Mayor Nancy Rotering Urges Law Allowing Local Assault Weapon Bans

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — In the wake of this week's mass shooting during services at a small Texas church, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering has called for Illinois lawmakers to again open the door for local governments to ban assault weapons. In a letter sent to every member of the General Assembly, the Democratic attorney general candidate urged elected officials to allow municipalities to enact their own restrictions.

"By passing legislation, the members of the General Assembly can provide Illinois municipalities the opportunity to protect their communities," Rotering said. "While the families in Newtown, Orlando, Las Vegas, and now Sutherland Springs, Texas didn't believe they had 'assault weapon' problems, we should agree that every town, village, and city should have the power to decide whether or not to limit these weapons that enable mass murder."

Rotering, who entered the race to replace Attorney General Lisa Madigan last month, described an assault weapons ban as a "common sense step to reducing gun violence and protecting our children, our law enforcement, and our communities from potential mass violence and grief."

Highland Park's 2013 ban on having, making or selling certain "military-style weapons" and high-capacity magazines was challenged and eventually upheld in 2015 when the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear an appeal of a lower court decision.

But even though federal courts kept the city's restrictions intact, state law limits municipalities from instituting new bans on assault weapons after a 10-day window of opportunity closed following the passage of Illinois' concealed carry law.

"As I have in the past," Rotering said, "I am asking again for the help of every legislator in the State of Illinois to fix an arbitrary time constraint that was thrust upon municipalities in 2013."

Mayor Nancy Rotering's letter to the Illinois General Assembly

After every mass shooting, there is public demand for elected officials to pass better gun laws to prevent future tragedies. Four years ago, following the shooting at Sandy Hook where the shooter used an assault weapon and high capacity magazine, I lead the Highland Park City Council in passing an ordinance to ban assault weapons and large capacity magazines. We had to fight the NRA all the way to the US Supreme Court, but ultimately we were successful.

Due to language included in Illinois' Concealed Carry Act, we didn't have much time to pass our ordinance. Illinois municipalities were limited to just ten days to pass an assault weapons ban and then the opportunity was gone.

As I have in the past, I am asking again for the help of every legislator in the State of Illinois to fix an arbitrary time constraint that was thrust upon municipalities in 2013. As a Mayor, I led the charge to ban assault weapons and stood up to the NRA in an effort to reduce the risk of a mass shooting. By passing legislation, the members of the General Assembly can provide Illinois municipalities the opportunity to protect their communities.

I recognize that restricting access to assault weapons isn't going to stop all gun violence, but banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines is one common-sense action to reduce gun violence and protect our families and communities from potential mass violence and grief.

While the families in Newtown, Orlando, Las Vegas, and now Sutherland Springs, Texas didn't believe they had "assault weapon" problems, we should agree that every town, village, and city should have the power to decide whether or not to limit these weapons that enable mass murder.

I ask that you'll consider what we did in Highland Park as the model ordinance that it is, and give municipalities throughout Illinois the opportunity to replicate it. Banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines has been determined to be constitutional in Illinois. Now is the time to allow Illinois cities to choose how they wish to address this recurrent crisis in our nation.

_{Top photos: Nancy Rotering (left) by Tim Moran | Assault-style weapons (right) Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images}