Kankakee Times

Illinois state Republicans are supporting the introduction of Reimagine Illinois.

The plan's objective is to reinvent the state through the ideals of public safety, better spending, less corruption, job growth and education across all communities.

On March 18, Rep. Tom Bennett (R-Pontiac) spoke in a March 18 video where he discussed the public safety portions of Reimagine Illinois. 

"We need to take steps to protect the public while respecting the rights of all Illinoisans," Bennett said. "There are four key steps that we can take to accomplish our goals."

The four steps are to limit corruption within law enforcement, create a reformed recruiting program for officers, reform the process for gun ownership and review the state's bail program. Bennett believes that these key points need to be reviewed for a safer state to become a reality. 

"We can reimagine Illinois' public safety policies and do much more to keep Illinois safe," he said. 

Bennett supports Reimagine Illnois' reform plans because he believes it is necessary to grow and change with the times. 

"Being an American isn't easy. In many ways, our country has always struggled, but it has also grown from these struggles," Bennett said on his website. "Americans have always had different views, agendas and goals on how things should be done. Despite these challenges, we have progressed through over 200 years to where we are today. We have reshaped our country and our economy several times to fit the needs of the time. We continue to change today," 

Fellow representatives and supporters that back this new plan are encouraging others to sign the petition for the plan to be put into place. So far, it has 178 signatures as of Tuesday.