New Iowa gun law not an improvement

I'd appreciate it if Iowans would keep up on the new gun permit law, passed by our legislators to take effect Jan. 1.

The following is what I understand about the law:

-- Lobbied by the National Rifle Association.

-- Endorsed by Gov. Chet Culver.

-- Passed by both houses of the Legislature (without much discussion).

-- Opposed by most of the county sheriffs in the state.

-- Takes away most all of the discretion of county sheriffs whether or not to issue a weapons permit.

-- Weapons don't have to be concealed.

-- Exempted from federal and state buildings such as our state capitol where the bill became law; at least our legislators should be safe.

-- Lasts for five years instead of the current one year.

-- Makes private businesses appear as the bad guys if they choose not to allow the weapons in their establishments.

-- Should take care of the few inconsistencies within each county with the “you got a gun permit, but I didn't” mentality.

-- Should keep the economy in the doldrums as law-abiding citizens stay away from potential danger.

Seriously, the new law is not an improvement. We've got more than 30,000 people in Iowa yearly getting a concealed gun permit. Isn't that enough?

People will get hurt over this new gun law. I think our lawmakers are abandoning one of their chief tenets - the safety and well-being of the people of Iowa.

Kenneth L. Klopp

Danville