hotpig
Member
I'm glad the Northern Illinois voters keep these folks in office. It makes me feel safe.
This bill a few days ago this bill was about child sexual exploitation. They gutted it and changed it into this stuff.
Senate OK's ban on high-capacity gun magazines
By John O'Connor
Associated Press
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SPRINGFIELD -- With suggestions that it could help limit tragedies like April's Virginia Tech massacre, the Senate on Wednesday approved a ban on high-capacity gun magazines.
Ammunition clips holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition would be illegal under legislation that passed 31-26 and was sent to the House.
Sen. Dan Kotowski, a Park Ridge Democrat, sold the bill as one that doesn't limit the manufacture or sale of guns in a state reluctant to toughen controls on weapons despite solid Democratic control of the Legislature.
But in a legislature that has struggled for several years to ban assault rifles, Kotowski refused to concede his bill was a smaller bite of the apple.
``In this day and age, you need to limit the lethality,'' Kotowski said after the vote. ``Acknowledge the reality that there's only so much we can do. There's 300 million guns in the country.''
Kotowski said the gunman in the Virginia Tech shooting April 16 squeezed off 170 bullets in nine minutes. His weapon was a handgun with 15-round clips.
Requiring smaller magazines would force such killers to change clips more often, saving lives, he said.
``Criminals are going to get guns,'' Kotowski said. ``Why not limit the damage that they can cause?''
The bill allows the continued sale of high-capacity magazines to police and the military, exempts shooting competitions, and allows current owners of the clips to keep them.
But critics said the legislation does nothing to stop violence and would drive gun manufacturers out of the state.
``The manufacturers are sick and tired of being pushed around by a bunch of Chicago liberals,'' said Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline.
Kotowski also is sponsoring a ban on .50-caliber assault rifles which is awaiting a Senate floor vote.
This bill a few days ago this bill was about child sexual exploitation. They gutted it and changed it into this stuff.
Senate OK's ban on high-capacity gun magazines
By John O'Connor
Associated Press
Advertisement
SPRINGFIELD -- With suggestions that it could help limit tragedies like April's Virginia Tech massacre, the Senate on Wednesday approved a ban on high-capacity gun magazines.
Ammunition clips holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition would be illegal under legislation that passed 31-26 and was sent to the House.
Sen. Dan Kotowski, a Park Ridge Democrat, sold the bill as one that doesn't limit the manufacture or sale of guns in a state reluctant to toughen controls on weapons despite solid Democratic control of the Legislature.
But in a legislature that has struggled for several years to ban assault rifles, Kotowski refused to concede his bill was a smaller bite of the apple.
``In this day and age, you need to limit the lethality,'' Kotowski said after the vote. ``Acknowledge the reality that there's only so much we can do. There's 300 million guns in the country.''
Kotowski said the gunman in the Virginia Tech shooting April 16 squeezed off 170 bullets in nine minutes. His weapon was a handgun with 15-round clips.
Requiring smaller magazines would force such killers to change clips more often, saving lives, he said.
``Criminals are going to get guns,'' Kotowski said. ``Why not limit the damage that they can cause?''
The bill allows the continued sale of high-capacity magazines to police and the military, exempts shooting competitions, and allows current owners of the clips to keep them.
But critics said the legislation does nothing to stop violence and would drive gun manufacturers out of the state.
``The manufacturers are sick and tired of being pushed around by a bunch of Chicago liberals,'' said Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline.
Kotowski also is sponsoring a ban on .50-caliber assault rifles which is awaiting a Senate floor vote.
