Illinois governor calls gun violence a public health crisis
CHICAGO (AP) - Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker declared gun violence a public health crisis on Monday, saying $250 million in state and federal money will be directed toward the issue over the next three years.
Public health experts and researchers have called gun violence a public health threat for years. Over the summer, New York declared gun violence a disaster emergency.
Pritzker´s office said about $50 million of the Illinois effort will come from the current state budget with the same approach in the following two years. Community organizations will be able to apply for funding in areas including youth intervention programs, trauma recovery and other mental health services.
Pritzker called it "an unprecedented statewide investment in the pursuit of violence reduction."
