“If it was up to me as the person who helped establish the Brady bill, the five-day waiting period and the assault weapons ban, I wouldn’t take this step,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said after the 48-to-0 vote.
“But given that we’re under court order, we decided we’d take the six months to come up with a way of designing an ordinance that meets the judge’s requirements, but also does not undermine public safety.”
Ald. Pat O’Connor (40th), the mayor’s City Council floor leader, was even more direct.
“We had a gun to our head,” he said.
Emanuel had until July 14 to satisfy a court order to allow gun shops after U.S. District Court Judge Edmond Chang overturned the city’s ban.
The mayor responded with sweeping regulations he considers the toughest in the nation.
On Wednesday, the City Council reluctantly approved those rigid regulations.
Gun store owners would be required to videotape every sale to deter legal customers from buying firearms for crooks. They would be required to submit a safety plan outlining exterior lighting, surveillance cameras and alarm systems, as well as storage of guns and ammunition. Their employees would have to undergo fingerprinting, background checks and training on identifying potential gun traffickers.
