Senate Votes to Allow Debate on Gun Legislation

BREAKING NEWS Thursday, April 11, 2013 11:40 AM EDT

Senate Votes to Allow Debate on Gun Legislation The Senate Thursday cleared the way for the debate on the first piece of major gun control legislation to be considered in that chamber in two decades. With families of victims of the Newtown massacre watching silently from the chamber, the Senate thwarted a threatened filibuster with a vote of 68 to 31 and will proceed next week to debate a package of legislation that would expand background checks for gun buyers, increase the penalties for criminal sales and a variety of other amendments. Those include the renewal of the assault weapons ban which expired in 2004. Twenty-nine Republicans voted against the measure, as did two Democrats. READ MORE » http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/12/us/senate-votes-to-allow-debate-on-gun-bill.htm