World News Korner

New Iowa law may allow a child of any age to possess a handgun.

Courtesy of Des Moines Register:

Language allowing children of any age to possess a handgun could be added to one of the final bills up for consideration in Iowa's 2014 legislative session.

State Rep. Clel Baudler, R-Greenfield, has offered an amendment to the so-called "standings" bill striking wording currently in state law that allows only minors 14 years and older to possess and shoot handguns with adult supervision.

The change would mean a child of any age could, for example, shoot a pistol or revolver at a shooting range so long as they were supervised by a parent or guardian or a shooting instructor with parental consent.

A standalone bill with similar language was introduced earlier this year, but failed to advance. The standings bill contains several appropriations – including billions of dollars in funding for K-12 schools – but frequently is the target of numerous amendments on unrelated matters in the final days of the sessions as lawmakers are looking to tie up loose ends and adjourn.

Baudler's amendment is at least partially inspired by the Gibson family of Johnston. Nathan Gibson has been taking his 8- and 10-year-old daughters to the shooting range and on hunting trips for years, but was turned away earlier this month when the gunsmith alerted him and his 8-year-old of the law.

Iowa Gun Owners, an advocacy group, has highlighted the Gibson family in an effort to get the law changed.

There is NO way that this can seem like a good idea to any reasonable parent. I mean where is the mother?

I don't have a problem with teaching your children to shoot, but just like learning about where babies some from, there is an appropriate age to start that educational process.

Click the link at the top and take a look at the Des Moines Register video. Then tell me if it doesn't make you gasp just a little.

All I could see as a parent while watching it was at least a hundred and one things that could go wrong. If I were the insurance company covering this shooting range I would make it very clear that there were to be no small children on the premises, or it would be cancelled or the premiums would go through the roof. Law or no law.

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