Mayor's New Guns Plan Includes More Jail Time

Hadiya Pendleton's death has pushed Chicago's gun violence into the national spotlight.

First Lady Michelle Obama attended the 15-year-old's funeral Saturday and President Barack Obama has scheduled a visit to his hometown this week to address violence. On Monday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel plans to announce a new agenda taking aim at tougher gun laws.

Emanuel will join Supt. Garry McCarthy and Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez to detail the plan, which includes boosting the required minimum prison sentence for gun possession to three years. Right now the minimum required sentence is one year.

They also want anyone convicted of felony gun possession to serve 85 percent of that sentence instead of the 50 percent or less they serve now.

The Chicago Sun-Times looked at 2011 illegal gun cases and found the punishments widely vary depending on the judge.

Chicago obviously isn't the only major city discussing gun safety. That also will be the continued talking point on Capitol Hill this week.

Sen. Dick Durbin is hosting a hearing Tuesday on gun safety, and he has asked Pendleton's parents to attend.
 

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