Iowa Gun Shows, March 2014

Feb 28-March 2, Keokuk County Expo Fairgrounds at Sigourney

Feb 28-March 2, McGregory Landing at McGregor

Feb 28-March 2, Cass County Fairgrounds at Atlantic

Feb 28-March 2, 5 Brothers Center, Waterloo

March 1-2, Greene County Fairgrounds at Jefferson

March 1-2, North Iowa Events Center at Mason City

March 7-9, Central Iowa Fairgrounds at Marshalltown

March 14-16, Iowa State Fairgrounds at Des Moines

March 21-23, Hawkeye Downs at Cedar Rapids

March 22-23, Adair County Fairgrounds at Greenfield

March 22-23, Spirit Lake Expo, Spirit Lake 

A busy month for gun shows and a chance to get to at least one of them.


*** I get this list from the link below and other searches and I can't guarantee the accuracy of the list. If anyone notices a show that needs to be corrected or added, please let me know in the comments.

For more details go to Iowa Gun Shows

Gov. Branstad stands up to US Attorney General

Iowa Governor, Terry Branstad, stood up to US Attorney General Eric Holder yesterday over Holder's comments regarding his opinion that felons should be able to vote after they serve their sentence. (No word about his concern that felons should be able to have their 2nd Amendment rights restored after they serve their sentences.) The money quote:

“I’m disappointed that the attorney general of the United States who also was involved in that ‘Fast and Furious’ project to give guns to drug smugglers in Mexico would criticize Iowa without even knowing the Iowa Constitution,”

In other words: "Stick it."

I'm curious that Branstad would use that dig against the AG. While viewing this report on the TV they hoisted a typical barb from the Iowa Democrat party: whining about the drive to require IDs to vote. (No word about the requirement to provide an ID in order to purchase a firearm from a dealer.)

Democrats always provide the best hypocrisy.

Legislative update, prohibiting personal information disclosure

HF2116 is working its way through committee - "An Act prohibiting the disclosure of personal information except under specified circumstances and providing penalties."

First reading is that this law would apply to counties who have been providing gun permit information to local news agencies. As expected, the Iowa Newspaper Association is against this, coupled with the Attorney Generals' office and the School Administrators of Iowa.

It provides penalties for data breaches, and requires agencies to notify Iowans if they disclose information and get permission.

There's some positive sections in this bill and requires some further research.

Legislative update, Lowering the age of handgun possession

HF2012 passed the House Public Safety subcommittee on January 30. This bill lowers the age to 12 from 14 for a youth to possess a handgun without adult supervision.

Current law would penalize parents if a child under 14 has access or is in possession of an unsecured pistol or revolver. This would lower that age to under 12. There may have been cases where parents were charged without an incident occurring, typically this law has been used to charge parents after a tragedy has already taken place.

Although the Iowa Police Association is for it, those Methodist are firmly against it.

New legislation for our Illinois neighbors

IL State Rep. Kelly Cassidy introduces a gun registration Act: HB4715 aka the Firearms Registration Act

Provides that every person in the State must register each firearm he or she owns or possesses in accordance with the Act. Provides that a person shall not purchase or possess ammunition within this State without having first obtained a registration certificate identifying a firearm that is suitable for use with that ammunition, or a receipt demonstrating that the person has applied to register a suitable firearm under the Act and that the application is pending.

Thanks to Kurt Hofmann for the heads up.

The Hoplophobic Iowa Methodists

While reviewing HF2012 I looked up the lobbyists declarations and counted a half dozen "Against" declarations from people representing the Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Currently children 14 and under must be under supervision of someone at least 21 years old while in possession of a pistol or revolver, or ammunition that can be used in a pistol or revolver. HF 2012 would lower the age to 12.

Apparently the Methodists don't care for that.

I think it would be best if the parents decided what age is appropriate but I think the motivation behind this legislation is to reduce prosecutions if a 14 year old kid is in their home alone and a handgun is somewhere in the house.

What is the motivations behind the Methodists?

In their 2013 Book of Resolutions the conference thinks a good idea to reinstate the so-called "Assault Weapon Ban".  

