Municipalities Rush To Pass Assault Weapons Limits Before Friday's Deadline
From the Chicago Tribune
At least 12 Illinois communities have rushed to ban or restrict assault weapons before a Friday deadline set by state lawmakers.
Another dozen or so towns were poised to take 11th-hour action, while about 30 others considered but rejected the weapons restrictions, by one pro-gun group's count, reflecting ambivalence over the highly charged issue.
In recent weeks, residents and activists for and against restrictions have packed meetings in some towns and cheered decisions that went their way. In many more Chicago-area municipalities, officials didn't even raise the issue, and many said they didn't hear much about it from residents.
The Friday deadline was set through a new state law that makes it legal to carry concealed weapons in public. The legislation included a provision that gave local governments 10 days from its passage to enact local weapons regulations, and that clock started when the General Assembly overrode Gov. Pat Quinn's veto of the concealed carry law last week.
Chicago and Cook County gained the most attention by further strengthening assault weapons bans this week.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From the Chicago Tribune
At least 12 Illinois communities have rushed to ban or restrict assault weapons before a Friday deadline set by state lawmakers.
Another dozen or so towns were poised to take 11th-hour action, while about 30 others considered but rejected the weapons restrictions, by one pro-gun group's count, reflecting ambivalence over the highly charged issue.
In recent weeks, residents and activists for and against restrictions have packed meetings in some towns and cheered decisions that went their way. In many more Chicago-area municipalities, officials didn't even raise the issue, and many said they didn't hear much about it from residents.
The Friday deadline was set through a new state law that makes it legal to carry concealed weapons in public. The legislation included a provision that gave local governments 10 days from its passage to enact local weapons regulations, and that clock started when the General Assembly overrode Gov. Pat Quinn's veto of the concealed carry law last week.
Chicago and Cook County gained the most attention by further strengthening assault weapons bans this week.
Read more in our daily News Update...