Possible changes to firearm ban will not affect Northwestern’s private rules

Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl is supporting her southern counterpart as the city of Chicago prepares to defend its ban on civilian firearms in the nation's highest court.

Chicago's prohibition on handguns, in place since 1982, is set to be reviewed by the Supreme Court of the United States when McDonald v. Chicago is heard March 2.

A group of city residents, assisted by the National Rifle Association, is challenging the ban based on Second Amendment rights, NRA spokesperson Rachel Parsons said.

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley has publicly supported his city's stance.

Evanston repealed its own handgun ban in August 2008 after the Supreme Court decision District of Columbia v. Heller ruled in favor of Second Amendment rights for individuals in "federal enclaves." The Heller decision allowed all citizens, including those not in service to a militia, to own a firearm and use it for traditional purposes, such as self-defense.

Parsons said the Heller decision left unclear whether this extends to cities and municipalities.

Despite Evanston's repeal of the ban, Tisdahl supports keeping guns out of the hands of citizens.

"Evanston is very interested in limiting handguns and banning handguns," she said.

Evanston city attorneys filed amicus curiae briefs for the case to support Chicago. An amicus curiae brief is filed by an interested party who is not directly involved but wants to add their input, Evanston city attorney Grant Farrar said.

"Chicago and Evanston as municipalities are opposed to national regulations," he said.

"They are for the right to locally regulate the possession of firearms and are not in favor of a national standard. That is the way it has always been, and that's why the Chicago case is so up front right now."

Tisdahl appeared with Daley at a press conference in Washington, D.C. to address the upcoming case during the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

"This is critically important for Evanston," Tisdahl said. "Our young people are dying, and we need to get guns out of the hands of young people and all citizens."

The day after the Supreme Court handed down the Heller decision, the NRA mobilized to support a group of citizens suing the city of Chicago, Parsons said.

"We think the government should respect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, no matter where you live," she said. "We are determined to make that happen."

A handgun ban in Evanston would not affect Northwestern's campus, Deputy Chief of University Police Daniel McAleer said. The campus is private property owned by a private institution and consequently has its own rules rather than laws for gun control, he said.

"The University doesn't allow students to have firearms on campus or other weapons on campus under any circumstances," he said.

Tisdahl hopes the clarification of the Heller decision would lean toward more gun control rather than less.

"The Heller decision was rather murky," she said. "Hopefully there will be several avenues for gun control advocates to chip away at the decision and manage to regain some local control of weapons."


gracejohnson2007@u.northwestern.edu