Iowa Legislator: Ban, Seize Semi-Automatic Weapons

Muhlbauer: Ban, seize semi-auto weapons (Daily Times Herald, Jan 9, 2013):

State Rep. Dan Muhlbauer, D-Manilla, says Iowa lawmakers should ban semi-automatic guns and “start taking them” from owners who refuse to surrender any illegal firearms through a buy-back program.

In an interview, a fiery Muhlbauer said it is time to act with “radical changes” on gun laws and other issues to protect schoolchildren from shooting sprees like the one last week in Newtown, Conn.

“We cannot have big guns out here as far as the big guns that are out here, the semi-automatics and all of them,” Muhlbauer said. “We can’t have those running around out here. Those are not hunting weapons.”

He added, “We should ban those in Iowa.”

Muhlbauer, who did not list the specific weapons he wants outlawed in The Daily Times Herald interview, said he would like to see the ban implemented in a retroactive fashion.

“Even if you have them, I think we need to start taking them,” Muhlbauer said. “We can’t have those out there. Because if they’re out there they’re just going to get circulated around to the wrong people. Those guns should not be in the public’s hands. There are just too many guns.”

If such a ban were implemented, Muhlbauer suggested a voluntary buy-back plan. But he would go further if needed.

“If we find them on the street, there’s going to have to be some sort of penalty for them,” Muhlbauer said. “We just don’t need “em out there.”

Templeton Mayor Ken Behrens, a Republican, said Muhlbauer’s proposal smacks of an overreach that is out of touch with Carroll County.

“I would hate to see a law where it would be mandated that somebody start taking guns,” Behrens said. “I don’t think that would go over well.”

Muhlbauer said the state also should eye more careful screening of who enters schools, government buildings and other facilities. He also suggested consideration of steel doors to prevent entry to classrooms by gunmen. Metal detectors or armed guards at schools may be legitimate options as well, he said.

“We have not done enough in the past, and this is running away from us,” Muhlbauer said. “We can’t have this anymore.”

Muhlbauer, a cattleman and farmer, owns three guns – a .410 shotgun, a .22 rifle and a .22 pistol.

He does some pheasant hunting and skeet shooting with the guns.

Muhlbauer said flatly that he’s not frightened politically by the National Rifle Association or the Iowa Gun Owners.

“As you know, the last couple of years I’ve been fighting against them,” Muhlbauer said. “I have told them time and time again, “You guys are wanting the gun laws so loose that that pendulum is going to swing back and it’s going to bite you.’ And that’s just what we don’t to see happen now. We want to put in stricter rules with common sense. I don’t want to have the gun laws slung back so far that we start taking guns away and start limiting them to where people cannot enjoy guns, those that want to have it. And that’s what I’m afraid, if we keep having these incidents happen, is what’s going to happen.”

Muhlbauer said promoting tough gun laws and protecting children in schools are important enough to lose an election advocating.

“We’re talking people’s lives,” Muhlbauer said. “You want to start losing children’s lives and adult lives over a gun issue because the NRA thinks we’re stepping on somebody’s toes?”

Muhlbauer said a constituent approached him and suggested that the government place a chip in every gun that would ignite sensors should those guns cross into secure areas like school zones.

“I think that’s carrying it too far,” Muhlbauer said.

But he said the response to the school shootings has to amount to more than legislative tinkering.

“With all these shootings going on we have to start making radical changes and radical choices from what we’ve done in the past,” Muhlbauer said.

Muhlbauer’s views on guns differ dramatically from those of another rural western Iowa politician, U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron.

“We hunt, we target shoot, we do self-defense,” King said this fall in a 4th District congressional debate at Christ Church on the Northwestern College campus in Orange City. “Those three with guns that are Second Amendment guarantees, those aren’t the reasons why we have the Second Amendment. They’re the benefits we get from the Second Amendment. The reason we have the Second Amendment is to guard against tyranny because our Founding Fathers understood that if you did not have an armed populace, a tyrant could take over America so we have a responsibility not just to defend the Second Amendment in words, but do so in deed by hunting and target practicing and also self-defense.”

King said in that debate with Democrat Christie Vilsack that his household is armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic gun that is effective in dealing with coyotes.

“I think he’s getting a little ridiculous,” Muhlbauer said. “We don’t need these big of guns out there to take care of coyotes. You don’t need that big of a gun to shoot a coyote with. Actually, we have a lot of people that go after them, and they trap “em.”

In coming months, Muhlbauer said, he will work to unite rural and urban legislators on efforts to prevent school shooting sprees and other violence.

Mental health must be up to date and not full of loopholes, he said. Muhlbauer also identified violent video games as a concern.

“We’ve got these video games out here for these little kids,” he said. “Maybe it’s time we start pulling them away. They’re playing some really nasty games on there that are shoot-“em-up. Evidently our culture is pointing toward this.”

Muhlbauer said he doesn’t know how the Legislature would go about prohibiting children from playing video games he finds objectionable.

“As parents, they’re going to have start watching what their kids are doing more closely,” he said.

1 thought on “Iowa Legislator: Ban, Seize Semi-Automatic Weapons”

  1. Ignorance is not the answer banning guns will not keep them out of the hands of criminals! If you think this will work then answer me this. Why dont you make drugs murder and rape illegal as well.. O wait they already are and no sick minded maggot ever obeys those laws so why in the heck would this one be any different. The answer is they wouldnt!

    Reply

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