Aldermen to relax shooting range rules

Chicago aldermen are expected to put aside their fears of appearing to be soft on crime by reluctantly agreeing to relax the city's rigid rules on where shooting ranges can be located and who can use them.

Although a federal judge has ordered the rewrite, the City Council put off the politically volatile vote last month for fear of a backlash in a city struggling to control unrelenting gang violence that has caused homicides and shootings to soar.

"There was a question about some of the members fearful of their vote being described by political opponents as being in favor of guns, which is certainly not the case," Finance Committee Chairman Edward Burke (14th) said at the time of the parliamentary maneuver he used to delay the vote for one meeting.

That explanation has now been communicated to aldermen. They know now that they have no choice but to relax rules that a federal judge has ruled are unconstitutionally restrictive.

If the full City Council approves the changes advanced by the License and Zoning Committee, shooting ranges would be authorized to locate in business, commercial, and manufacturing districts - and in select planned manufacturing districts - provided operators obtain a special-use permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

For the full story, click here.