Iowa Lawmaker: Ban Semi-Automatic Weapons, Then 'Start Taking Them' From Gun Owners if Needed

(Photo via The Daily Herald)

A Democratic legislator in Iowa is startling citizens with his most recent proposal: ban the sale of semi-automatic weapons, and confiscate them from existing gun owners if need be.

Here is an excerpt from Iowa's Daily Times Herald, which conducted the interview with State Rep. Dan Muhlbauer:

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.”  [Emphasis added]

It should be noted that based on the interview, Muhlbauer's knowledge of firearms appears to be limited.  He conflates "semi-automatics" with "big guns," even inserting a sweeping "and all of them" phrase at one point.

He also seems to think the Second Amendment was created to satisfy hunters, saying "those are not hunting weapons," without any mention of protecting the individual's sweeping right to "keep and bear arms."

Dan Cartwright, co-owner of TDS Guns, places a semi-automatic pistol on display at his store in Rocklin, Calif. , Friday, July 27, 2012. (Photo: AP)

At one point in the interview, Muhlbauer suggests a voluntary "buy-back" program to get around the predicament of confiscating countless weapons, but it could only be considered "voluntary" for the willing participants.  Those unwilling to sell back their guns would face "some sort of penalty," he says.

But U.S. Rep. Steve King, a Republican from the same state, has been outspoken in his defense of the 2nd Amendment.  King first and foremost states that gun rights are intended to protect the individual, but has previously said he owns a semi-automatic for coyotes that sometimes roam his land.

Muhlbauer weighed in, according to the Daily Times Herald, to say that a semi-automatic is "a little ridiculous" for coyotes, and that King doesn't need such a "big gun."

"Actually, we have a lot of people that go after them, and they trap 'em," he suggested.

In the loaded interview, Muhlbauer also said that "maybe it's time we start pulling [away]" video games from children, but when pressed on how the government would limit children's entertainment, conceded that parents should just be paying more attention.

According to the Daily Times Herald, Muhlbauer owns three guns: a .410 shotgun, a .22 rifle, and a .22 pistol.

As for confiscating weapons, local Republican Mayor Ken Behrens expressed concern about how citizens would react.

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

​Click here to read the entire Daily Times Herald article.

(H/T: CNS News)

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