Iowa Becomes the 19th State to Do Away With Gun Permits for Law-Abiding Citizens

WASHINGTON, DC, Apr 6 — While the powers that be in the White House and in Congress focus on ways to make it harder for law-abiding citizens to own or buy a gun, Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa has made it easier for citizens in that state to take advantage of their right under the Second Amendment of the Constitution.  She signed legislation that lifts restrictions on purchasing and owning a handgun.

The Governor issued a statement when she signed the bill into law, explaining that the new “law also takes greater steps to inform law enforcement about an individual’s mental illness helping ensure firearms don’t end up in the wrong hands.  We will never be able to outlaw or prevent every single bad actor from getting a gun, but what we can do is ensure law-abiding citizens have full access to their constitutional rights while keeping Iowans safe.”

Iowa is now the 19^th state that allows law-abiding citizens to own and carry a gun without a permit.  In an interview with The Epoch Times, a spokesman for the National Shooting Sports Foundation praised Gov. Reynolds for her initiative, noting that “Your [gun] permit is your Second Amendment right.”

The New York Times, in a recent article, chided President Biden for being too slow to start cracking down on gun control: “For decades, he [Biden] played a crucial role in major legislative battles over gun control, championing proposals to tighten regulations on guns and their owners. On the campaign trail last year, Mr. Biden proposed the most expansive gun control platform of any presidential candidate in history, promising to reinstate the assault weapons ban, institute a voluntary gun buyback program, and send a bill to Congress on his first day in office repealing liability protections for gun manufacturers and closing background-check loopholes.”

Rebecca Weber, CEO of the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC], points out that in recent months pro-gun activists have been gaining momentum.  “Iowa is the latest state that has taken action to preserve gun rights for its citizens.  Alaska has proudly declared itself to be a “Second Amendment sanctuary state,” according to its Governor Mike Dunleavy.  West Virginia State Senator Jack Woodrum has declared that ‘We’re trying to guarantee people’s constitutional rights’ in West Virginia.”

Weber notes that gun rights organizations have been attracting new members in large numbers since Biden took office.  And she points out that the Second Amendment Foundation has seen a 1,200% gain in its 18- to 20-year-old membership. SAF founder Alan M. Gottlieb said in a news release recently that the “influx of young Americans into the gun rights movement is important, not just to respond to the current gun control threat, but as the movement has gotten older, it is encouraging to see so many young adults getting involved in support of Second Amendment rights.”