(CNN) - The village of Deerfield in northern Illinois has passed a ban on assault weapons, but it affects much more than sales and manufacturing.
If the 18,000 residents of the Chicago suburb don't forfeit or secure weapons that fall under the ban by June 13th, they will be charged from $200 to $1,000 a day as a penalty.
According to the ordinance, which the the Village Board of Trustees unanimously approved Monday night, it is unlawful for a person "to carry, keep, bear, transport or possess an assault weapon in the Village," except if the weapon is "broken down in a non-functioning state," is "not immediately accessible to any person," or is "unloaded and enclosed in a case, firearm carrying box, shipping box, or other container by a person who has been issued a currently valid Firearm Owner's Identification Card." Law enforcement officers, current and retired, are exempted.
The ordinance makes specific reference to recent mass shootings in Parkland, Florida; Las Vegas; and Sutherland Springs, Texas. "Assault weapons have been increasingly used in an alarming number of notorious mass shooting incidents at public places, public venues, places of worship and places of public accommodation," the ordinance reads.
The authors of the legislation claim the law "may increase the public's sense of safety...not withstanding potential objections regarding the availability of alternative weaponry or the enforceability of such a ban."
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Deerfield's ordinance sets its own extensive definition of the term. In short, its version of an assault weapon is "a semiautomatic rifle that has the capacity to accept a large capacity magazine, detachable or otherwise." There are other aspects, including rifle additions and types of magazines.
As defined by the village, the term also includes semiautomatic pistols (Stuck's note - these are the military looking, short barrel guns that closely resemble AR's, but are technically considered pistols. This is not referring to your standard pistol like a Glock or whatever), semiautomatic shotguns, conversion kits and "any shotgun with a revolving cylinder."
There's more written in the story in the link above.
"Firearm Owners Identification" is Illinois' term for a concealed weapon permit, so anyone that doesn't own one and isn't a law enforcement officer, can be fined anywhere from $250 to $1000 a day just for owning an assault rifle. Also, any magazine (not just a rifle magazine) that can hold more than 10 rounds, are subject to this fine.
Also something of interest: I see no mention of compensation in the ordiance for people that are required to surrender their arms. I know under eminent domain, the government is required to provide compensation, but these guns won't be used, rather they will be destroyed. Therefore, people will be out guns, magazines, and money under this new ordiance.
Thoughts? ---
Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.