CHICAGO (AP) — An Illinois lawmaker has filed legislation aimed at keeping dangerous mentally ill people and anyone convicted of felonies or domestic violence from having guns.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports Representative Greg Harris’ bill also would ban people on the FBI’s terrorist watch list from getting firearms.

The Chicago Democrat says not letting people who are severely mentally ill or on the terror watch list own weapons “just makes sense.”

Harris noted a Sun-Times investigation that found more than 50,000 mentally ill people are prohibited from owning guns under current Illinois law. But the newspaper found state and local police haven’t seized many guns from those people.

Democratic Representative Brandon Phelps of Harrisburg says he wants to ensure the legislation doesn’t intrude on the rights of law-abiding gun owners.

 

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