Illinois senate pulls gun ban

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTHI) - The Illinois state senate is considering a massive gun ban this week. Just before the next general assembly session, Illinois state senators scrambled in a last minute session to move a ban into place.
    
Wednesday, the Illinois state senate took two bills out of committee to send to a vote. But that would be as far as they would get.    
         
Even though it is now 2013, legislation leftover from 2012 is wrapping up in Springfield, in what has been called the Lame-Duck session.
    
Wednesday, that meant State senators in Illinois advancing two bills for a vote both with far reaching implications for gun owners.

"There were two bills (Wednesday) evening, one that was going to be a rather wide spread ban on firearms and the other would be a ban on high capacity ammunition magazines,” Illinois House Representative Republican Brad Halbrook said.
    
That would have meant state house leaders would also vote on a similar bill before the beginning of the new session next Thursday. Both bills were led by Senate democrats in Springfield. However, when the bills came to the senate floor Thursday afternoon they were met with resistance.

"(Around )2:30 I guess or some time in the last hour, the Democrats leaders, have decided to pull the bill, they don't have the support for it,” Halbrook explained.

The move officially ended the Illinois senate's bid for a last minute gun control ban. But, when the Lame-Duck session ends next week, the next general assembly convenes and there a gun ban could again find life.

"If it comes back in this form or a different form, I’m not sure about all the fine tuned points on that,” Halbrook said. “But I'm sure some sort of legislation will come back."