John talks with Rep. Anna Moeller, who first introduced the newly passed law that will require public schools to include LGBTQ history in their curriculum. “It’s very powerful when children have role models,” said Moeller, “They can look up to and know these people did amazing things and they were gay.” Listen to the full conversation now:
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St. Rep. Lance Yednock says he’s arranging for a meeting of people who can advocate for a solution to the opioid addiction problem. He’s calling it the Opioid Advisory Committee. Then Yednock plans to have more meetings that the public can attend. The Ottawa Democrat says tackling the drug problem is one way to build a stronger Illinois.
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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker waves June 30, 2019, at the 50th Chicago Pride Parade. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois public schools will be required to teach students about the contributions made by members of the LGBTQ community under a law Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed last week.
The new law mandates that the history curriculum in public schools include lessons on the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Illinois and the United States. The lessons must be taught to students before they complete the eighth grade.
“One of the best ways to overcome intolerance is through education and exposure to different people and viewpoints,” Democratic state Sen. Heather Steans of Chicago, one of the bill’s Senate sponsors, said in a news release. “An inclusive curriculum will not only teach an accurate version of history but also promote acceptance of the LGBTQ community.”
According to state Rep. Ann Moeller, an Elgin Democrat who was one of the bill’s sponsors in the House, Illinois is the fifth state in the nation to adopt such legislation.
“The new law’s goal is simple: to understand that people from different backgrounds deserve the same opportunity to learn and be recognized for their contributions in society as everyone else," Moeller said in a news release.
Public schools are already required to teach students about the history of other minority and ethnic groups, including African Americans and Hispanics.
The legislation passed 60-42 in the House and 37-17 in the Senate. The new law takes effect on July 1, 2020.
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Elgin, IL-(ENEWSPF)- It isn’t often that we receive press releases from out-of-district members of the Illinois General Assembly. They are coming more frequently now, however. Not entirely certain why, but we will give these fair consideration for publication. This one, from Illinois State Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, arrived recently.
For the public’s sake, please remember that these statements are directly from offices of politicians. As such, they tend to be self-serving, but do provide insight into the priorities of those in the General Assembly. For that reason, we will continue to offer them to our thoughtful readers who can make their own determination of their value.
We will not include statements that purport to offer facts that are simply not true.
This one, however, is good news for our LGBQT readers in Illinois and those who support them. It would be good to hear similar sentiments from our representatives who serve Park Forest.
Unfortunately, Rep. Anthony DeLuca officially took no stance on this bill. He is registered as “NV”, or “No Vote,” when the bill came up for third reading on March 13, 2019, where it passed the House. The bill passed the Senate on May 23. State Senator Toi Hutchinson voted in favor of the bill.
The bill is now with Governor Pritzker, awaiting his signature.
Rep. Moeller’s Statement on HB 246 Requiring Illinois Schools to Include LGBQT Contributions in U.S. History Studies
State Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, issued the following statement in response to the signing of House Bill 246, which bars discrimination in state-funded textbooks in Illinois schools and requires schools to include instruction on the contributions of the LGBQT community in U.S. history studies:
“Today is an important and historic day for fairness and compassion in Illinois. I was proud to sponsor House Bill 246 and am delighted to see it become Illinois law.
“The new law’s goal is simple: to understand that people from different backgrounds deserve the same opportunity to learn and be recognized for their contributions in society as everyone else.
“Historically, gay and transgender people have been treated as second-class citizens: persecuted, discriminated against and forgotten. As our society has evolved to rectify these injustices, our school teaching should as well. I hope Illinois schools will embrace the opportunity to show that we all are equal and valuable through this commonsense update to their curriculum.
Illinois becomes the 5th state in the nation and first in the Midwest to adopt this change. I thank Gov. Pritzker for his leadership in signing and supporting this legislation, Sen. Heather Steans for her leadership in the Senate, my colleagues in the Legislature who voted for it, and the dedicated advocates – led by Equality Illinois, the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, and the Legacy Project – for their commitment to ending discrimination and helping cut through the uninformed and misguided arguments on House Bill 246.
“I look forward to continue working on legislation that recognizes we all matter, and we all deserve to be able to live happily and find our own path forward.”
This is a release from Illinois State Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin.
This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
Rep. Moeller: New Curriculum Law Promotes Fairness, Compassion
State Rep. Anna Moeller heralds a new state law requiring study in schools of LGBQT contributions and history.
