MASON CITY – City officials in Mason City may be armed, law enforcement confirmed Thursday morning.
Sheriff Kevin Pals confirmed that Mayor Eric Bookmeyer and council members Travis Hickey and Janet Solberg have conceal and carry permits. Sheriff Pals previously confirmed that City Administrator Brent Trout has a conceal and carry permit.
“All Iowa permits are permit to carry any weapon that is legal to possess,” Sheriff Pals said.
Iowa law says that “you may carry concealed or you may carry openly; however, most permit holders carry concealed to avoid making it obvious that the person is armed, thus avoiding unnecessary attention, concern, or alarm.”
To NIT’s knowledge, none of the above persons have openly displayed their weapons in public, but information has been sent to our newsroom indicating that some or all of these individuals are armed at public meetings.
Seeking information, NIT emailed Bookmeyer, Trout, Hickey, Solberg and the rest of the council seeking comment on their perceived need to possibly arm themselves at public meetings. NIT previously reported that councilman Scott Tornquist – allegedly out of fear – demanded some time ago that the Mason City library spend thousands of dollars to purchase thicker shades on the windows inside the Mason City Room, where council meetings are held, and that the shades be drawn during council meetings. Armed police officers always attend council meetings in Mason City.
Councilman John Lee was courteous enough to immediately respond to NIT’s legitimate questions regarding armed public officials.
“I for one would say, as of now, everyone has the right to conceal and carry, and anyone who practices that right may do so where the law of the state or cities allow. One major aspect is the ‘Conceal’ portion of the right. To conceal may not only be physically, but also not let people know if they are or not, this would also be part of that right.”
Iowa law says that an Iowa carry permit “also allows the concealed carrying of other non-firearm dangerous weapons such as knives with blades in excess of five inches, switchblade knives, Tasers/stun guns, or any other dangerous weapon.”
MAY BE ARMED:
Good Lord–even in Old West days didn’t the gunslingers have to check their pistols at town meetings?
Maybe the public will start showing up packing, and do it non-concealed. Add a little more drama and urgency to policy debates.
All of them are too short fused. They, along with the public should not be allowed to have guns at public meetings.
Het Marquart you are a real aXXXole for using pictures of Hickey and Solberg that make them look like they had lobotomies. I get it, they aint the brightest bulbs in the can but jeezus these two look dumb. Even tho they pretty much look exactly like these photos all the time why don’t you use the official photos on city website. Cut them a break you jerk.
Why, this is what they look like. And they are jerks and that is what jerks look like when they are being their jerky selves. I prefer the one where Tornquist looks like he is either snubbing someone with his nose or picking it. Either way, he resembles that remark. And, some of the best pics are with the Mayor and his bud Steve King.. Two of a kind.. mean bullies that don’t give one sh.T about anyone. If it were not for his wife, the doctor- Bookmeyer would be sweeping floors…
Love the picture of Brent trout!
He looks like something out of the Oldwest!
Quick draw McGraw……
@Viking-he was either going for his pistol, or his underwear was stuck in his crack.
Speculation is that he was reaching for something behind his back. What would a man keep around his waist behind his sports jacket?
cellphone, wallet, pepper spray, tampons, tazer, buck knife, night stick, handcuffs, handgun. I would think he’d be the kind of guy to carry using a shoulder harness rather than on his belt, since sitting down is uncomfortable. He may have just been grabbing for some chewing gum, but that look on his face seems like he meant business. Has anyone answered Maybe’s question about the legality of citizens carrying in city council meetings or city hall? Just…
Peter, have you ever carried a gun before? I carry on my waste band and when I do sit down it is not at all uncomfortable.
Is one of these the “waste” band you were referring to? Exhibit A…Exhibit B
Hmmm. My HTML skills are fussy today.
Exhibit A
Exhibit B
Don’t quit your day job, oh sorry.
So why are your set of values any better than my set? You hold things against me that you don’t like about my personality or my living situation, but there are aspects to you that make me question your intelligence and capabilities (like your often atrocious spelling skills…or lack thereof). Think about it. Why do you think of yourself as superior to me? I’m better at English than you are…is the Army taking that into consideration? They should.
I have no problem with spelling, I use spell check plus if I am not sure I look it up. I know that you are the grammar monitor here so I go out of my way to make sure I use proper punctuation. The only time I don’t do that is when I am not home and am on my tablet and in that case it is so slow that most of the time I hit post before I even see the words.
You soldier types are puffed out with very marginal merit behind you.You form these opinions of yourselves as superior to everyone, when in fact you are not.You can lie about it, but the spelling for a band around your waist is not the same as for waste (refuse), and you did not know this at the time you wrote what you did. Disable your spell replace feature on your phone-I did.I find it insulting the Military passes over intelligent people like myself in favor of people such as you
I’m not trying to be mean to you. I AM trying to get people like yourself to STOP JUDGING those whom you consider to be weaker, inferior, unemployed, less American/Patriotic, stupider, or of a different mindset, religious, philosophical belief system than yourselves…and that includes what people choose to consume recreational or medicinally. When you stop acting so damn elitist and exclusive, than we can all proceed together as Americans. The petty judgments are coming from YOU
I try to never brag on myself and even though you did point out that I used the wrong waste (waist), I am better than you. You can use all the big words you want, you can put me and others down because you think you are superior than everybody else but you are wrong. Takes more than an imagination and big words to be superior.
