Evanston Considers Assault Weapons Ban

Evanston is one of several municipalities in Illinois now considering an assault weapons ban before state legislation limiting such a measure goes into effect. 

At Monday’s city council meeting, aldermen asked the city’s law department to start crafting an ordinance that would prohibit assault weapons in Evanston. 

The request came shortly after the Illinois General Assembly passed legislation that would allow concealed carry in Illinois, so long as Gov. Pat Quinn signs the bill into law. Evanston is scrambling to pass an assault weapons ban because the bill also contains a provision prohibiting local assault weapons bans, unless those ordinances are enacted before, on or within 10 days of the date the bill goes into effect. 

What that means is that home rule municipalities—like Evanston—have a window of time during which they can pass an assault weapons ban. City officials in Highland Park and Deerfield are already considering such bans. 

Speaking before the city council about the bill at the mayor’s request, city attorney Grant Farrar said there was a lot of flux surrounding the legislation, and he did not expect Quinn to sign the law immediately. 

Still, the mayor and other city council members said they wanted to be prepared to enact an assault weapons ban if it appeared that Quinn was going to sign the bill soon.

“I’ve been concerned about … making sure we have something for the 10 day window, because if this comes up in August, it would be hard for us to pull a meeting together,” Tisdahl said. 

Ald. Jane Grover (7th Ward) and Delores Holmes (5th Ward) both said they, too, would support an assault weapons ban. A handful of people also stood up to speak in support of a ban at Monday night’s meeting.

“We urge the city council to speak out,” said Jacquie Axe, speaking on behalf of the St. Nicholas Church Peace and Justice committee. She said approximately 200 parishioners had signed a petition opposing concealed carry in Illinois, and were disappointed to see that it was approved.

“Assault weapons have no role in our civilized society,” said Marjorie Fujara, who spoke on behalf of Moms Demand Action, a group that advocates for “common sense” gun laws. Fujara said she sees the effects of gun violence on children personally, as a pediatrician at Stroger Hospital, which she described as “ground zero for the gun violence in Chicago.”

Recently, Fujara saw a 7-year-old boy who told her he had trouble sleeping the night before his appointment because he heard gunshots on his street. The boy told her it was an “AK-40,” his term for an AK-47. Fujara asked him how he knew what kind of weapon it was. 

“He looked at me and rolled his eyes and sighed as if to say, ‘Lady, of course I know,’” she said.

“Toxic stress,” like gun violence, creates changes in a developing brain, Fujara said, causing kids who grow up in that atmosphere to be hyper responsive to perceived threats.

“Very likely, this 7-year-old boy will be likely to pull the trigger as a 15-year-old boy,” she said. “He’s had changes in his brain which he’s had no control over.”  

Eileen Heineman, a racial justice manager for the Evanston YWCA, said her organization was concerned about keeping the places where children gather safe. 

“We want to do everything we can to keep those who are inside of our buildings safe from the scourge of guns,” Heineman said.

Should the city of Evanston pass an assault weapons ban? Tell us what you think in the comments.