Chicago Suburb Approves Ordinance Banning Semi-Automatic Weapons-Truth!

Chicago Suburb Approves Ordinance Banning Assault Weapons-Truth!

Summary of eRumor:

The Village of Deerfield, Illinois, has approved an ordinance banning the possession of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

The Truth:

The Deerfield Village Board approved an ordinance banning the possession of assault weapons, including the AR-15, on April 2. After the ordinance goes into effect in June 2018, residents could be fined up to $1,000 per day for possessing a semi-automatic weapon within city limits.
The ordinance states “assault weapons have been increasingly used in an alarming number of notorious mass shooting incidents at public schools, public venues, places of worship and places of public accommodation including, but not limited to, the recent mass shooting incidents in Parkland, Florida (Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School; 17 people killed), Sutherland Springs, Texas (First Baptist Church; 26 people), Las Vegas, Nevada (Music Festival, 58 people killed), and Orlando, Florida (Pulse Nightclub, 49 people killed).”
The village released an FAQ to summarize the assault weapons ban. Weapons meeting the definition of “assault weapon” under the ordinance are those that are semi-automatic, have the ability to accept more than 10 rounds of ammunition, and have at least one additional feature defined in the ordinance. Police won’t go door-to-door to confiscate assault weapons. Rather, gun owners have been asked to voluntarily surrender the weapons and high-capacity magazines—or to render them inoperable:

The Village intends to enforce this ordinance in a manner consistent with other local ordinances. This ordinance will initially be enforced primarily through education and voluntary compliance. A police officer may issue a citation for a violation of this ordinance in the manner provided by law. Weapons being illegally possessed will be confiscated as authorized by the ordinance. Any other enforcement of this ordinance, including search or seizure to effect this ordinance, must comply with the requirements of State and Federal law. Members of the Department will not go “door to door” to ensure compliance.

Violators of the assault weapons ban could face a $250 to $1,000 fine for each day that they’re in violation of the ordinance. The National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action announced that it would support a legal challenge brought against the group Guns Save Life. The result of the legal challenge remains to be seen, but the ordinance is based on a similar ban approved in nearby Highland Park. That ban was upheld by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2015 — and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case. Chicago also has an assault weapons ban on the books.