Half of Iowans oppose changing the state law on concealed weapons to ensure that applicants are denied permits only for a limited set of reasons, an Iowa Poll shows.

Several respondents explained that they don't want lawmakers to make it any easier for someone to get a weapon that they can keep hidden in their clothing while in public.

Currently, county sheriffs have full discretion to refuse to issue a permit for any reason, or even for no specific reason at all. Gun rights advocates think that's unfair.

In their push for more standardized rules, one gun advocacy group is resorting to some fiery tactics, which some lawmakers — Democratic and Republican — denounce.

Insiders describe the debate as "shall issue" vs. "may issue." Several Iowa gun rights groups think sheriffs should be required to issue a permit to carry a concealed weapon unless the applicant is disqualified because of certain specific factors. Currently, the law says sheriffs "may issue" a permit, but it's the sheriff's choice.

In the poll, 50 percent of Iowans oppose changing the state's concealed weapons permit law, while 43 percent favor change. Seven percent are unsure.

Political party affiliation doesn't influence Iowans' answers on the question, said J. Ann Selzer, who conducted the poll.

Nor is there a split between men and women on the issue. There's little difference between those who regularly carry some form of weapon and those who don't, the poll shows.

"Iowans are divided rather evenly and with no particular constituency standing up to advocate for change," Selzer said.

Poll respondent Rebecca Gillette, 59, of Casey said she and her husband drive a 25-year-old car. They don't own a cell phone. But when they go out, they usually take a gun with them.

"We're big, big gun advocates," Gillette said.

Gillette said her husband, who doesn't have any criminal background, easily obtained a concealed weapons permit from the Guthrie County sheriff.

But not everyone should get that kind of permit so easily, said Gillette, who usually carries a small knife in her pocket. Sheriffs should have the right to deny a permit for a concealed gun for any reason, say if someone's been "in and out of trouble" but doesn't have a conviction, she said.

Earlier this session, the Iowa Legislature weighed a detailed bill that would have made dozens of changes to Iowa's concealed weapons law. Last week, lawmakers stripped down the legislation to just a vague sentence or two.

That's because provisions are "currently being vetted piece by piece," said Rep. Clel Baudler, R-Greenfield, a former state trooper and a strong gun rights advocate.

Baudler's goal is to rewrite a bill to standardize both how sheriffs issue permits and what training is required for those seeking a permit. Now, those standards vary wildly from county to county.

"Some people say, 'It's not broke. Why are you trying to fix it?' " Baudler said. "Well, it is broke, depending on where you live."

For example, it's tougher to get a concealed weapons permit in Dubuque County, population 93,000, and the training is more rigorous than in some counties.

Sheriff Kenneth Runde said he's more willing to hand out professional permits for those who legitimately need to carry a gun for a job, but he's cautious about approving them for others.

"If it's a nonprofessional permit, they need to give me a good reason to carry a gun just to walk around in the streets," Runde said. "I just don't give one across the board for everyone to carry in their belt."

Runde denied 29 such permits last calendar year and granted 93, he said.

Runde also requires two full days of training from an Iowa police chief who is certified by both the National Rifle Association and the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy.

"I tell you, it's a great class," he said. "I want them to know what they're responsible for before we turn them loose."

On the opposite side of the state, in Pottawattamie County, population 90,000, Sheriff Jefferey Danker "very seldom" denies a permit, he said. Danker denied about 10 and granted 1,350 last year, he said.

Danker said he requires very detailed reasons to justify a permit, such as carrying large sums of money for business.

For training, Danker requires a four-hour class followed by a written test and a range test with the caliber of gun the Iowan wants to carry.

State public safety officials track the number of permits sheriffs issue, but not how many are denied.

Last week, one gun rights group, Iowa Gun Owners, grew restless with the progress on its preferred version of concealed weapons legislation, House File 596.

Members distributed negative brochures in Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal's Council Bluffs district as well as in Baudler's district in the Audubon, Guthrie Center and Greenfield areas. The fliers, which targeted each lawmaker separately, "contained half truths and outright lies and demands," Baudler said.

"When you come to my house and try to intimidate me and film me ... that isn't a fair way," he said.

When an activist from Iowa Gun Owners handed Gronstal a stack of petitions in the rotunda at the Capitol last week, Gronstal tossed them to the floor because he was upset that the organization distorted his record, he said. Another activist clicked photographs of the confrontation and posted them online.

"Bullying tactics are thug politics," Baudler said. "They think with these tactics they can force people into doing what they want them to do."

Iowa Gun Owners' executive director, Aaron Dorr, responded: "It's sad that professed pro-gun (lawmakers) refuse to take action to support pro-gun legislation."

As for the likelihood of a standardized concealed weapons permit law passing, Baudler said: "I'm cautiously optimistic. This session, I don't think anything is a sure thing."