Mell pushes gun registration amnesty to help self, others

Chicago Tribune ^ | June 5, 2008 | Hal Dardick

[neverdem]

Ald. Richard Mell got a City Council committee to approve a change to a Chicago law on his behalf Wednesday, but argued it would benefit thousands of other city residents who, like him, simply failed to renew their gun licenses.

"It was probably good I didn’t [renew], because there are an awful lot of other citizens" who had the same problem, Mell (33rd) said after the Police and Fire Committee approved an amendment to the gun registration ordinance. The change would allow those whose registration lapsed to renew at a slightly higher fee.

Re-registration of the guns would have to occur within 4 months of passage of the ordinance by the full City Council, which could come as soon as next Wednesday.

Mell, a hunter and gun collector, sought the change after he forgot to renew his registrations and was told he could not do so because the deadline had passed.

The alderman said Wednesday Tuesday he was "inundated" with calls from "law-abiding citizens" in the same predicament. Former Illinois Atty. General Roland Burris called him to say he was storing a gun in Decatur because he forgot to renew his registration, Mell said. The engraved shotgun was given to Burris by Illinois State Police when Burris left office, the alderman added.

Committee Chairman Ald. Isaac Carothers (29th), meanwhile, said he expected another amendment to be drafted that would allow retired police officers to register newly purchased handguns. Federal law allow allows retired officers to carry concealed weapons, but city ordinance allows them to only re-register their old service revolvers, not new weapons.

Ordinary residents are not allowed to own handguns in Chicago. Aldermen said a case before the U.S. Supreme Court they that could be decided in July could overturn local gun control laws across the nation...

[neverdem]

I guess we better throw a bone to the peons, huh?

[realdifferent1]

...argued it would benefit thousands

Call me a skeptic...

[DoughtyOne]

Perhaps it's time we start registering leftist talking heads and liberal professors before they can exercise their first amendment rights, at the cost of $2,500 so an oversight agency can be set up.

And of course, they should have to provide a valid form of ID before they can purchase a microphone, once again with a hefty tax on it.

Microphone locks should be installed, and only one person per mic can have a key.

[neverdem]

BANG! Someone needs to question Obama about what's the point of this hypocritical amnesty, law breaking and unConstitutional nonsense, especially since he supports it like the D.C. gun ban.

[neverdem]

LOL!

[woollyone]

you mean THIS Richard [DICK] Mell...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2020208/posts

...who was facing potential prosecution for failing to renew and in order to save his ass he extended the deadline?

...and then had the spheres to claim he was doing the extention for the “little people”?

THAT Richard [DICK] Mell?

Makes my index finger twitch again.
That’s twice today.

[vpintheak]

I don’t know about this guys political affiliation but this goes to show how the system works. If it didn’t affect him, he would have never said a thing.

[neverdem]

Thanks for the link.