Deerfield council votes to ban semi-automatic firearms

Deerfield village board voted unanimously to ban semi-automatic firearms Monday night

DEERFIELD – Monday night, a suburban village board northwest of Chicago voted to ban the possession, sale and manufacture of semi-automatic firearms. As of June 13, Deerfield residents will have 60 days to get rid of "assault" weapons or pay the city up to $1000 per day, the ordinance that passed with unanimous support says. 

The ordinance lists – "but not be limited to" – the following rifles, pistols and shotguns as banned "assault" weapons: 

The Deerfield board is following the example of their neighbors just to the east in Highland Park, which holds a similar ban. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge to Highland Park's assault weapons ban, which, gun rights advocates said, strengthened the hand of municipalities to ban firearms.

The Illinois State Rifle Association urged members to attend Monday night's meeting, and be prepared to defend their right to make public comments. The ISRA wrote on its website alert that "the ban might make people in Deerfield somehow feel safer."