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At a Glance

Iowa

Iowa has very few remaining gun violence prevention laws after a major inflection point in 2021, when the state legislature voted to eliminate both its permit-to-purchase and its concealed carry permitting requirement. Just four years earlier, Iowa enacted a Shoot First law. Gun violence rates in the state are close to the national average, which is low relative to the strength of its laws. The repeal of core policies may provide partial explanation for this mismatch, and Iowans should be concerned about a spike in violence as the impact of those laws come into view. Iowa also sees disparate racial impacts beyond the national average: Black people in the state are significantly more likely to die by gun violence than white people.

332 In an average year, 332 people die by guns in Iowa. More at EveryStat.
#31 in the country for Gun Law Strength. (Same as last year). See why.

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Following the Mass Shooting at Apalachee High School, Guns on Campus and School Shooting Threats Are Erupting Across the Country

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In Iowa, Gun Safety is on the Ballot This November

Iowa legislators have decimated the state’s gun laws, putting it at #33 on our list of states with strong gun laws. And yet they’re still trying to roll back our laws. Iowa state lawmakers have introduced yet another alarming gun safety measure—this time, a dangerous amendment that will be on… Continue