SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois House passed legislation Thursday to allow former or currently incarcerated people to participate in higher education programs and receive financial aid.
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) said recent Prison Policy data show nearly 70% of incarcerated people have interest in getting a college degree, but only 3% have post-high school education.
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) presented House Bill 2466 on April 10, 2025.
Her proposal would allow these prospective college students to receive MAP grant funding as they leave the Illinois Department of Corrections.
"Those who are incarcerate may not be paying taxes currently, but all of their family members are paying into the same pot that we’re trying to get them access to," Ammons said. "The estimated cost for this is insignificant to the state budget."
Ammons explained this change would only cost the state $3.2 million for the next fiscal year.
House Bill 2466 passed out of the House on a 72-39 vote. The plan now moves to the Senate for further consideration.
Scherer suffered a rib fracture and three small vertebrae fractures. A doctor said the injuries "would heal with time and did not require surgery," according to the crash report.
Bloom
via pantagraph.com – RSS Results in news/state-regional/government-politics of type article https://ift.tt/D1X63iw
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois K-12 schools may soon be required to pick new mascots to replace those that reference Native American names and imagery.
That would include logos, team names and mascots which 90 schools throughout the state use, such as the Mt. Zion Braves or the Cahokia Comanches, according to legislators. House Bill 1237 passed in the House on Thursday with a vote of 71-40.
The bill points out specific mascots and names like “Redskins, Braves, Chiefs, Chieftains, Tribe, Indians, or any synonymous term” as those being banned. It also applies to logos with Native American feathered headdresses or traditionally Native American weapons, especially if combined with feathers.
If signed into law, schools would have to have a new mascot chosen by July 1, 2026. Other big changes, that would cost schools money, have a slightly longer delay.
Instead of requiring schools to buy new athletic uniforms and other school materials with new iconography as soon as the bill passes, schools could keep using those old materials until Sept. 1, 2030, as long as the new names and logo designs have been picked out.
There is also an exception for any school whose mascot has a direct tie with a federally recognized tribe and the school gets permission from that tribe to continue using the mascot. That consent would have to be renewed every five years, according to the bill.
This isn’t the first year the bill’s main sponsor, Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, has tried to pass the Native mascot ban.
When West tried in 2020, members of the Native American Chamber of Commerce of Illinois asked him to push for teaching Native American history in schools first.
That education bill didn’t make it into law until 2023. Read more: Bill requiring schools to teach Native American history heads to Senate floor
“This is about the welfare and benefit of our students. It’s about not harming our students,” said Andrew Johnson, executive director of NACCI, during a March 20 committee hearing. “It’s also not about polls, popularity, contests, anecdotes, tradition, honor, DEI, wokeness or political correctness.”
Advocates said they wanted to focus on K-12 schools because they can choose not to be fans of professional sports teams like the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL, but they can’t choose not to send their children to school.
This bill also does not apply to universities.
Educators and representatives said the bill would minimize children’s exposure in school to stereotypes about Native Americans.
“At one point, native mascots and logos were the most widespread education about native people in our state,” said Megan Bang, a professor at Northwestern University, during a committee hearing. “This year is our first time as a state to require teaching about native people.” Read more: Pritzker signs bills expanding protections for Native Americans
“The contradictions of both having educators teach about real Native people, but continue to perpetuate stereotyped images, sets up for educators to have harder times with young people, and sets in motion contradictory learning objectives for young people as well,” Bang said.
When the bill was discussed on the House floor, Republicans were united against the bill in their votes after they came back from an hour-long meeting they took during the bill’s debate.
“If there’s bad actors, absolutely let’s get rid of them. And I will also just leave you with this question,” Travis Weaver, R-Edwards, said. “This group of people were oppressed, but is oppressed and forgotten better?”
Aaron Golding, member of the Seneca Nation Beaver Clan and member of the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative, said in March that Native Americans’ input and concerns are often dismissed.
“Our voices and expertise on these issues are ignored,” Golding said. “See, when people are taught about our history prior to 1900 only, without an understanding of our contemporary experiences over the most recent 125 years – and ‘recent’ is pretty loosely said there – it’s easy to dismiss us as ghosts of the past whose needs don’t matter today.”
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
NOTE: This story was originally posted for subscribers only. To receive subscriber-only newsletters and content, click here.
Longtime Rep. Sue Scherer (D-Decatur) is home recovering after a serious car accident last week that left her with broken vertebrae in her back.
According to a release from the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, Scherer, who has served in the House since 2013, was involved in the crash April 1 at 8:17AM at the corner of Wyckles Road and Park Road in far northwest Decatur.
Scherer allegedly drove into oncoming traffic and was hit by another car.
According to the police report, Scherer said at the hospital she didn’t remember what happened. Later, she told police she looked at the intersection and didn’t see any traffic.
When we reached out to Scherer Monday on a separate issue, her daughter responded by text that she had been injured in a car accident. We did not seek further information.
