Lake Forest City Council to Discuss Gun Laws Next Week

Additional reporting by Daniel I. Dorfman.

Lake Forest's City Council will discuss a ban on assault weapons at its next meeting on Monday, July 1.

The debate is the result of  the concealed carry legislation recently passed by the Illinois Legislature. Home rule communities such as Lake Forest have to put a ban or other legislation in place within 10 days of Gov. Pat Quinn signing the bill, which has a July 9 deadline. 

The chain of events began in December when the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Illinois' ban on concealed carry weapons violates the Second Amendment, and set a June 9 deadline for the state legislature to craft its own legislation to get in compliance. The General Assembly has done that; now Gov. Quinn must act by July 9. The decision may be the subject of an appeal from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

Lake Forest Mayor Don Schoenheider said he would be tabling this item until the Monday, July 1 City Council meeting, taking place at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 220 E. Deerpath.

Deerfield recently indicated it would pursue an assault weapons ban; however, at its most recent meeting, the Village Board stepped back from a discussed assault weapons ban Monday, instead moving forward with a proposal that stated “assault weapons should be subject to safe storage and security requirements.”

Before reaching Lake Forest, the debate will first head to Highland Park when its city council meets tonight to discuss gun control laws. Activists from both sides of the aisle are expected to attend.

Where do you stand on gun control in Lake Forest?