Updated 3:36pm
Story by 89 WLS reporter Bill Cameron

The surprise in the City Council gun debate was Alderman Amaya Pawar's idea to make gun owners get liability insurance.

So where is Mayor Emanuel on that idea?

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said, "It's not far off with my idea of what we tried to do in Springfield. So, I'm very open to any type of reform or change that deals with preventing criminals from getting acc3ess to handguns or making people, when they own a gun, are responsible in the same way they are for a car."

Gun rights groups are very much opposed to this. 

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A busy day in the City Council as yet another gun control idea was floated.

Here at City Hall, the aldermen unanimously passed a watered down ethics ordinance – which does not allow anonymous complaints against the aldermen – and they passed the mayor's gun control package.

It has substantial fines for gun owners who don't tell police when their guns are lost, stolen or sold and boosts jail time for possessing an illegal gun up to as much as six months.

During debate, Alderman Ameya Pawar wanted to make gun owners get liability insurance, "I would like to embark on a public private partnership like the one we have with drivers licenses where you're required to have liability insurance."

Mayor Emanuel told the alderman he looks forward to working with him on this.
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