Gun Control Bills Head To Illinois House For A Vote

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Illinois Democrats are gearing up for a showdown on gun-purchasing restrictions.

House leaders plan votes Wednesday on five measures to restrict firearms purchases and intervene on mental health issues.

The Judiciary-Criminal Committee endorsed each Tuesday evening on 8-5 partisan roll calls. Republicans and gun-rights advocates complain the proposals are rushed, poorly drafted and in some cases represent a constitutional overreach.

Democrats are responding to a Valentine's Day massacre that killed 17 students at a Florida high school and the fatal shooting a day earlier of a police officer in Chicago.

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They also sense the pressure of public frustration over continued killings as they prepare to face primary election voters in less than a month.

Photo: AP Photo/Seth Perlman File