Alderman misses deadline; changing law

CHICAGO, May 20 (UPI) -- A Chicago alderman is using the legislative process to declare an amnesty for gun registration after forgetting to register his own collection of firearms.

Alderman Richard Mell says he thought his staff was handling the paperwork for his arsenal of rifles, shotguns and pistols, but later found out he had missed the deadline and was facing a late fee.

To top it off, the Chicago Sun Times said Tuesday, Mell was a driving force in passing the registration statute in the first place. The trick to the law is that it requires annual re-registration.

"When we looked at the law, we saw the possibility of winning (an appeal) wasn't going to happen," Mel conceded.

Since Chicago is one of those "can do" cities, Mel has come up with a special ordinance that will re-open the registration window for one month and allow Chicagoans to register their guns without penalty.

"It's not just for me. It's for other people with the same problem," said Mell. "Some people didn't realize that, every year, you have to re-register your guns."