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 big of 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.

Read More Here: Muhlbauer: Ban, seize semi-auto weapons