Illinois House Passes Equal Rights Amendment
CHICAGO (CBS) -- History was made on the Illinois House floor Wednesday as the House passed the Equal Rights Amendment.
The amendment protects Americans from discrimination based on their sex and was passed by a vote of 72 to 45.
The State Senate already passed the amendment in April.
Illinois is the 37th state to ratify the amendment, but the country still needs one more state to turn it into a federal law.
Wednesday was also a big moment for gun control advocates, as the Illinois Senate passed a law to license dealers, sending the bill to the Governor's desk.
CBS 2 Political Reporter, Derrick Blakley, reports on the busy day from Springfield.
The gun dealer licensing measure passed the Senate by a vote of 35 to 20, after a heated debate over familiar topics regarding gun laws.
The law will require background checks for gun store employees, mandate video monitoring of their stores, and require electronic records on gun buyers.
Police say 40% of illegal guns recovered from Chicago crimes are traced back to Illinois gun shops, but some argued it wouldn't be effective because it won't affect illegal guns flooding Illinois from outside.
The measure already passed the Illinois House, but now it lies in the hands of Governor Bruce Rauner.
The Governor's Office has not released a statement.
