Chicago suburb votes for local ban on some semi-auto firearms

The Deerfield Village Board on Monday unanimously approved a local ordinance outlawing “assault weapons” and “large capacity magazines.”

Deerfield, some 25 miles North of Chicago, approved Ordinance O-18-06, banning the possession, sale, and manufacture of many semi-automatic firearms as well as most detachable magazines with a capacity more than 10 rounds. The move, says city leaders, was modeled on a similar regulation adopted in nearby Highland Park that withstood numerous legal challenges.

“I believe the time has now come to revisit a complete ban of assault weapons,” said Deerfield Mayor Harriet Rosenthal in a statement, explaining that, while the village adopted regulations on the storage and transport of such guns in 2013, the recent Parkland, Florida mass shooting showed the need for additional regulation.

Under Deerfield’s ordinance, which takes effect June 13, those with banned guns or magazines could be on the receiving end of municipal fines of up to $1,000 a day once the city identifies them.

While dozens of cities in Illinois have local laws regulating guns in some way, they were adopted prior to the enactment of legislation that preempted towns and counties from installing their own customized gun ordinances. This could set up Deerfield for a legal fight, though Rosenthal contends the village’s 2013 ordinance on guns and magazines served as a window for the expansion.

Mike Weisman, a board member of the Illinois State Rifle Association, according to the Chicago Tribune, said Deerfield should be prepared for a lawsuit.