Gun Violence as a Public Health Threat: Polk County’s Struggle to Change Perceptions Amid Iowans’ Differing Views

In this episode of River to River, we begin with an overview of new Iowa laws that took effect this week, as reported by Stephen Gruber-Miller from the Des Moines Register. We then hear from Helen Eddy, the Public Health Director of Polk County, about their recent declaration by the U.S. Surgeon General regarding gun violence as a public health threat. It has been nearly a year since Polk County launched their “Talk It Up, Lock It Up” gun safety campaign, and we have Iowans Joe Gorton and Richard Rogers on hand to discuss their differing views on treating gun violence as a public health issue.

Later in the episode, University of Iowa professors Peter Thorne and Shannon Roesler discuss the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to temporarily block the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Good Neighbor” air pollution rule. This marks the third consecutive year that SCOTUS has halted the EPA’s pollution control efforts.

Our guests on this episode include Stephen Gruber-Miller, a Statehouse reporter from The Des Moines Register; Helen Eddy from the Polk County Health Department; Richard Rogers from the Iowa Firearms Coalition; Joe Gorton from the University of Northern Iowa; Peter Thorne from UI College of Public Health and Shannon Roesler from UI Charlotte and Frederick Hubbell Professor of Environmental and Natural Resources Law.