Alphecca

Cook County (IL) AWB is DOA

From the Illinois Leader:

It is not particularly surprising that Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin (D-Evanston), a virulent anti-gun advocate, has advanced a proposed ordinance to ban so-called assault weapons in Cook County.

It is the chilly reception the proposal is receiving from a County Board comprised of 12 Democrats and 5 Republicans that is the surprise.

Suffredin’s proposal was referred to the Board’s Health and Hospitals Committee for review. IllinoisLeader.com has learned that the Suffredin’s ban, thought to be an agenda item at the Cook County Board’s September 20 meeting, will not be called in committee.

According to a source in county government, Committee Chairman Commissioner Jerry “Iceman” Butler has no interest in calling the ordinance preferring to let it die in committee. Butler is reportedly upset that the political hot potato was referred to his committee as opposed to the more logical choice of the Law Enforcement Committee.

“He thinks Suffredin is trying to sandbag him and he doesn’t want any part of it,” according to one county government observer who spoke with IllinoisLeader.com on the condition of anonymity.

Suffredin’s proposed ban would augment the list of banned firearms in Cook County. According to Suffredin, the assault weapons ban, as it stands in Cook County, only pertains to those weapons listed by name or type. His proposed amendment to the existing ordinance retains the list, but updates it to include specific models of weapons not found in the existing ordinance.

Proponents of the Suffredin proposal argue the need for the broader ban locally in the absence of the federal assault weapons ban which expired in September 2004 and was not reauthorized.