9337 Reinstate Ban of Assault Weapons(1995, 2005)

WHEREAS: The ban on assault weapons has expired;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That the Iowa Annual Conference calls upon the United States Congress to reinstate the ban on the sale of assault weapons and not to weaken or overturn the Brady Gun Control Law.

REVIEW BY: Board of Church and Society

 And they are against private sales of firearms by supporting getting rid of the misnamed "Gun Show Loophole"

9336. Gun Show Loophole(2003)

WHEREAS: A loophole in federal law allows firearm transfers between unlicensed individuals without a background check or record of sales (secondary sales), and 30-40% offirearm sales are estimated to take place at secondary markets, andWHEREAS: The majority of secondary sales occur at gun shows, allowing persons in prohibited categories to purchase guns without a background check or record of sale; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That the Iowa Annual Conference urges the Iowa

General Assembly to support the following requirements: 

a) that firearm sales between unlicensed individuals at gun shows be conducted through a federally licensed gun dealer to meet all federal and state laws, i.e., background check and sale recorded on federal form 4473; 

b) that the gun show promoter shall provide one or more federally - licensed gun dealers to conduct said background checks on the premises;

c) that these requirements shall apply to any part of the transaction taking place at a gun show. (It shall be illegal for someone to make an offer to purchase a firearm from an unlicensed individual, then take possession off - site); and

d) that violators are committing an aggravated misdemeanor.

REVIEW BY: Board of Church and Society

Am I incorrect in the assumption that tax-exempt organizations aren't supposed to be involved in political activity lest they lose such status?

Gun giveaway brings out all the best hoplophobes

Iowa Gun Owners is having a gun giveaway and the vocabulary of the hoplophobes includes: "appalling", "irresponsible", and “We’re not in the Old West anymore. This is supposed to be a civilized country.” - Rep. Sharon Steckman, D-Mason City. The Des Moines Register has it all.

Not to be outdone, a talking mutton from the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence ignored the part in the announcement about obeying all gun laws, and lamented about the poor "child" who might win an AR-15: “Children clearly do not have the maturity necessary to handle rifles designed for use on the battlefield; and this type of flip, macho attitude about gun ownership is exactly how accidents happen,” [Ladd] Everitt said. Read the IGO announcement.

Since the giveaway can only go to a person that passes a background check, nobody under the age of 18 in Iowa would be able to receive the rifle. I guess that means the United States is sending "children" to the battlefield where they would actually handle fully automatic rifles, instead of the semi-automatics that are only allowed to be possessed in the state by mere citizens here in Iowa.

Good thing we have misinformed spokespeople from Washington, D.C. to straighten us out. We don't need them when we have nanny-state representatives at the statehouse.

Iowa Gun Shows, February 2014

Jan 31-Feb 2 Cedar Rapids, Hawkeye Downs

Feb 7-9 Ottumwa, Bridgeview Center 

Feb 14-15 Del Moines, Adventureland Park

Feb 15-16 Arcadia, American Legion Hall (Thanks Chaplain Tim)

Feb 28 - Mar 2 Atlantic, Cass County Fairgrounds

Feb 28-Mar 2 McGregor, McGregor Landing

*** I get this list from the link below and other searches and I can't guarantee the accuracy of the list. If anyone notices a show that needs to be corrected or added, please let me know in the comments.

For more details go to Iowa Gun Shows

  Coming up is the Marshalltown show at the Central Iowa Fairgrounds, March 7 - 9 (Maybe we will have a table this year)

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.

If this study is true, then nearly all firearm owners should be dead by now

Another study that suggests you are more likely to be a victim of violence if you own firearms than if you don't have a gun in the home.

With no opportunity to have a control group, these kind of studies have no significance other than to provide academics a chance for grant money.

But don't compare the stated 31,000 firearm deaths per year with the number of accidental deaths due to medical errors (225,000).

Or the higher suicide rates in gun-banning Japan.

Or the benefits of firearm ownership.

But do state: "The researchers say restricting access may effectively prevent injury." But don't add that tools used in some of those injuries would statically be switched to knives, clubs, baseball bats, cars, etc.