© 2024 Iowa Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Windschitl: Put Decisions About Kids and Guns into Parents’ Hands

John Pemble
/
Iowa Public Radio
State Representative Matt Windschitl

State lawmakers are working to advance a bill that would legalize sound suppressors for guns and allow children of any age to handle a gun under parental supervision, among other measures.

Why do we have to go down the avenue of why one might need one? It’s a constitutional right to have firearms. We should be asking the question: ‘Why don’t we already have them?’ – Rep. Matt Windschitl on sound suppressors

Republican State Representative Matt Windschitl, the bill's sponsor, says it’s a constitutional right for parents to be able to teach their kids to shoot and handle a gun at whatever age they feel appropriate.

“We're not talking about giving a child a firearm, turning your back and letting them go ahead. I have two daughters, and I’ve taught them gun safety from a very young age."

During this River to River program, host Ben Kieffer talks with Windschitl and State Representative Mary Wolfe, (D). Executive Director of Iowans for Gun Safety Cheryl Thomas and Allison Anderman, who serves as a staff attorney for the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, also join the conversation.

Anderman says that her organization currently gives the state a C- when it comes to our gun laws and describes them as “strong.” She points to those laws as one of the reasons why Iowa might have such a low gun death rate.

Ben Kieffer is the host of IPR's River to River
Lindsey Moon is IPR's Senior Digital Producer