The report states Scherer suffered a rib fracture and “three small vertebrae fractures that the [doctor] stated would heal with time and did not require surgery.”
A House Democrat spokesman issued a statement on behalf of the entire caucus:
“Rep. Scherer’s colleagues are glad to know she is on the road to recovery and look forward to welcoming her back when she is able.”
We’re told Scherer is home and recuperating from the accident. Her district encompasses most of Decatur and east and downtown Springfield, with a small strip of territory connecting the two.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — On Tuesday, the Illinois House passed a bill that would prohibit schools from using a name, logo, or mascot that is derogatory or representative of a disabled individual or group.
House Bill 3527 was introduced by Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford) in response to a complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights by the activist group Mascots Matter, which accused Freeburg High School’s mascot, the “Midgets,” of offending people with dwarfism.
“Mascots should uplift, not discriminate, while creating a supportive environment for all students,” said West. “Harmful and outdated mascots from Illinois schools, including those that perpetuate harmful stereotypes, have no place in our state. This bill is a critical step toward ensuring our schools foster a more inclusive, respectful future for all in Illinois. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the state senate to pass this bill into law.”
If passed by the Senate, the law would require schools to adopt a new mascot by September 1st, 2028.
West is also behind House Bill 5617, which would amend the school code to prohibit school use the likeness of any person, animal, or object associated with Native American culture.
State representative Stephanie Kifowit was recognized Monday, March 31, as one of the 25 Illinois Women Veteran Leaders of 2025 during a celebratory ceremony at Malcolm X College. The annual honor highlights women veterans across Illinois who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, service, and commitment to their communities.
Rep. Kifowit, a proud United States Marine Corps veteran, has built her career on service—first to her country, and now to her residents. As a legislator, she has been a tireless advocate for veterans’ rights, access to healthcare, and mental health services, as well as increasing state-level support for women who have served.
“Being a U.S. Marine is a lifelong honor, and it shaped the person I am today,” said Kifowit. “I carry those values with me every day in Springfield, fighting for veterans to get the care, respect, and opportunities they deserve. To be recognized alongside these incredible women, who have also worn the uniform, is deeply meaningful to me.”
The 25 Illinois Women Veteran Leaders award shines a light on trailblazing women whose impact reaches beyond their military service, celebrating those who continue to lead and uplift others in their civilian lives. Rep. Kifowit’s selection reflects her unwavering commitment to those who’ve served and her ongoing legislative leadership on behalf of veterans across Illinois.
For more information about the event or to participate, please visit the official event page or contact Rep. Kifowit’s office at 217-782-8028.
Oswego Democratic State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit is asking homeschool families to keep an open mind about a proposal that would regulate homeschooling in Illinois.
House Bill 2827 has cleared committee and is now being debated in the Illinois House.
Kifowit says the goal is to make sure there are some basic guardrails in place for children.
"The basis of the bill was certainly not to punish or to infringe upon any of the good homeschoolers again some of them I know. Their kids did well in a homeschool environment and and I appreciate that," Kifowit said.
"But it is really getting to the individuals who are just bad actors and they use homeschooling as an excuse to keep their kids out of school and continue the cycle of abuse. And I I hate to say I personally know, two adult individuals that went through this and I have gotten emails, from now adults that said the only reason I was homeschooled was because I was abused and neglected and my parents did not wanna be found out."
Among other provisions, the bill would require homeschool guardians to notify the public school their child would otherwise attend.
Republican State Rep. Jed Davis of Newark is opposing the bill, saying it creates too much government oversight into people’s lives.
It took six months for Maria Garza to finally feel home for good after leaving prison.
Garza was released from the Illinois Department of Corrections in June 2021 and spent the next six months bouncing from a friend’s home to her elderly godparents’ home to a motel, while also working as a hospital clerk and dog sitter and struggling to continue her bachelor’s degree classes in Northwestern University’s Prison Education Program. Those months were marked by uncertainty and worry as Garza was forced to adapt her schedule and constantly pivot around those who had kindly offered help.
Garza’s life changed dramatically in December 2021 when a church in Joliet offered her a two-bedroom home for an affordable $300 per month. From there, Garza has reestablished herself, taking on numerous responsibilities, working (and contributing to the state tax base) and, maybe most important, co-founding Challenge II Change, an organization that specializes in helping people facing similar hardships.
But far too few people exiting prison have the same kind of opportunity that Garza did.
That is why we are proud to stand with Challenge II Change and the dozens of statewide organizations in the Home for Good Coalition, a group of housing, reentry and community violence intervention organizations working to enact into law the Home for Good Program, which would ensure that affordable housing is available to people who are leaving prisons or jails and those enrolled in and employed at community violence intervention (CVI) organizations that work to reduce gun violence.
