Gov. Kim Reynolds recently signed new legislation, making Iowa the 19th state in the nation to enact constitutional carry laws. While many of those opposed say this will eliminate some background checks and make it easier for people who shouldn’t possess a gun to get one, those involved in drafting the legislation, in law enforcement and in the court system say those are pieces of the misinformation surrounding the law. District 12 House Representative, Brian Best, says the bill makes it possible to carry a gun without a permit.
District 6 Senator, Craig Williams, agrees, saying it is not what people have read in the media. The passage of this would make him less likely to sell a weapon, even to someone he knows.
Sellers will be prosecuted if they knowingly sell to a disqualified individual. That category includes felons, drug addicts, someone who has been dishonorably discharged from the military, has committed domestic abuse or been the subject of a mental health commitment. Carroll County Sheriff, Ken Pingrey, says he is in favor of the new law, but is still advocating for those purchasing and carrying weapons to get a permit through the state.
Pingrey does not believe this will really change anything. He says there are plenty of gun laws in place and illegal gun sales have happened since there were guns; and they will continue to happen. Those individuals will be prosecuted. Carroll County Attorney, John Werden, agrees.
Werden says it is also illegal to buy a gun at a federal dealer with the intent to give it to someone else, essentially helping another bypass a background check. Gun control came to Iowa in the 1970s and Werden saw all that the state had gone through at that time. In reality, he says, the pendulum has just swung back to where it once was. One of the major outcries in opposition of the permitless carry bill is gun show sales.
Werden says he believes the great majority of Iowans will continue to get permits because it facilitates the ability to purchase a gun and to make it legal for them to carry their weapon in states with reciprocity. There are many people in favor of gun control laws who are pushing to pass “feel good legislation.” This, he says, is feel good legislation for those who are pro second amendment.
Werden also says quotes on the number of people denied a permit to purchase under the National Instant Check System is often used as evidence of how well that system works. The reality is a great majority of those originally denied are ultimately approved once investigations are conducted and records updated.