ELGIN — Gay and transgender youth and adults in Illinois will receive fairness and compassion from a new state law sponsored by Rep. Anna Moeller.
Moeller today announced Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed into law House Bill 264, requiring classroom instruction about the history and contributions of the LGBQT community in Illinois schools.
Read Rep. Moeller’s statement for more information on this important issue. For more on the legislation, click here:
"Today is an important and historic day for fairness and compassion in Illinois. I was proud to sponsor House Bill 246 and am delighted to see it become Illinois law.
"The new law’s goal is simple: to understand that people from different backgrounds deserve the same opportunity to learn and be recognized for their contributions in society as everyone else.
"Historically, gay and transgender people have been treated as second-class citizens: persecuted, discriminated against and forgotten. As our society has evolved to rectify these injustices, our school teaching should as well. I hope Illinois schools will embrace the opportunity to show that we all are equal and valuable through this commonsense update to their curriculum.
Illinois becomes the 5th state in the nation and first in the Midwest to adopt this change. I thank Gov. Pritzker for his leadership in signing and supporting this legislation, Sen. Heather Steans for her leadership in the Senate, my colleagues in the Legislature who voted for it, and the dedicated advocates – led by Equality Illinois, the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, and the Legacy Project – for their commitment to ending discrimination and helping cut through the uninformed and misguided arguments on House Bill 246.
"I look forward to continue working on legislation that recognizes we all matter, and we all deserve to be able to live happily and find our own path forward."
The views expressed in this post are the author’s own. Want to post on Patch?
State Rep. Daniel Didech of Buffalo Grove will host two “Donuts with Dan” events this month.
The first is at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, in the main meeting room of the Vernon Area Public Library, 300 Olde Half Day Road, Lincolnshire. The event also will include conversation with Lake County Board Member Adam Didech.
The second event is at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, in the Cook Room of the Indian Trails Public Library, 355 Schoenbeck Road, Wheeling.
Didech hopes community members will come out to meet with him face-to-face and join the conversation. The sessions are designed to provide residents of the 59th House District an opportunity to ask questions, share ideas and provide feedback about the upcoming legislative session.
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ALTON — State Rep. Monica Bristow, D-Alton, has been appointed to the newly created Property Tax Relief Task Force which will address property taxes in Illinois.
“This spring I worked on legislation to make cost-saving exemptions more accessible for local seniors and to provide tax credits to local businesses that invest in our communities,” Bristow said. “In order to grow our local economies and ensure businesses invest in Illinois jobs, we must address the systemic property tax crisis facing our state and our homeowners.”
Bristow joined the Illinois General Assembly in December 2017. She voted for Senate Bill 1932 which created the Illinois Property Tax Relief Task Force and, this spring, introduced legislation to make the Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze Homestead Exemption more accessible to local residents, as well as to provide tax credits to local business that invest in Illinois jobs. She also voted for Senate Bill 39 which created the Property Tax Relief Fund.
“Our families and local businesses cannot wait any longer; they need real comprehensive solutions that help address the problem of growing property taxes,” Bristow said.
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Last week, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill backed by State Rep. John Connor, D-Lockport, to expand access to apprenticeship programs and ensure workers have a pathway to high-paying careers.
The law, S.B. 534, creates the Bureau on Apprenticeship Programs within the Department of Labor, which will be responsible for increasing minority participation in apprenticeship programs by identifying and eliminating potential barriers to entry, according to a news release.
“Illinois has a shortage of skilled workers,” Connors said in the release. “This makes us less competitive as a state to those businesses requiring skilled workers, and I want to strengthen Illinois by training Illinoisans for the skilled jobs that lay the foundation for good careers.”
Connor said the program will increase the percentage of state contracts required to go to businesses owned by people of color. He said legislators need to do more to nurture economic growth in communities of color to address inequality.
“The cycle of poverty can be broken through education and training, and the opportunity to work a good-paying, practical job should not be a privilege some communities are excluded from,” Connor said. “Right now, some Illinoisans have limited access to the training required for skilled jobs, just because of the color of their skin or their gender.”
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News,City: Joliet,Region: Joliet,Region: South Suburbs
St. Rep. Lance Yednock says raising the minimum wage incrementally to $15 by 2025 lets everyone see how it’s affecting things. While Illinois and a few other states have responded to the call for $15 per hour, there are some people calling for higher amounts. Yednock says it’s been a long time since minimum wage went up and families depend on it more than they used to.
Illinois has had a minimum wage of $8.25 per hour since 2010.
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Working for Illinois Caucus 