staff are instructed not to ask for firearm permits, dictate how a firearm must be carried or stored, or handle a passenger's firearm.
- Legal backdrop: Gibson's suit, filed in Story County District Court, cited Iowa's preemption law, which generally bars localities from restricting lawful firearm carry and allows damages up to $25,000 for knowing violations.
- Campus argument rejected: Ames had defended its ban by noting CyRide routes cross Iowa State University property, but that justification didn't survive the legal challenge.
- Case not closed: The memorandum changes practice immediately, but Gibson's lawsuit — including any damages or fees — remains unresolved.
Quick take
This is a straightforward case of a state preemption law doing its job: a local transit ban got dropped once it ran into a lawsuit grounded in Iowa Code 724.28. The Iowa Firearms Coalition, which had warned Ames about the conflict back in October 2025, called the reversal a win for Second Amendment rights. The practical effect is clear even if the lawsuit itself hasn't been formally resolved — Ames bus riders no longer have to choose between lawful carry and public transit.
Read the full story: nssf.org