Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Kennedy spoke at the Solution to End Violence Forum over the weekend in Chicago, and he announced a plan to address the gun violence in the city.
Kennedy, who spoke about his father Robert F. Kennedy's assassination while running for president in 1968 during the speech, laid out an eight-point plan as he seeks to curb the violence that has made national headlines in Chicago.
The plan that Kennedy put forward includes increasing the number of police officers on Chicago’s streets, raising the number by 2000 officers. He also proposed more widespread availability for mental health services, and extensive rehabilitation for inmates.
During the speech, Kennedy criticized Governor Bruce Rauner for not doing enough to curb violence in Chicago, saying that the governor’s belief in limited government intervention has been the wrong path forward.
“The Republican party in the state of Illinois was hijacked by a libertarian madman who believes that there is no role for government in people’s lives nor the economy nor in state support for any anti-violence program,” he said.
Kennedy also put forward proposals for tougher gun control in the state, which Mayor Rahm Emanuel has also proposed.
