Importing ivory into the U.S. is already illegal. Senator Linda Holmes wants to ban purchasing, bartering or intending to sell items made with ivory.
"We do have a federal ban, but state by state if you don't have a place to go to sell it, it does reduce the amount of poaching that's done."
The plan exempts antique weapons, but Todd Vandermyde of the National Rifle Association says that isn't enough.
"I'm really hard-pressed to think of the last time we had a mammoth in the state of Illinois. Yet, there are firearms companies that offer firearms with mammoth ivory grips. They've long been extinct. There's no poaching going on with mammoths."
The measure failed to get approval from a legislative committee. Holmes says she wants to keep working for a compromise.