It’s the ELITIST mentality possessed by Cops, Prison Guards, Deputies, Soldiers, even Fireman, who DON’T WANT TO INCLUDE everyone in this society…who NEED division for their careers to exist. The problem is not with the poor and disconnected, but with those guarding the gates & holding the keys. Republican Elitist Bullies have caused more irreparable harm than so-called Democratic Socialists ever have. WE want peace and independence but you won’t leave us alone.
I’ve said it a hundred times, and I’ll say it again: I want nothing more than to separate this country into different ideological factions. I’m tired of pretending to fit in with this or that. I know what my values are, and I want to live them out in peace; not constantly battling and struggling. But guess who won’t allow that? That’s right: YOU. It’s YOUR camp who continues to profit and exploit my camp. We WANT to separate, but you won’t let go of your grip.
This is beginning to sound like some old stupid ghetto crap. When you go to a city hall meeting and end up getting into a gunfight with the city council and the mayor something is not right.This means one thing that there are gangsters in these offices of power and they rule from behind the barrel of a gun.
Hey it’s their right to carry. I’d carry too if I were sitting on the council and reading here.
Only a person WHO KNOWS they screw people left and right would carry at a public mtg!
Don’t it just figure of course they will. Waddling scared.
I’m just worried they may go off with out much provocation. Hung over, being a bully, novice with a fire arm and simple down right can’t stand the opposition and will kill ’em as to look at ’em.
Freaks!
If its ok for them to carry at public places its ok for the rest society to do the same. I am good with this.
Anyone who would give Solberg a CCW needs their heads examined. I am surprised she didn’t take a shot at Matt
she already did she beat him in the election
Yes Tony Hamburg of Glidden Ralston Community School District, you are right, I did lose a very dirty city election, where about 18% of eligible Mason City voters chose Solberg and about 15% chose me. The masses chose not to vote at all because they do not care that much about city business, and the mayor did all of Solberg’s campaigning. You should be more focused on obeying the law and safely passing school buses, Tony, don’t you think?
I am glad that you took time out of your busy schedule to look that up. I hope you would put the full details though. That I went to court and nobody showed up. The bus driver was in the wrong there and couldn’t face the truth. I would be more worried about the countless reckless driving and your kid that does plenty of experimenting Mr. Marquardt.
Wait. Why isn’t Tornquist CCW? Is he a Felon?
@Anonymous-Probably afraid of guns. Besides he would probably shoot the wrong people.
I remember a ways back in one of the elections, I think it was Gary Horn running for mayor, I could be wrong on that. Anyway I remember whoever it was had a conceal and carry permit, and tournquist got all bent out of shape about it and tried banning it from public meetings and debates. interesting he doesn’t have that problem now when it is his buddies with the guns. I don’t have a problem with people carrying but that’s hypocracy right there from Tournquist.
@Mike Peterson-I remember that incident very well as I was at the council meeting that night. It was actually MaryBeth Greenan who first saw the gun Gary had on his waste and just pitched a unholy fit over it. Then Turncoat just jumped on the bandwagon and made a even bigger deal of it. Horn tried to explain he was ex-law enforcement and had a permit but the P.C. police ganged up on him. He kind of disappeared after that. I guess he just gave up when he should have stayed and fought.
Like the old saying, out of site out of mind. I have been to a few council meetings and in trouts office while carrying. I believe in open carry but I figure if it is concealed then you won’t have to explain anything.
@maybe-I believe in it too, although I do not carry right now (for a good reason) I have in the past and will again if I think it is needed.
This is no shock. Scottie is scared of his own shadow. I saw him leap out of his chair at a council meeting and bolt for the door at the mere prospect of a harmless debate over the mayor getting thrown out of a bar because he was drunk and mean to the staff. His man card was revoked permanently at that point. I can only imagine how frightened of guns Scottie is. Terrified might do it justice.
Well to be fair, I’m afraid of the bullets that come out of guns. I think you’d have to be ignorant or delusional to not fear the reach of guns, and the power to maim and kill they hold. I can see how a city official would be nervous about the presence of guns in the chamber as they are trying to legislate decisions. 6 or 7 people deciding for 27,000? The very formula of representative democracy with such ratios is preposterous…that’s the real issue.
Let me ask this then, is it legal for any person that has a CCW to carry at a council meeting? Do they carry at the court house also? Anywhere they can carry I can carry right?
It is legal to carry unless they have a no guns on premises sign posted..BUT if you are a city employee on city property it is supposed to be instant termination…Law enforcement is exempt for obvious reasons. Military background doesn’t matter if you are NOW a city employee. Being a city council member doesn’t matter either. If you are carrying on city property and doing city business you should be fired for violating city policy. Regardless of your position….
So, who enforces this? If this is true, then someone needs to be contacted regarding the issue. And probably not someone in Mason City. There’s got to be some sort of state government that oversees issues with city government. I find it hard to believe that the council and mayor and trout are all above the law…Correct me if I’m wrong. But if there is someone on a state level, they need to be contacted.
I’m wondering why this is news. People exercising their 2nd amendment right should be applauded. Must be another slow news day.
That is not the point. It is our City Council and what an example to set… They are all bullies and I would be more afraid of them shooting someone than someone shooting them. It is ridiculous.. This is news and I am really disappointed that they think they should be doing this. Just one more example of their poor judgement and sense of high horse mentality. What a sad bunch of fools…
No matter, it is their 2nd amendment right. Just like it is your 2nd amendment right too. After all, you just made a dumb comment, which is your 1st amendment right. Now if I think you are stupid should my opinion to take away your dumb comment stand?
It’s never a slow news day at NIT, chief.
@Big Daddy-If it is not news one has to wonder why you are wasting our time commenting on here?
Entertainment, what else.