Sen. Herman Quirmbach refused to apologize after his “clear shot” comment at a Senate floor debate last week upset legislators and community members.

The Iowa State associate professor of economics made the statement that was found offensive during a debate on an education funding bill. Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, was speaking of the low salaries of teachers and the high wages of administrators in bringing up the issue.

“As a faculty member at Iowa State, I share that spirit,” Quirmbach said. “I can look out my living room window, and when the leaves are down, I can see Beardshear Hall. I got a clear shot at Beardshear Hall, and every now and then I’m tempted to take it.”

This comment was met with a statement from Jeff Kaufmann, chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, saying that Quirmbach should be ashamed for “using this violent, uncalled for, rhetoric aimed at the administrators of Iowa State University.”

Quirmbach has no intention of apologizing, despite demands from Kauffmann, finding it ridiculous that people would think he was considering harming administrators, according to the Des Moines Register.

“I think if you asked administrators at Iowa State, you will find that I have been a champion of their funding,” Quirmbach told the Des Moines Register. “I have been a champion of their causes in many circumstances.”