Morton Grove Wants Your Opinion On Weapons Monday

Morton Grove Mayor Dan DiMaria has called a town hall meeting for Monday, May 15 at 7 p.m. to hear residents' views on whether Morton Grove should respond to Illinois' OK of a bill permitting the concealed carrying of weapons by passing an assault weapons ban. 

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the American Legion Memorial Civic Center on Dempster Street.  

After the Illinois General Assembly on July 9 made it the law of the land to allow gun owners to carry concealed weapons, the Morton Grove village board plans to consider placing further restrictions on guns in Morton Grove. 

Since Morton Grove made history in 1981 by banning handguns, the discussion may be of high interest. 

The law gives home-rule communities such as Morton Grove 10 days--or until July 19--to restrict the law, such as by adding an assault weapons ban. 

The Morton Grove village board will vote on the issue Thursday, July 18, Mayor Dan DiMaria said. 
 
The General Assembly passed House Bill 183, which permits concealed carry under certain conditions, at the end of May, in order to comply with a federal appeals court ruling which said Illinois, the last state in the country to forbid concealed carry, must end that practice because it conflicts with the Second Amendment. The court gave Gov. Pat Quinn until July 9 to sign it. Quinn sent the bill back to the legislature with an amendatory veto, demanding further restrictions, but both the House and Senate overrode his veto on Monday.

Skokie passed an assault weapons ban; Niles already had one on the books. Other communities, such as Wilmette and Northbrook, took no action.