Disarming Iowa’s Domestic Violence Abusers:
Federal law prohibits the purchase or possession of firearms by individuals convicted of a domestic assault or under a protective or restraining order for domestic abuse. The degree to which each state enforces this federal law is unclear. Due to local law enforcements lack of authority to enforce the law and federal law enforcements inability to effectively respond to all of the cases, some states have adopted state laws to increase enforcement of the federal law.

Research has shown that a gun in the hands of a domestic abuser can easily become deadly to the women that they live with. One study found that while a gun in any home makes a woman is 5 to 7 times more likely to be the victim of a domestic violence homicide, in homes where there is a history of violence she is nearly 15 times as likely to be a homicide victim.

IPGV supports legislation that would make it unlawful to possess a firearm under Iowa state law if a person is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law. This would make enforcing the “Domestic Offender Gun Ban” a state responsibility and would enhance the ability of Iowa’s law enforcement to enforce the terms of federal law, by giving local law enforcement officers and county attorneys direct authority to enforce the provisions of the federal law.

Seeking Away from Home Gun Storage:
Numerous studies have shown that families with a gun in the home are at a greater risk of gun violence. Homicides in the home are three times more likely when there is a gun in the household, and the risk of suicide by a family member, especially when teenagers are present, is increased by nearly five times in homes with guns. For these reasons, IPGV believes that not storing a gun in the home is the safest approach, especially for families with children.

Many Iowans store guns in their homes year-round for the sole purpose of hunting. A typical hunter may only use a gun for a couple of weeks to a couple of months a year. The remainder of the year the guns remain in storage in the home and place the families living with them at increased risk for homicides, suicides and accidental shootings. This risk should not be inevitable for hunters and their families. We see away from home gun storage as a straightforward, effective, and promising solution to this dangerous problem.

IPGV intends on working with different organizations and businesses from across Iowa to draft a proposal for this new method of storage. The solution needs to be accessible, cost-effective, secure and above all, safe. Study after study has shown that safe storage of firearms can prevent injury and death, and we believe that a solution that takes gun storage out of the home would be the safest of all.