MADISON, Wis. (UPI) -- Mayor Paul Soglin Monday said voters
should decide whether handguns and automatic rifles should be banned
in the city.
   He said he would ask the city council to put an advisory
referendum on the April ballot.
   "I firmly believe this is one way we can reduce violence in the
community," he said.
  After a shooting at a Madison high school, Soglin said, "one boy
said that when he had a gun in his hands, for the first time he felt
like he was somebody."
   Soglin said he found that ominous.
   The ban Soglin proposed would ban possession of all handguns and
automatic long guns in the city.
   "There's little public purpose in anyone owning an automatic long
gun since they are illegal for hunting in the state," he said.
   The ban would include exceptions for licensed gun collectors,
police and security officers.
   Those caught with illegal guns would be fined and have the guns
seized.
    James Fendry, director of the Wisconsin Pro-gun Movement, said
the ban would keep law-abiding citizens from protecting themselves
while criminals who don't care about the law would continue to use
guns.
   "Murderers and robbers won't abide by this," he said.