Politicsgun silencersPoliticsGun Control

Iowa House Votes To Legalize Gun Silencers

State Lawmakers Vote To Legalize Gun Silencers
Paige Lavender
By 

Senior Editor, Breaking News, HuffPost

Lawmakers in the Iowa House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday to allow the sale and possession of gun silencers, according to Radio Iowa.

House File 2381, which "allows any person, trust, corporation or entity to lawfully possess a firearm suppressor if the suppressor is registered and possessed in compliance with federal law and regulations," passed by a vote of 83-16.

Rep. Matt Windschitl (R-Missouri Valley) said the bill is a “prime opportunity to expand the freedom and liberty Iowans deserve.” According to the Muscatine Journal, Windschitl said it's a "completely legit argument" that the bill would help gun users protect their hearing while firing guns.

Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad (D-Des Moines) relayed concern over the bill from residents in his community, who he said live "in fear" silencers will intensify the danger of illegal guns on the street.

According to the Globe Gazette, the bill is not likely to come up for a vote in the state senate, as Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Rob Hogg (D-Cedar Rapids) said lawmakers are too busy to consider new legislation in the middle of a session.

“We’ll take a look at that, but it is my plan not to take up any firearms legislation this year,” Hogg said. “I see nothing urgent about this.

Before You Go

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McCarran International Airport -- Las Vegas, NV
Getty Images
Located just five miles outside of downtown Las Vegas, McCarran International Airport seized 39 guns in 2013, 72 percent of which were loaded. The most frequently confiscated gun at McCarran was a 9mm. Of the 39 total guns that were seized, only two were unloaded.Back in April, a doctor was even arrested at McCarran with a gun in his carry-on bag.
9
Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood Int'l Airport -- Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Flickr:SergioMonsalve
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport confiscated 42 guns in 2013, of which 88 percent were loaded.The Sun-Sentinel even penned an editorial this year asking for increased penalties for gun-toting passengers after TSA revealed that more guns had been confiscated at the airport than any other airport in Florida, including the state's more populous airports.The most frequently confiscated gun was the 380, which was found loaded every time one was confiscated.
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Seattle-Tacoma International Airport -- Seattle, WA
AP
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport confiscated a total of 46 guns in 2013, of which 76 percent were loaded.Among the weapons that were confiscated by TSA at the airport was the .38-caliber pistol owned by 11-time NBA champion and Hall of Fame center Bill Russell, who was arrested in October. Russell later apologized for carrying the loaded gun, saying he "had accidentally left a legal firearm in my bag."
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Orlando International Airport -- Orlando, FL
Flickr:zappowbang
The TSA confiscated 47 guns at Orlando International Airport last year, of which 83 percent were loaded.The 47th seizure occurred on New Year's Eve when a man tried to board a flight to Atlanta with a loaded .45-caliber pistol
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Nashville International Airport -- Nashville, TN
Flickr:Dave Newman (newmanchu)
Nashville International Airport had the highest percentage of confiscated loaded guns last year. The TSA seized 49 guns from airport passengers in 2013, and warns that people can face criminal charges with up to $11,000 in fines for trying to board a plane with a gun.
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Denver International Airport -- Denver, CO
Flickr:jamesjoel
Denver International Airport ranks as the fifth busiest airport in the nation, and is also the fifth for gun confiscations last year by TSA. Agents seized 52 guns from passengers last year, of which 83 percent were loaded.
4
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport -- Phoenix, AZ
Flickr:** RCB **
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport confiscated 65 guns from its passengers last year -- or one every five or six days -- of which 86 percent were loaded. But a case at Sky Harbor helps shed some light on why airport policies on guns can be confusing.Earlier this year a man caused alarm and outrage at the airport for bringing his rifle into the Phoenix airport with his 12-year-old son in tote, who had a pistol strapped to his waist just days after TSA officer Gerardo Hernandez was gunned down at LAX with a semi-automatic rifle. However, the two were in an unsecured area of the airport and officials said the two had broken no rules.
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George Bush Intercontinental Airport -- Houston, TX
AP
Named for the 41st President of the United States, George Bush Intercontinental Airport confiscated 67 guns from its passengers in 2013, of which 91 percent were loaded.
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Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport -- Dallas, TX
Getty Images
Located almost four hours north of Houston, the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport seized 98 guns from passengers in 2013, of which 84 percent were loaded. Most of the guns that were confiscated at the airport were the .380-caliber and 9mm, of which one in four had a bullet in the chamber. Perhaps most memorable was the arrest of Ted Nugent's wife, Shermane Nugent at the airport in August for trying to transport a gun in her carry-on. Still, the report doesn't deal with other weapons that have been confiscated at the airport including a “dagger belt buckle” that was seized from a passenger earlier in 2013, or the knife found in a passenger's shoe.
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Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport -- Atlanta, GA
AP
Topping the list for most guns confiscated from passengers attempting to bring their guns with them in their carry-ons is Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The airport seized 110 guns in 2013, of which 88 percent were loaded and 34 percent were chambered. According to a press release by the airport, Hartsfield-Jackson has also been labeled the world's busiest airport for 15 consecutive years.
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