Iowa Takes Steps To Recognize Legal Ownership Of NFA Items
BY Herschel Smith
7 years, 10 months ago
Iowa would eliminate a prohibition on possession of machine guns, as well as short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns, under a bill introduced by state Sen. Jason Schultz.
Schultz, a Republican from Schleswig in northwest Iowa, told The Des Moines Register Thursday he simply wants to make Iowa law no stricter on firearms possession than federal law. Senate File 108 would permit Iowans to obtain machine guns and the other specified firearms after undergoing an extensive federal background check, filling out paperwork and obtaining a tax stamp.
“I haven’t heard anything but support” from firearms groups and individual law enforcement officers, Schultz said. Under current Iowa law, a person who possesses a machine gun, short-barreled rifle or short-barreled shotgun can be charged with a Class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.
The legislation would be consistent, Schultz said, with a bill signed by Gov. Terry Branstad last year that allows Iowans to legally obtain a firearms suppressor, which reduces the amount of noise and visible muzzle flash generated by firing a weapon.
Ben Hammes, Branstad’s spokesman, said Thursday that the governor will reserve judgment on Schultz’s proposal until he sees it in its final form.
It’s ridiculous to have a law against something like an SBR anyway. Readers in Iowa need to go to the mattresses on this one. The governor is apparently lukewarm, and he needs to be persuaded to get on board.
Of course this doesn’t remove these items from the NFA list, which will take federal action and therefore all of us together. But it takes Iowa one step closer to removing the laws that infringe on their rights.
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