CHICAGO, July 9 (UPI) — Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says he will call a special session on gun ordinances intended to safeguard school children and update an assault weapons ban.
The city faces a deadline set in a gun control bill signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Tuesday.
The July 17 special council session will consider Emanuel’s proposals to strengthen the city’s existing ban on assault weapons and stiffen penalties for gun crimes committed near schools, on buses and along routes designated as “safe passage” for students walking to and from schools.
One ordinance would impose a $1,000 to $5,000 fine and 30 days in jail on anyone convicted of carrying a gun, ammunition or other dangerous weapons within 1,000 feet of a designated “school safety zone” during school hours. Two-time offenders could face fines of $5,000 to $15,000 and a mandatory three months in jail.
Repeat offenders would be fined $10,000 to $20,000 and serve six months in jail.
The enhanced weapons ban creates a list of specifically named weapons and their equivalents. It includes semiautomatic rifles, handguns and shotguns with detachable magazines and at least one military feature as well as any weapon with a fixed magazine capable of holding 15 rounds.