Chicago aldermen agree to water down tough gun law

Chicago gun owners will no longer have to obtain a city permit and pay city fees under a revised handgun ordinance approved by a city council committee.

The public safety committee made the recommendation Monday without much debate. That's a signal aldermen understand that federal court rulings have made many components of the city's gun laws legally unenforceable. Chicago has had the reputation for having one of the toughest gun ordinances in the country.

That ordinance was pushed through by former Mayor Richard Daley after a U.S. Supreme court ruling forced the city to give up its handgun ban.

The full council will vote on the revised ordinance Wednesday. The ordinance also does away with a requirement that residents make all but one of the guns in their homes inoperable.