On February 26, 2009, the US Senate approved the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2009 [PDF] (S 160) by a 61-37 vote. The legislation would give the residents of the District of Columbia (DC) voting representation in the House of Representatives and would also give Utah an additional seat in the House. Approval of the bill was impeded by Amendment 575, which sought to counter DC's strict gun laws by attempting to "restore Second Amendment rights." The amendment, passed 62-36, called for the repeal of strict firearms registration requirements, lifted bans on semi-automatic weapons and handgun ammunition, and limited DC's ability to restrict federally allowed firearms and other gun-related provisions.

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