Big changes in Iowa gun laws today: people can carry handguns open and concealed without a permit; people can acquire handguns without a permit; gun dealers will need to conduct FBI background checks on all purchases if buyers do not present permits (not just long guns) The Iowa Judicial Branch will be required to give new notices any time a court order results in someone being barred from gun possession, and the state will have to report that info to the FBI. Law also expands those who can be disqualified for crimes

Gun deaths in Iowa surged to record levels in 2020, including a 73% increase in homicides. Starting Thursday, people can acquire and carry handguns without state permits, a historic deregulation that one expert says will make the violence worse apnews.com/article/ia-sta… Updated the story - firearm homicides of Iowa residents actually increased by 80% in 2020 compared to 2019, according to state data. Overall gun deaths spiked 23% in 2020, not 20%. I had previously used for comparison CDC data, which has slightly different parameters

The #IA02 recount is getting very interesting, and somehow this race has gotten even tighter. Republican @millermeeks is leading Democrat @RitaHartIA by 36 votes out of more than 394,400 cast, down from her 47-vote lead when the recount began apnews.com/article/iowa-m… This reflects 15 of the 24 counties in the district that have completed their recounts and submitted new totals to the state, according to @IowaSOS. It does not include any of the 4 counties that Hart carried