Hanover Park mayor opposes assault weapons ban
When the Hanover Park village board meets next Thursday, the agenda will include a proposal to ban assault weapons.
But Mayor Rodney Craig plans to ask that it be withdrawn.
“It’s an issue that doesn’t really belong at the municipal level,” he said. “It’s not our battle.”
The July 18 meeting is within the 10-day window in which Hanover Park, along with other communities of more than 25,000 people, could enact a ban assault weapons within its borders.
The provision is included in the concealed carry legislation that Illinois lawmakers enacted July 9 by overriding a veto by Gov. Pat Quinn, who unsuccessfully tried to implement several changes.
By letting the 10-day window lapse, the village won’t be able to pass a ban in the future.
Several Hanover Park residents spoke out against the ban when the issue came up last month. Some said it wasn’t government’s place to infringe upon their Second Amendment rights, while others said the ban would be totally ineffective at curbing violence.
Craig, who was out of town at a conference but listened to the recording of last month’s meeting, said the intent of considering a ban was simply to start a dialogue.
“There’s so much emotion around this,” he said. “I intend to stay involved with our legislators to see what we can do to get guns out of the hands of criminals.”