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Ill. Senate Panel Endorses Ammunition Limit

Illinois Capitol
Flickr/Jason Dunnivant
Illinois Capitol

Updated 4:25 p.m. with vote results  

Parents of two Sandy Hook elementary students killed by a Connecticut gunman last fall testified in favor of limiting high-capacity ammunition magazines in Illinois.

The Illinois Senate's Executive Committee voted 12-3 Monday to advance legislation banning magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.

Mark Barden is the father of seven-year-old Daniel Barden. Daniel was among 20 children fatally shot Dec. 14 in Newtown, Conn. Barden says killer Adam Lanza consciously took higher-capacity magazines with him "to kill a lot more people and he did."

Park Ridge Democratic Sen. Dan Kotowski's legislation would exempt police, military and shooting competitions. Todd Vandermyde of the National Rifle Association says he should have the same weapons as police to protect his family. 

Original Story from WBEZ:

An Illinois State Senate committee is expected to vote on a gun control measure today. They're scheduled  to hear from some parents whose children died in December's mass shooting in Newtown, Conn.

Three parents from Connecticut talked Sunday in Chicago about banning high capacity magazines. A proposed bill would make magazines that hold more than 10 rounds illegal.

"If the shooter's magazines had held 10 rounds instead of 30, forcing him to reload many more times, what additional opportunities would have been available for someone to disarm him, as we've seen in other tragedies?" said Nicole Hockley, whose 6-year-old son Dylan was killed in the Newtown school shooting.

Meantime - Senate President John Cullerton - a Chicago Democrat - says a vote could come down to one or two senators.

"I want to see these three parents come down to Springfield, Ill., and I want them to make some of the senators very uncomfortable," Cullerton said.

Legislators have also had a hard time agreeing on concealed carry legislation.