shall state
n.— «Applicants also must meet state and federal requirements for possessing firearms—they cannot be under indictment or convicted of a felony, have a mental health history, be convicted of domestic violence, among others. Iowa is what is known as a “may” state, which means the issuing agency—in this case, the county sheriff—has full discretion on who gets a permit. Some people are pushing for Iowa to become a “shall” state, which means applicants who meet set criteria would have to be issued a permit, removing the discretion of the sheriffs.» —“Concealed gun permits on rise in Scott County” by Ann McGlynn Quad-City Times (Davenport, Iowa) Nov. 16, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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