New Iowa Gun Law Threatens Public Safety - US Advocacy Group

The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Director of Communications says that a new proposed gun law in the US state of Iowa endangers public safety and should be alarming to every citizen.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — A new proposed gun law in the US state of Iowa endangers public safety and should be alarming to every citizen, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Director of Communications Ladd Everitt told Sputnik.

“That [the law] is a direct threat to public safety, and should be of concern to all Iowans,” Everitt said on Wednesday.

The new law prohibits the public from discovering who holds permits to carry guns; allows children younger than 14 to possess handguns with adult supervision; removes a buffer period for a suicidal person seeking a gun; and eliminates a cooling period for an abuser seeking to harm a person in a domestic violence scenario amidst other changes.

Everitt explained that the most concerning piece of the legislation in Iowa is the provision that would eliminate Iowa’s permit to purchase system for handguns.

“If that is eliminated, prohibited purchasers — including convicted felons, the dangerously mentally ill, and those under restraining orders — would be able to acquire handguns through private sales without having to undergo any background check or screening,” Everitt said.

On Tuesday, the Iowa House of Representatives passed the Iowa gun bill without debate on the House floor. The bill passed 75-24 with all House Republicans voting for it in addition to many Democrats.