During a meeting of the Cook County board’s Criminal Justice Committee on Wednesday, commissioners approved an ordinance that would increase fines for individuals illegally in possession of assault weapons.
Commissioner Richard Boykin (D-Chicago) sponsored the ordinance, which amends the county’s Blair Holt Assault Weapons Ban. Under Boykin’s measure, fines for first-time violations of the assault weapons ban would increase from between $1,000 and $5,000 to between $5,000 and $10,000. Subsequent violations could result in fines between $10,000 and $20,000.