As gun violence continues to claim lives on Chicago's streets and a national conversation has grown louder about access to high-powered weapons in the wake of Connecticut's Sandy Hook elementary school shootings, Cook County commissioners signed off on a tighter gun-control package Tuesday.

During the regular board meeting, commissioners approved the package introduced by Board President Toni Preckwinkle, calling for firearms owners to report the make, model and serial number of lost, stolen, sold, transferred or destroyed firearms to the sheriff within 48 hours and empower the sheriff to share that information with his local law enforcement counterparts.

Violators would face a fine of at least $1,000 fine.

The ordinance takes effect in August.

The goal is to take aim at straw purchasers — in the business of legally purchasing the guns and reselling them to criminals that have wreaked havoc in Chicago and some suburbs.

Last year, Chicago saw 500-plus homicides and the violence has spilled in to the new year — with one of the most recent killings claiming the life of Hadiya Pendleton, a South Side teen gunned down in a park just days after attending President Barack Obama's inauguration.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is pushing for similar measures, including jail time for violations.

--Sun-Times
© Copyright 2013 Sun-Times Media, LLC

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Story by 89 WLS reporter Bill Cameron
The Cook County Board has just approved new gun control and it came on a voice vote with no county commissioners voting no.

Beginning in August, gun owners in suburban Cook County face fines up to $2,000 for failing to tell police when their guns are lost, or stolen or sold.

Surprisingly, West Side Democrat, Commissioner Earlean Collins – speaking about the murder of 15 year old drum majorette Hadiya Pendleton - said more gun control won't do a lot of good, "We can pass every gun law in the world, we can get rid of them, the problem will still remain. Now, I'm not saying we shouldn't do something, and the guns may help a little, but it's too little for the lives that we are losing and that we are going to lose in the future."

She said little will change until something real is done about poverty and drugs.
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