Special report by the Des Moines Register finds 864 new gun permits issued in Winneshiek County in the last two years

The Des Moines Register says 864 gun permits have been issued in Winneshiek County in the past two years since the Iowa Legislature passed a law restricting the ability of sheriffs to deny gun permit applications.

Public records from Iowa's 99 county sheriffs show that just 621 permit applications were denied during the first 24 months of the new regulations which give law enforcement officers very little leeway in determining who is allowed to carry a weapon.  The newspaper's investigation revealed that just one gun permit has been denied in Winneshiek County since the law changed,

Iowa law does require gun permit applicants to take a training program and "demonstrate knowledge of firearm safety."  But they can qualify by taking a 30-minute Internet course.  Winneshiek County Sheriff Lee Bohr has said in the past that he would like to see more training required in order to qualify for a gun permit.

For more about the Des Moines Register's investigation, click here.