The press conference, in the main rotunda of the Capitol, will be followed by several hours worth of knocking on lawmakers' office doors, organizers said.

The goal is to shore up support for gun-control measures that have been a source of controversy in the Capitol for years. In December, the House Judiciary Committee voted down bills that would have limited handgun purchases to one a month, as well as allow municipalities to enact their own gun legislation. This despite an appeal by Gov. Rendell, who in a rare move, actually testified on the gun-control measures before the committee

The committee tabled the lost or stolen gun measure, meaning that it can still be considered by the legislature. It could be voted on as early as today.

Ten buses are headed here from Philadelphia to support the effort today, organizers said.