Insurance Could Answer Gun Reform Questions, Alderman Says

The nation is talking about gun control reform, and a local alderman is joining the conversation.

Ward 47 Ald. Ameya Pawar, who represents Lincoln Square and Northcenter, said liability insurance was a viable solution to combat gun-related crime.

"We can no longer use the U.S. Constitution as a prop to halt meaningful gun reforms," he wrote in an opinion piece for the Chicago Tribune Wednesday. 

Pawar said the people that sell guns to criminals are responsible for the city’s rise in violent incidents. 

To deter the resale of firearms, the alderman proposes requiring insurance for all gun owners. 

The insurance would tie a gun to its owner, preventing people who buy firearms legally from selling to gang members. And gang members themselves are less likely to buy insurance, Pawar argues. 

Not all guns would be created equal he said, with semi-automatic rifles having a higher rate than a hunting or collectors’ gun. 

Read the full editorial at the Chicago Tribune.