As the Illinois General Assembly plans its return to Springfield next week — the first meeting of the legislature since early March — we talk to Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford about what's on the agenda.
Today on The 21st: a conversation with Illinois Senate Majority Leader and Black Caucus Chair Kimberly Lightford, college students considering a "gap year," and a former Chicago Tribune sportswriter and central Illinois basketball player on the ESPN miniseries The Last Dance.
New Illinois Senate President selected; Two universities partner to bring higher ed to downtown Springfield; DNA test confirm coyote bite
There's a commission on reforming how public schools are funded in Illinois, formed by the Governor. Then there's the meetings hosted by St. Senator Kimberly Lightford, where lawmakers of both parties --- and lobbyists, too --- get together to discuss the hard questions around education funding reform.
A law going into effect in Illinois next month will ban zero-tolerance policies in schools and turn suspension and expulsion into disciplinary options of last resort. Districts throughout the state are taking different approaches to prepare for the changes.
