Friday, January 24, 2014

Johnson County Sheriff and his false statements on Iowa gun laws

Johnson County Sheriff, Lonnie Pulkabrek, issued a blatantly false statement during a "gun violence panel."
 “There are people who are or do have lengthy criminal records that are coming in and filling out the paperwork and getting permits to get firearms, and the sheriff does not have discretion in Iowa anymore to deny those, other than a couple examples … (and) that includes sex offenders,” Pulkrabek said, citing Iowa’s shall-issue law, which went into effect in 2011.
That's bull and he knows it.

A "lengthy criminal history" absolutely prevents a person from getting a carry permit in the state.  Unless you define habitual speeding as a crime so heinous that it would prevent a person from getting a permit. The reporter just parroted the false impression that it's so easy for criminals to get carry permits but no word that the applicant has to pass a NICS check.

The carry law now prevents the discretion that county sheriffs used to enjoy which led to all sorts of political favoritism. Having the discretion taken away from Sheriff Pulkabrek chaps his hide. That and not enough training for private citizens.

Not one person on the panel of "experts" to speak about the defensive uses of firearms, so it's probably not a place one would find solutions. Unless the solution is to make it more difficult to obtain firearms or the end-game of taking yours away from you.

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