Meeting Public Comments

Anu Subramanian []

ackground checks work. The permitting system works.These laws are on the books for a reason theyre proven, effective and therefore extremely popular.Passing this bill is a radical betrayal of IA. Its choosing the gun lobby over common sense public safety.Repealing Iowas background check requirement would make it easy for felons, domestic abusers, and those prohibited based on mental illness to buy handguns in Iowa. Repealing our states permitting requirement would make it legal for peopleincluding those with dangerous historiesto carry hidden, loaded handguns in public in Iowa without a permit or safety training. We are currently one of 22 states (and D.C.), that have laws requiring a person to pass a criminal background check before buying a handgun from an unlicensed seller. Background checks are the foundation of any effective effort to reduce gun violence and keep guns out of the wrong hands. Since federal law began requiring these background checks in 1994, over 3.5 million sales to prohibited purchasers have been blocked. These laws are proven to reduce gun violence states that require background checks for all handgun sales are associated with lower firearm homicide rates, lower firearm suicide rates, and lower rates of firearm trafficking. And, they are popular laws a majority of voters in Iowa, including 70% of Republican women, say they would never vote for a candidate who doesnt support background checks on all gun sales. In the vast majority of states, including Iowa, a person must acquire a permit in order to legally carry a concealed handgun in public. These permits ensure that certain core public safety standards are preserved when people carry concealed handguns in public places. This is another extremely popular law 88% of Americans think you should get a permit before carrying a concealed gun in public. And with good reason states that have weakened their firearm permitting system have experienced a 1315% increase in violent crime rates and an 11% increase in handgun homicide rates. When Alaska enacted permitless carry, the rate of gunrelated aggravated assaults per year increased by 65% in the state. Similarly, in Arizona, the rate of gunrelated aggravated assaults per year increased by 8% after enacting permitless carry. This has resulted in hundreds more gunrelated aggravated assaults in these states compared to the years prior to enactment. HSB 254 is a radical and dangerous proposal that would undo some of our most bedrock public safety laws. This bill would undo commonsense laws that ensure that certain core public safety standards are preserved when people purchase handguns and when they carry concealed handguns in public places.