Studies show that housing instability is a major challenge for those exiting jail and prison and for those who are chronically exposed to violence. Far too many people with both the determination and the desire to find employment and become a contributing member of society struggle and fail because they lack a safe place to sleep and an address to put on an application. These setbacks, caused by systemic problems that can be fixed, ripple through families and neighborhoods and create instability and unsafe conditions for all of us.
It is time to respond boldly, with a statewide solution such as the Home for Good Program, HB3162 and SB2403. People with arrest and conviction records struggle to find stable and affordable housing options due to lack of employment opportunities and discrimination by landlords and employers. In addition, people exiting jail and prison are excluded from state and federally funded long-term housing for three months because of state and federal definitions of homelessness.
The need to address this issue is critical, as data and research show:
45% of people leaving state prisons are unemployed for at least three years.
60% of CVI program participants request support finding or affording housing, and 80% have arrest or conviction records, which creates a significant barrier to finding work or securing a lease.
People leaving prison don’t qualify for some existing homelessness supports upon release.
Nearly 40% of people leaving prisons return within three years, with each return costing Illinois taxpayers an estimated $190,000. However, research shows that stable housing reduces the likelihood of returning to prison and is far less expensive than reincarcerating a person.
The Home for Good legislation builds upon existing, but limited, housing programs and reentry housing pilots that have proved to help people build stable lives. It would allocate $103 million for the Illinois Housing Development Authority and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority to expand those housing opportunities. The program will fund rental assistance for people with criminal records who can contribute up to 30% of their income; grant money to acquire, build and rehabilitate affordable transitional and permanent housing; wraparound support services for those seeking housing; and the creation of the Home for Good Institute, a training center for organizations that want to provide this kind of housing.
We understand this initial price tag in a year of austerity seems high. But we also know this is a good investment that would pay incredible dividends by helping people and families, saving taxpayers money and making communities safer.
It will create meaningful opportunities for others like Garza. Investing $103 million in the program would also save taxpayers $650 million over the next three years. For every dollar invested in Home for Good, more than $6 would be injected back into the Illinois economy, creating widespread opportunities to stabilize communities and address public safety. And providing housing support for returning residents has been shown to lower return to prison rates by up to 50%.
The current housing ecosystem simply doesn’t reach enough people to ensure widespread positive outcomes like this. So, let’s expand our response to housing needs in this state. Let’s provide community organizations committed to ending gun violence with a real solution for clients and staff who need housing. Let’s provide those returning home from incarceration with housing options they can access. Let’s stop the revolving door at the prison. Let’s welcome them home for good.
State Rep. Maurice West represents the 67th District and is the sponsor of the Home for Good measure in the Illinois House. Arne Duncan is a managing partner of Emerson Collective and founder of Chicago CRED, a member organization of the Home for Good Coalition.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — State lawmakers could pass a plan this spring to automatically seal records for people convicted of nonviolent felonies. Felony convictions currently eligible for expungement could be automatically sealed by a circuit court judge or the Illinois State Police.
Many people may not know that April is national Second Chance Month, raising awareness about the long-term consequences of criminal convictions and opportunities people can have if they get a second chance at life after completing their sentences or public service.
Illinois House Assistant Majority Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria) has been working on a clean slate policy for six years. Gordon-Booth told WAND News that she was inspired to work on the legislation after hosting multiple expungement summits in Peoria.
"I’ve watched individuals take more than a year to get to a place when they start the process and get to the end of it," Gordon-Booth said. "Many people lose faith that things can actually change for them."
The Democrat worked with former House Minority Leader Jim Durkin to pass legislation in 2017 to allow certain offenders with nonviolent felony convictions to apply for expungement. However, she said each of the state’s 102 counties are addressing the record sealing process differently. Gordon-Booth argued it is past time for a streamlined system.
"Right now, we have 2 million Illinoisans who are sitting on the sidelines whose lives are being determined not by their own ingenuity and their desire to make a better life for themselves, but literally they’re being judged by a mistake that was made 10, 15 or 20 years ago."
Gordon-Booth said sealed records can open doors to job opportunities and allow people who served time to rebuild their lives. She stressed this is a key reason why groups from the business industry like the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and Illinois Manufacturers’ Association support her plan.
It is also rare to see law enforcement organizations and grassroots advocates working together to get the clean slate bill across the finish line in 2025.
"I knew that I had to be willing to listen to their concerns and their issues, and I had to be willing to craft a bill that allowed them to do what they needed to do on their side, needed to give them the tools they needed to be able to do their job, but to also be able to change the lives of 2 million Illinoisans," Gordon-Booth said.
Leader Gordon-Booth plans to file her proposal when lawmakers return to Springfield next month. She hopes to have the plan move out of committee and voted on the House floor by the end of April.
"I saw so many young people that had their lives absolutely changed that frankly had their lives calcified in poverty for 15 to 20 years not because they were bad people, but because they made a mistake between the ages of 18 and 24," Gordon-Booth added.
The Illinois House and Senate are scheduled to adjourn for the summer on May 31.
Working for Illinois Caucus 