Cook County Board Meeting, July 17, 2013

The Cook County Board of Commissioners Meeting was presided over by Toni Preckwinkle, President.  The following commissioners were in attendance:  Butler, Collins, Daley, Fritchie, Goslin, Gorman, Garcia, Moore, Murphy, Reyes, Schneider, Silvestri, Simms and Steele.

There were 72 items on the Agenda, but the overriding topic which drew the most comment and discussion was gun control.  

First, however, the President's appointment of Lawrence Wilson to the position of Cook County Comptroller was approved unanimously, as was her appointment of Deputy Comptroller, John Schick, as Deputy Comptroller.

The next fourteen items related to violence prevention programs were all approved.  An Advisory Committee had reviewed 108 submissions from local social service agencies and selected fourteen to receive funding to provide an array of services from mentoring programs to instructional programs about gun violence, counseling, substance abuse treatment and various strategies to assist in violence prevention.

Following was a discussion about gun violence precipitated by the introduction of a new Section preventing the sale of guns to minors and limiting their access to firearms. The ordinance included financial penalties applying to first, second and subsequent offenses, and named the Cook County Sheriff as the agency to enforce the rules. The arguments revolved around issues such as youth being old enough to serve in the armed forces, old enough to drive and vote, but not old enough to own a gun. Second Amendment rights were also identified as problematic. Commissioners Fritchie and Schneider voiced their concern on these issues, as well as State and Federal laws conflicting with the rules which would result in a law suit. The Item was approved by a majority of votes.

All Committee Reports were approved, as were requests for new software for the Medical Examiners Office, new fiber optic cables to be installed between the Daley Center to 69 W. Washington and 118 N. Clark and Provident Hospital. Several home loans were approved for the Bureau of Economic Development and Department of Planning and Development. Also approved was the acquisition/rehabilitation of a multi-family rental housing project in Maywood, as was a lease agreement with the RTA for space located in the Pedway of 69 W. Washington. Two Items from the Office of the Chief Judge were moved to the Finance Committee at the motion of Commissioner Daley. From the Office of the State's Attorney, pending litigation was moved to the Litigation Committee.

A new Item was introduced amending an ordinance banning assault weapons, based on the Blair-Holt Amendment, which expanded the types of weapons to be banned.  This generated a discussion about rockets which took a circular pattern.  The Item extended the ban to all persons in Cook County and increased penalties (civil) in the form of increasing fines.  The Item was ultimately passed after numerous question were posed to the County Attorney who addressed all of the issues.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 1:40.

Submitted by Beverly Graham