Throughout this week, KTVO will be highlighting some of the new Iowa laws that will take effect July 1st.
FAIRFIELD, IOWA -- On Monday, KTVO spoke with State Senator Becky Schmitz (D-Fairfield) regarding Senate File 2357.
The new law, regarding "Domestic Abuse - Forfeiture of Guns," was signed by Governor Chet Culver in March of 2010.
If a person is convicted of domestic abuse, or is the subject of a permanent protective order, the person will lose his/her ability to own guns.
"Since 1995, there have been over 200 deaths as a result of domestic abuse, and 111 of those were with a gun. So we've got real evidence of how difficult this situation is," Senator Schmitz said.
She said that this law has been a priority of the Iowa Attorney General for over 10 years. Senator Schmitz added that she is "pleased" the law passed.
"We also wanted to make sure that people's civil liberties were taken care of," Senator Schmitz said. "So it only affects those who have a permanent [protective] order."
Senator Schmitz added that by passing this domestic abuse law, it was a way to prevent "terrible situations and how traumatic they can be for families...especially for children."
You can find more information about the new Iowa laws taking effect July 1st.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKTVO