Letter to | the Editor

To the Editor:

In regard to the recent letter to the editor on weapon permits: In 2010, the then Gov. Chet Culver signed a bill making Iowa a “shall issue” state. In short, this takes the discretion away from the sheriff of the county on who gets, and doesn’t get, a concealed weapons permit.

Following the guidelines of the state and federal restrictions, there are disqualifiers for who doesn’t get a weapons permit. Unless there is one of the specific disqualifiers – i.e., felony convictions, domestic assault convictions – present in the individual’s history or rap sheet, the sheriff is directed to issue a weapons permit.

I hope that this addresses some of the recent inquiries that have been made regarding the issuance of weapons permits to individuals in our community.

Joseph G. Sampson, Sheriff

Montgomery County