CENTERVILLE, IOWA -- Iowa legislators are aiming to standardize gun control.
A new bill being considered would make a lot of changes to current regulations for acquiring a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
Currently, each county has its own standards for getting a gun permit and it's under the discretion of the local sheriff to grant the permit.
Monroe County Sheriff Dan Johnson says he believes people should have the right to carry, and if they pass the requirements, he will grant them.
Supporters of the new legislation say Iowans that pass a background check and proper training should have the right to carry.
"The basic content of the bill still gives some sheriff's discretion because we don't want for every dirtbag in the state to get a permit but it will basically make it easier for a law abiding citizen who takes the proper training and goes through the proper background checks to get a permit," said Jeff Medina, Appanoose County Coordinator of IowaCarry, an organization supporting the bill.
Medina supports the Second Amendment and said Iowans deserve to protect themselves.
“If a police officer is at a call somewhere else and that citizen is in dire fear of their life that citizen should have the right to self protection, that citizen should have the right to lawfully, with the proper training, to carry that permit,” Medina said.
Medina said the bill also would recognize other states' permits inside Iowa borders.